Ethanol offers alternative to rising gas prices - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Gas prices are continuing to rise tonight, which has drivers looking for any relief they can find at the pump.

For almost three weeks, the price of gas is going up. On the far west side of Indianapolis, regular unleaded gas is just a tick under $4 a gallon. Staci and Doug Stover of Avon pay almost $100 every time they fill up.

"Seven kids in Avon. Everyone knows us," Staci said.

With seven kids, they need the room, which means a large gasoline bill. But they have an alternative, E-85, which at one gas station was 66 cents cheaper per gallon than regular unleaded, but the Stovers have not tried it yet.

"We are probably there. We are just stupidly getting this. Next time, we will probably get the E-85," Staci said.

If the price is cheaper, there must be a catch. About half of all the corn grown in Indiana goes to ethanol. The other half to feed livestock and into the food supply. There are worries that the more corn that is used, the more we'll pay for gas and food.

But the director of the Indiana Department of Agriculture, Joe Kelsay, says that's not true.

"There are other factors that exist, other than this bio fuel demand, we have growing incomes and growing population and increased demand worldwide," said Kelsay.

So it's all about demand for gas and food.

Sam Cassell is driving his wife's SUV. It takes flex fuel and while he has tried E-85, he isn't convinced.

"We discovered that using flex fuel, it actually balances out, because you get less mileage," he said.

That is the trade-off - cheaper by the gallon, but decreased mileage.