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If done right, E10 labels can be a good thing

Posted: May 28, 2008 at 03:19 PM CST

A few weeks ago, the Oklahoma state legislature passed an ethanol labeling law. By July 1, gas station owners in the “Sooner state” will start posting state issued orange stickers on E10 pumps to inform motorists that the gasoline they are buying contains up to 10 percent ethanol. The decals will be about the same size as typical octane rating stickers, but they’ll be orange “to stand out,” reported the Oklahoma City, Okla., Oklahoman on Sunday.

In the same story, The Oklahoman reported that the use of E10 is “widespread in Tulsa.” Widespread, you know, like teenage drinking and gang violence. But seriously, those orange decals sound an awful lot like the old warning stickers we used to see in some parts of the Upper Midwest. Remember those? “DANGER: This gasoline contains up to 10 percent alcohol.”

In North Dakota, where I live, we also have an E10 labeling law. Nearly three dozen states do. But most of our stickers are ethanol friendly, thanks to willing retailers and the marketing vision of state and national trade groups like the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. Rather than a harsh warning sticker, many North Dakota retailers now use EPIC’s stylish “e” logo—along with the words “Enriched with up to 10% ethanol.” It’s a simple wording change, but one that’s been very effective in our area.

Ethanol labeling has been a contentious issue for a couple of decades. Surprisingly, the line in the sand on this issue doesn’t simply separate ethanol advocates from ethanol opponents. Even within the ethanol industry, there has never been any real consensus on ethanol labeling. Over the years, many people have effectively argued that ethanol is one of a few dozen gasoline blending components and, therefore, not something consumers need to be concerned with. That’s the so-called “stealth marketing” approach: Quietly introduce ethanol in low-level blends (E10 or less) into the nation’s gasoline pool. It’s not that advocates of the stealth approach are trying to deceive consumers, but rather that they believe labels, no matter how they’re worded, tend to needlessly scare drivers away from E10. After all, they say, why label a fuel that performs equally or better than straight gasoline, is approved for use by all major auto manufacturers, and has a negligible energy content difference (a gallon of E10 contains about 112,000 Btu of heat energy, compared to 114,000 Btu for straight gasoline)?

The other camp—wishful thinkers like myself—have always felt that ethanol labels have the potential to ultimately do more good than bad for the ethanol industry and American drivers. I’ve always seen it as a win-win situation. Labels like the ones we have here in some parts of North Dakota remind consumers at the pump that “ethanol-enriched” gas is not only more affordable than blends without it, but also widely available. Everywhere I fill up, I see that EPIC “e” and I am reminded that ethanol is helping. Ethanol is everywhere. Ethanol is part of the solution. When the fuel is labeled, consumers aren’t just using E10, they’re choosing it. Long-term, that will make a difference, especially when higher ethanol blends like E20 or E30 arrive.

So as Oklahoma state legislators approve the wording for the state’s E10 labels this month, they should consider all the benefits drivers are getting at the pump because of ethanol—more octane, lower prices, lower emissions—and turn that orange warning sticker into a blue and green seal of approval.

-Tom Bryan