It’s now up to the Chicago City Council to decide if service stations in the city will be required to sell E15, a 15 percent blend of ethanol and gasoline. The traditional blend is 10 percent. The idea was approved by the finance subcommittee on Monday. “If the full city council passes the ordinance, Chicago will be the first city in the country to require the sale of E15 at all gas stations,” said WLS-TV. It quoted Alderman Ed Burke as saying an E15 ordinance would “set the standard for the nation.” The petroleum industry opposed the ordinance, and gas stations owners said it could cost $100,000 to install storage tanks and pumps for E15.
The council could vote as early as Wednesday, said the Chicago Tribune, but a final vote could be delayed by procedural maneuvering. Tom Buis of Growth Energy, an ethanol trade group, was quoted by the newspaper as saying, “Consumers will choose higher blends of ethanol. They’re less expensive. They’re home-grown.”