Wal-Mart Stores May Offer Ethanol Made From Corn at Its 383 U.S. Gas Stations
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. may offer ethanol made from corn at its 383 U.S. gas stations, a company spokesman said Wednesday. Wal-Mart stressed it is not ready yet to make any announcements, but corn growers said Wal-Mart's entry into a market now mainly made up of scattered independent gas stations would be a significant boost to a budding new fuel industry.
Ethanol made from U.S.-grown corn has become a hot topic this year as Congress, the Bush administration and American drivers look for alternative fuels to reduce dependence on foreign oil, keep fuel prices down and curb emissions blamed for global warming.
The world's largest retailer brought together a group of industry, government and academic experts on alternative fuels in Washington last week to discuss how Wal-Mart could develop a network for supplying gas stations at its stores and Sam's Clubs with E-85 fuel.
E-85 is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.
"We are considering E-85, absolutely," Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Gardner said.
"We are looking to continue to work with and identify strategic partners in the business community to further our efforts in the alternative fuels arena. That said, there are a lot of things we are looking at and considering and we just don't have anything to announce right now," Gardner said.
Representatives from the fuel industry, Wal-Mart suppliers and government and nongovernment experts attended the meeting.
The National Corn Growers Association was one of those attending, and its chief executive, Rock Tolman, said a decision by Wal-Mart to offer E-85 would help solve one of the emerging industry's problems: not enough availability for consumers.
More than 5 million vehicles on the road can run on the blend and car manufacturers say they are making more models that can use it. Yet the fuel is sold by just over 600 retailers across the nation, mainly independents rather than chains.
Tolman said the move would also increase competitive pressure on national chains to carry E-85.
"It would be one more significant, very big step in this whole transition toward biofuels," Tolman said.
Wal-Mart owns and operates gas stations at 375 of its nearly 570 Sam's Club locations and another eight on the grounds of Wal-Mart stores. Outside companies operate gas stations at more than 1,000 Wal-Marts nationally, but Wal-Mart cannot dictate whether they offer E-85, Gardner said.
Posts: 392 | Registered: Dec 2005
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As long as oil barons like King Bush rule the white house petro will rule.
Posts: 669 | From: Gouldsboro, Pa. | Registered: May 2006
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Had CNBC on in the background while trading a couple of days ago..Didn't catch it all but some guy was on there talking about Ethanal damaging engines, water contaimination...Anybody else catch the discussion?
Posts: 10729 | From: oregon | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Dustoff101: Had CNBC on in the background while trading a couple of days ago..Didn't catch it all but some guy was on there talking about Ethanal damaging engines, water contaimination...Anybody else catch the discussion?
Brazil has been using E85 for years. The guy could be right, but anytime there are billions of dollars involved, a lot of disinformation will be spread by vested interests. Think the oil companies are anxious to start losing 85% of their business?
I know that it does take a special engine to run ethanol. It wouldn't be advisable to put E85 into your car unless the manufacturer designed it for ethanol or you made modifications. That could be what the guy was talking about...
Posts: 42 | From: Kentucky | Registered: Mar 2006
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Indy cars are starting to use ethenol and next season the amount of cars using it will increase but they rebuild there motors so much that I guess it doesnt matter
Posts: 23 | Registered: Mar 2006
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