http://www.keysnews.com/339252228133808.bsp.htm
BY ANNE-MARGARET SOBOTA
Citizen Staff
Ten gas stations in the Florida Keys will be switching fuel supplies to a blend of regular gasoline and ethanol later this month.
Dion's Oil Co. has been notified that its fuel supplier, Exxon Mobile out of Port Everglades, has switched to E10, a blend of regular gasoline and 10 percent ethanol. Ethanol is a clean-burning renewable fuel made from grains such as corn, wheat or barley, or other crops that contain sugars.
All Dion's locations will begin carrying the new fuel as soon as their current reserves of regular gasoline are depleted. The gas stations represent the first in the Keys with the alternative fuel.
"It's going to be sometime in the next week that each one of them will receive ethanol," Dion's CEO Suzanne Banks said.
The switch is part of a federal mandate to increase the supply of renewable fuels to 9 billion gallons this year and 36 billion gallons by 2022. All oil companies must comply.
"We have no choice here, the oil companies have no choice here," Banks said. "Until the government changes its position, it's here to stay."
Banks said all oil companies are in the process of converting, and expects ethanol-blend fuels to be the norm everywhere by the end of this year.
"Citgo will be converting the end of the summer. That means the rest of our locations will be E10 by the end of the summer," Banks said. "I just wanted the public to know it's coming and be prepared, because it will be all over the Keys by the end of the year."
Ethanol is approved for all nondiesel engines, and no engine modifications are necessary. The E10 blend is covered under warranty by every automobile manufacturer that sells vehicles in the United States for every make and model, according to the American Coalition for Ethanol.
"We are told that modern vehicles should have no problem," Banks said. "But if there's any doubt whatsoever, they should consult with their mechanic or their manufacturer."
Ethanol may not be compatible with the fuel storage tanks or engines used in marine vessels. There have been published reports that it causes damage to boat fuel tanks made of fiberglass. Vessel owners should check with their engine and boat manufacturer.
"I really encourage people that trailer their boats into stations to already check that out," Banks said. "We cannot be responsible for their fuel tanks or their boat engines."
There is some evidence that E10 decreases fuel efficiency, but it varies by make and model.
"I'll be honest with you, I've heard both," Banks said. "I've heard people say there's no problems. I've heard others say there is."
A study by the American Coalition for Ethanol showed that cars running on E10 averaged 1.5 percent lower mileage, although many vehicles showed no variance.
Banks said consumers should not expect to see a price break, even with the ethanol blend.
"Not until everybody is on the band wagon do I think it will happen," she said.
Ethanol has come under scrutiny lately, with some critics claiming that ethanol production has contributed to record food prices and food shortages in some countries. The price of wheat has more than tripled during the past 10 months, and soybean prices have gone up as farmers switched more of their acreage to corn. The United States is wrestling with the worst food inflation in 17 years, and a food crisis led to rioting in Haiti, Egypt, Cameroon, Senegal, Ethiopia, and the Ivory Coast, among others.
International critics believe crops should not be diverted for U.S. ethanol production when people in other countries are starving.
amsobota@keysnews.com 
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