Missouri(MO) was the third state to mandate E10. The first two were Hawaii and Minnesota. However, I stopped for gas today at a station from which I had never purchased fuel. I noticed that the pumps listed the phrase "contains ethanol" for 87 and 89 octane grades, but not for 91 octane fuel. So, I did some searching about MO EtOH mandates and was surprised at what I found.
In MO, premium has an exemption and generally does not contain EtOH here. In addition, the 10% mandate only applies when the cost of E10 is equal or less than E0. In other words, the MO mandate is not a mandate whenever E0 costs the station less than E10 and the mandate has never applied to "premium". Since the station does not have to label EtOH free fuel as not having EtOH, you never know what you are getting at the pump. In addition, premium grade has been exempt from the mandate the whole time (since 2008) and most consumers did not know they had this choice.
Since the E10 is being blended at the terminals and since the stations do not have to use E10 whenever E0 is cheaper, I am curious if the idea that all fuel is the same except for the additives is true in MO. In fact, since MFA fuel (local brand) is priced the same for 87 and 89 octane grades and has been since before the mandate, I am guessing that MFA midgrade is actually different from the other vendors' midgrade.
Does anyone know if there is a similar floating EtOH mandate in their state? Does any know if EtOH percentages vary much between stations here in MO?
Current list of MO mandates and incentives:
http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/laws/laws/MO
In MO, premium has an exemption and generally does not contain EtOH here. In addition, the 10% mandate only applies when the cost of E10 is equal or less than E0. In other words, the MO mandate is not a mandate whenever E0 costs the station less than E10 and the mandate has never applied to "premium". Since the station does not have to label EtOH free fuel as not having EtOH, you never know what you are getting at the pump. In addition, premium grade has been exempt from the mandate the whole time (since 2008) and most consumers did not know they had this choice.
Since the E10 is being blended at the terminals and since the stations do not have to use E10 whenever E0 is cheaper, I am curious if the idea that all fuel is the same except for the additives is true in MO. In fact, since MFA fuel (local brand) is priced the same for 87 and 89 octane grades and has been since before the mandate, I am guessing that MFA midgrade is actually different from the other vendors' midgrade.
Does anyone know if there is a similar floating EtOH mandate in their state? Does any know if EtOH percentages vary much between stations here in MO?
Current list of MO mandates and incentives:
http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/laws/laws/MO