Fuel Ethanol Projects
What's New With Ethanol
Handbook for Handling, Storing, and Dispensing E85, April 2008
A Guide for Evaluating the Requirements for Ethanol Plants
Ethanol the Complete Energy Lifecycle Picture
Gas Stations in Montana that Provide Ethanol
Education, Assistance and Outreach
DEQ’s white paper, “Economic Effects of Increased Ethanol Use in Montana”, explores the potential economic impacts of requiring ethanol blend in all gasoline sold in Montana. Four areas of impact are examined including the impacts to: consumers, the petroleum industry, local economies near an in-state plant, and indirect benefits. The paper considers the potential impacts of a theoretical 50-million gallon per year ethanol plant. A plant that size potentially could provide all the ethanol needed for blending Montana's gasoline to a 10-percent blend, and use distressed or off-specification grains in the process.
Biomass products can be used as environmentally sound substitutes for petroleum-based transportation fuels and related products in environmentally sensitive areas and rural areas where natural gas is unavailable. For example, Missoula reduced wintertime carbon monoxide emissions 23 percent by using an oxygenated fuel. Missoula uses an 8 percent ethanol blend with gasoline. Montana uses about 17.5 million gallons of ethanol blend annually to reduce or prevent carbon monoxide pollution from transportation and help provide a market for ethanol production in Montana.
In October 1998, Allen Oil Company of Helena, Montana installed the state’s first E-85 refueling pump on Montana Avenue. In 2001, another E-85 pump was installed at Economart in West Yellowstone Montana. DEQ continues to help expand the availability of E-85, a blend of 85 percent fuel ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.
Additional information about ethanol is maintained by the Ethanol Producers and Consumers of Montana (EPAC), at www.ethanolmt.org .
Fuel Ethanol Education, Assistance, and Outreach
Since 1980, DEQ and its energy program predecessor, the Energy Division of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, have led and partnered a number of fuel ethanol activities.
DEQ and EPAC have developed two 30-second public service announcement radio clips. Click to listen or download:
Governor Schweitzer promoting the use of ethanol gas
at the Junction Ethanol Card Stop in Helena, Tuesday, January 18, 2005.
E-85 Fuel and Vehicle demonstration and Annual Ethanol Conference. For the Program Year 1996-2004, DEQ partnered with EPAC in several events across the region, published issues of the EPAC newsletter, helped with the Greening of Yellowstone Workshop and assisted with the annual EPAC Ethanol Conference. A summary of the June 2004 Ethanol Conference and the June 2005 Ethanol Conference can be view by clicking the highlighted text.
For more information on specific projects, please see Program Reports and Publications.
