The state of Wisconsin is making grants of up to $5,000 available to gas station owners who install pumps that dispense fuel that's 85 percent ethanol, or E85.
The grants from the Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence are available to any state-licensed gas station in Wisconsin, and provide 50 percent of the costs of E85 equipment installation, up to $5,000. Retailers may apply for up to three sites.
"E85 is a cheaper, cleaner alternative to gasoline, and these grants will go a long way towards helping increase the availability of this renewable fuel in the state," said Joshua Morby, executive director of the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance.
There are now more than 100 stations across Wisconsin that offer E85 at the pump with an average price of $2.90 per gallon — approximately 85 cents less than the average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline in the state.
E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, can be used in any flex-fuel vehicle capable of burning the fuel. The Bio Industry Alliance estimates that there are about 140,000 flex-fuel vehicles on Wisconsin roads today.
