Ethanol

The Kansas Department of Agriculture conducted a pilot project throughout 2008 that allowed fuel stations to use blender pumps to dispense gasoline mixed with ethanol at rates ranging from 10 percent to 85 percent.  Data collected through the pilot project verified that blender pumps can consistently and accurately dispense a range of ethanol blends based on selections made by the consumer at the pump  The project was made permanent in January 2009.  To learn more, see the Guidelines for Blending Flex Fuels.

Facts About Ethanol

Ethanol is a clean-burning, domestically produced fuel usually made with corn or sorghum. Ethanol production and consumption benefit Kansas agriculture, the Kansas workforce, the economy and the environment. Ethanol is most often found in E10 (10 percent ethanol and 90 percent regular gasoline) or E85 (85 percent ethanol) blends.

Flexible fuel vehicles, which can run on regular gasoline and mixtures up to 85 percent ethanol, are now available from all American automakers. There are more than five million flexible fuel vehicles on the roads now. Having more flexible fuel vehicles in service means we need more E85 fueling stations. The New Window National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition keeps an online list of E85 refueling locations in New Window Kansas and across the New Window United States.

The energy balance of ethanol, according to the most recent USDA and Department of Energy studies, is between 1 to 1.35 and 1 to 1.67. That means that ethanol produces more energy than is used to produce the fuel. Continued efficiencies in agriculture and ethanol processing have been steadily improving that positive net energy ratio. It is good to remember that energy is used to harvest other forms of energy, such as oil, too. To learn more, read USDA’s study, “The 2001 Net Energy Balance of Corn-Ethanol.”

Teaching Children About Ethanol

A teaching packet with information and activities designed to teach students in grades 4 through 12 about ethanol as a transportation fuel. New Window Transportation Fuels: Ethanol is available on the coalition’s website.

Fueled by Kansas Farmers

Ethanol production in Kansas is increasing. Kansas corn and grain sorghum are the primary grain sources for up to 504.5 million gallons of ethanol produced in Kansas each year. There are now 13 dry mill ethanol plants in Kansas and more are proposed to be built.

  • Kansas Ethanol LLC, Lyons, has the capacity to produce 55 million gallons of ethanol a year from 19.6 million bushels of grain.
     
  • Nesika Energy LLC, Scandia, has the capacity to produce 10 million gallons of ethanol a year from 3.6 million bushels of grain.
       
  • Arkalon Energy, Hayne, has the capacity to produce 110 million gallons of ethanol a year from 39 million bushels of grain.
     
  • Gateway Ethanol, Pratt, has the capacity to produce 55 million gallons of ethanol a year from 19.6 million bushels of grain.
     
  • Bonanza Bioenergy, Garden City, has the capacity to produce 55 million gallons of ethanol a year from 19.6 million bushels of grain.
     
  • U.S. Energy Partners, Russell, has the capacity to produce 48 million gallons of ethanol a year from 17.2 million bushels of grain.
     
  • Prairie Horizon AgriEnergy, Phillipsburg, has the capacity to produce 40 million gallons of ethanol a year from 14.3 million bushels of grain.
     
  • Western Plains Energy, Campus, has the capacity to produce 45 million gallons of ethanol a year from 16.1 million bushels of grain.
     
  • East Kansas Agri Energy, Garnett, has the capacity to produce 35 million gallons of ethanol a year from 12.5 million bushels of grain.
     
  • Abengoa Bio-Energy, Colwich, has the capacity to produce 25 million gallons of ethanol a year from 8.9 million bushels of grain.
     
  • Reeve Agri-Energy, Garden City, has the capacity to produce 15 million gallons of ethanol a year from 5.4 million bushels of grain.
     
  • MGP Ingredients, Atchison, has the capacity to produce 10 million gallons of ethanol a year from 3.6 million bushels of grain.
     
  • ESE Alcohol, Leoti, has the capaicty to produce 1.5 million gallons of ethanol a year from 500,000 bushels of grain.  

Ethanol plants increase the price paid for corn and sorghum raised by local farmers. The plants also provide jobs and related economic activity in rural communities. Many plants are farmer-owned and contribute substantial revenue to local areas. Byproducts from ethanol plants are used for animal feed and carbon dioxide is recovered for use as a crop nutrient or in oil recovery.

You can learn more about Kansas ethanol from the New Window Kansas Grains website.

Kansas Department of Agriculture