Nebraska Completes E-30 Demonstration Project, Says Fuel Blend Is Clean, Efficient

The State of Nebraska has completed a year-long demonstration project that it says shows using a higher blend of ethanol in conventional vehicles saves money, cuts down on emissions and has no adverse effect on engines. The study included 40 state vehicles and 10 from the Nebraska State Patrol. About half used an E-30 blend of gasoline instead of the standard E-15 blend.

“When you use E-30, this tremendously helps out the environment,” Governor Pete Ricketts said Monday at a press briefing. “So, for example, by using E-30 you could reduce carbon black emissions from your tailpipe by 45% and reduce the NOx and hydrocarbon emissions by over 20%, so higher blends of ethanol help clean up the environment.”

Roger Berry is the administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board and said the pilot project showed the higher blend fuel performed just as well as the E-15 blend, is cheaper and could save the state money on fuel and drastically cut the state’s carbon footprint.

“E-30 blends will result in vehicles that are just as clean as electric vehicles and the wonderful part about that is it is a fuel that we have available today, right now, with the infrastructure in many places already in place in order to instantly start bringing down those emissions that we need to bring down.”

Using E-30 in conventional vehicles is illegal right now and only allowable in so-called “flex fuel” vehicles. About 35% of Nebraska’s corn crop is used to produce ethanol. Governor Ricketts says he hopes the EPA-approved demonstration project will lead to year-round use of the E-30 gasoline blend across the nation.