More ethanol available for sale in Texas thanks to VeraSun Energy and Kroger

Hey cowboy, got one of those little flex-fuel badges on your truck? If so, you can now fill 'er up with E85 at 20 Kroger gas stations in the Dallas and Houston areas. Kroger and VeraSun Energy announced today that VeraSun's mix of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline (which VeraSun calls VE85) will now be sold at the Kroger filling stations. There's a list of these stations and their addresses after the jump. The 20 new ethanol retail pumps brings VeraSuns national total to over 140 in 13 states and DC. 44 of these pumps are at Kroger stores.

Texas is a good place to expand ethanol availability, because the Texas State Energy Conservation Office says that there are more registered flexible fuel vehicles in Texas than in any other state. According to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, it's likely there are more than 500,000 registered flex-fuel vehicles in Texas and, now, thirty pumps to feed them all.

VeraSun Energy and Kroger Expand VE85™ Availability to Texas

VeraSun's Branded E85 to be Offered at 20 Kroger Locations Near Dallas and Houston

Brookings, S.D., Feb. 26, 2008 –VeraSun Energy Corp. (NYSE: VSE), one of the nation's largest ethanol producers, and The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced the opening of 20 VE85™ fueling locations at existing E85 Kroger convenience stores in Texas. Kroger will offer VeraSun's branded E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, for flexible fuel vehicles at 20 different locations in and around the Dallas and Houston metro areas.

"The combination of an established Kroger brand with our emerging VE85™ brand is important as we continue to expand to new markets," said Bill Honnef, VeraSun senior vice president, strategic initiatives. "There is a growing demand for E85 in the United States as the number of flexible fuel vehicles on our roads increases, and having a partnership with a national retailer like Kroger adds tremendous value to our initiative of increasing overall E85 availability."

With the addition of the 20 VE85™ fueling locations in Texas, VeraSun now has more than 140 retail fueling stations in 13 states and the District of Columbia. VeraSun and Kroger initially partnered in August 2007 to open VE85™ fueling locations at 20 Kroger convenience stores primarily in Ohio, making Kroger the first national retailer to sell VE85™. With the addition of the Texas locations, VE85™ is now available at 44 different Kroger fueling locations in four states.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Kroger operates almost 2,500 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states. The company also has more than 750 convenience stores and 650 supermarket fuel centers. Currently the state of Texas has 30 retail E85 fueling locations, 20 of which are Kroger locations.

"We look forward to offering VE85™ to our customers who have flexible fuel vehicles," stated Roman Williams, Kroger southwest fuel merchandiser. "Our Kroger fuel centers have been leaders with new fuel products and services like E85 and fuel rewards."

According to the Texas State Energy Conservation Office, Texas has more registered flexible fuel vehicles than any other state. The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition estimates that number to be more than 500,000 registered FFVs.

E85 is a high-octane, cleaner-burning fuel, with an octane rating of 100 or greater and the highest oxygen content of any fuel available today. The Argonne National Laboratory reported that the use of 6.5 billion gallons of ethanol in the United States during 2007 resulted in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 10 million tons. The use of E85 alone contributes to a 20 percent reduction in ozone-forming pollution and a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

VE85™ was launched in May 2005 with seven stations in Sioux Falls, S.D., and is now available in Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Pittsburgh, in addition to the Ohio metro areas of Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo. In June, VeraSun, General Motors and Enterprise Rent-A-Car partnered to open the first E85 retail location in Washington, D.C.

VeraSun is committed to developing markets for renewable fuels and helping consumers realize a future that includes renewable energy. Consumers interested in learning more about VE85™, and where to find VE85™ stations, can visit www.VE85.com.

VE85™ available at the following Texas Kroger locations:
Location / Address

Dallas Area:
  • Carrollton 4038 Old Denton Road
  • Dallas 3939 Frankford at Midway
  • Irving 7505 North MacArthur Boulevard
  • North Richland Hills 9135 Grapevine Highway
  • Mansfield 3001 Matlock Road
  • Crowley 1004 South Crowley Road
  • Plano 9700 Coit Road
  • Sachse 5190 Highway 78
Houston Area:
  • Houston 1801 South Voss Road
  • Katy 1705 Fry Road & Park Row
  • Pearland 8323 Broadway
  • Conroe 2222 I-45 North
  • Cypress 17455 Spring Cypress
  • Houston 12434 Tomball Parkway
  • Humble 3820 Atascocita Road
  • Housto 8500 Highway 6 North
  • Sugar Land 11565 State Highway 6 South
  • Magnolia 6616 Highway 1488
  • League City 2750 East League City Parkway
  • Spring 6060 FM 2920 at Kuykendahl
About VeraSun Energy Corporation
VeraSun Energy Corporation (NYSE: VSE), headquartered in Brookings, S.D., is a leading producer of renewable fuel. Founded in 2001, the company has 560 million gallons per year (MMGY) of production capacity through five operating ethanol production facilities in Aurora, S.D., Fort Dodge and Charles City, Iowa, Linden, Ind., and Albion, Neb. Four facilities are currently either under construction or development in Hartley, Iowa, Welcome, Minn., Reynolds, Ind., and Bloomingburg, Ohio. Upon completion of the new facilities, VeraSun Energy will have an annual production capacity of approximately one billion gallons. The company also has begun construction at its Aurora facility to extract oil from dried distillers grains, a co-product of the ethanol process, for use in biodiesel production.

VeraSun markets E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline for use in Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs), directly to fuel retailers under the brand VE85™. VeraSun Energy now has approximately 150 VE85™ retail locations under contract in more than a dozen states and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit VeraSun Energy's websites at www.verasun.com or www.VE85.com.

[Source: VeraSun]

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