The Gateway FS Fast Stop gas station in Waterloo will soon be offering a new, higher octane fuel that a rich farming community such as Monroe County can get behind.

E15, which is 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline, was recently approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use in model year 2001 and newer cars, trucks and SUVs as well as all flex-fuel vehicles.

The Mon-Clair Corn Growers, Monroe County Farm Bureau, American Lung Association and Illinois Corn Growers are partnering with Gateway FS on a promotional event to commemorate the addition of E15 at Fast Stop on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be special fuel pricing, attendance prizes and food specials offered during that time.

Gateway FS officials and local farmers say E15 can play an important role in reducing our country’s dependence on foreign oil while helping the environment and the agriculture industry.

“With ethanol being produced from corn and Gateway FS being an agricultural -based company, this is a great way to support our local farmers and rural communities,” Gateway FS energy department manager Brad Maschhoff said. “It is something looking into the future that is a good way to use a more renewable fuel.”

Maschhoff added that Fast Stop is hoping to offer about a three to five cents per gallon cheaper price for E15 than the traditional 87 octane, regular unleaded gasoline containing 10 percent ethanol.

Ethanol is about $1 per gallon cheaper than gasoline at the wholesale level. If the full savings were passed along at retail, diluting gasoline with 15 percent ethanol would make the resulting blend about a nickel per gallon cheaper than the E10 blend of regular unleaded gasoline.

No gas station is required to carry E15, but it can now be found at more than 120 stations in 16 states, with more planned in the coming months. E15 can be used by more than 75 percent of the light duty vehicles on the road today, representing more than 85 percent of unleaded fuel sold.

Research has shown ethanol burns cleaner and cooler in engines, which can help the performance level of the vehicle.

Waterloo farmer Ken Hartman added that the main reason E15 is only currently approved for vehicles made in 2001 and newer is because they haven’t conducted enough testing on older vehicles to also get the green light.

And while the previously offered E85 gasoline raised concerns about causing higher gas mileage, Hartman said research shows that all fuel E30 and below would not increase gas mileage enough to erase the benefits of ethanol’s cheaper price.

“It’s really a win, win, win situation,” said Hartman, who is past president of the Illinois Corn Growers Association. “It gets us off the dependence of other countries, and we’re making our own fuel, which helps the ag economy. It’s also a good clean air option.”