Family Express Scores Ethanol Fuels Grant

Family Express was founded in Valparaiso and has more than 60 locations.

The Indiana Office of Energy Development and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council have awarded nearly $800,000 to Valparaiso-based Family Express. The grant, which is part of the Hoosier Homegrown Fuels Blender Pump Program, is meant to expand the availability of higher-ethanol fuel blends.

The goal of the program is to make E15-E85 fuel blends available in parts of the state where those blends are limited or not available. The OED says Family Express plans to deploy 45 blender pumps that can dispense the ethanol blends in Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Porter, St. Joseph, Starke, Tippecanoe and White counties.

"Recipients of the Hoosier Homegrown Fuels grant program, including Family Express, are looking to the future," said Tristan Vance, director of the Indiana OED. "They realize that alternative fuels can be included as part of the energy portfolio for Indiana consumers, and we are excited to partner with them through this grant opportunity."

The OED says the grant program is a partnership with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Greater Indiana Clean Cities and South Shore Clean Cities.