Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and State Secretary of Agriculture Adrian Polanksy headlined the official opening of a Kwik Shop on Oct. 21 in Maize, the first in the state to sell both ethanol-blended fuels E85 and E10.

ICM Inc., the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition and the Kansas Corn Commission funded the newly built fuel station. ICM Vice President Jeff Roskam, who made the event's final comments, had proposed the idea of an E85 pump to Kwik Shop, just one day before Robert White of the Kansas Corn Commission had presented a similar idea. According to White, ICM felt the location of the fueling station was especially ideal for those commuting to work at the nearby ICM headquarters and the Abengoa Bioenergy Corporation ethanol plant in Colwich, Kan.

The opening attracted several curious consumers, who obtained information about the alternative fuel and received fuel discounts throughout the day. E10 fuel was discounted by a dime, and E85 sold for 85 cents.

"E85 is still 20 cents under regular right now," White said. "A lot of people had questions about ethanol and possible trade-ins (for flexible-fuel vehicles)."

Sebelius told event participants that the state's government is adding more flexible fuel vehicles to its fleet. She signed a bill earlier this year that requires state vehicles to use ethanol-blended fuel when possible. The event concluded with Sebelius filling up the Kansas Corn Car with E85. The president of the Kwik Shop, Mike Hoffman, also spoke.

The Maize station E85 pump is the second in Kansas, and the first site in the state to offer both E85 and E10 at one location.
~EPM Staff Report