Instructions For Form 82-053 - Motor Fuel Retailers Gallons Annual Report

Statistical Summary for 2011

The Department identified 2,650 potential retail locations at which motor fuel may be sold. Reporting

forms were mailed to 1,409 locations identified using Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

motor fuel license information and to 273 locations identified through the Department of Revenue

motor fuel tax database. In addition, 968 locations were identified for twelve large motor fuel retailers

that submitted their annual sales data electronically.

The Department received either forms or electronic files representing 2,287 (86.3%) of the locations.

Replies for 113 of the locations indicated that no retail sales of any type of motor fuel were made

during 2011. 2,174 locations reported retail motor fuel sales.

This report’s primary focus is on biofuel sales. Of the reporting retail locations, 2,016 (92.7%)

reported selling E10 blend motor fuel, 10 (0.46%) reported selling E15/E20, 171 (7.8%) reported

selling E85 blend motor fuel, and 242 (11.1%) reported selling various blends of biodiesel. Biofuels

sales by these locations are summarized below.

Gasoline Fuel Sales

During 2011, the amount of E10 motor fuel sold equaled 1,242.5 million gallons, the amount of E85

motor fuel sold equaled 10.7 million gallons, and the amount of E15/20 equaled 105,766 gallons.

Combined the three ethanol blends represented 82.7 percent of total gasoline motor fuel sales during

the year. 2,023 (95.8%) of the 2,111 locations that sold gasoline motor fuels sold one or more ethanol

blends.

Since some locations did not return their annual report to the Department, statistics from the

Department’s Monthly Motor Fuel Tax Reports were used to judge the amount of underreporting for

2011. The statistics presented in the Monthly Motor Fuel Tax Reports reflect the amounts of taxable

motor fuel shipped from terminals rather than sold at retail locations. Also, the Monthly Motor Fuel

Tax Reports reflect tax payments for fuel shipments made during the prior month. Therefore, the

period used for comparison with the 2011 Retailers Motor Fuel Gallons Annual Report includes the

months from February 2011 through January 2012. During this period tax was paid on a total of

1,695.2 million gallons of gasoline fuels. In comparison, the annual reports reflect 1,515.0 million

gallons of gasoline fuels, or 89.4 percent of the amounts obtained from the monthly reports.

According to the Monthly Motor Fuel Tax Reports, 465.5 million gallons of gasoline, 1,226.9 million

gallons of E10 blend motor fuel, and 2.8 million gallons of E85 blend motor fuel were shipped from

Iowa terminals to Iowa locations during 2011. In comparison, retailers reported having sold only

261.8 million gallons of gasoline, but 1,242.5 million gallons of E10 blend motor fuel, 10.7 million

gallons of E85 blend motor fuel and 105,766 gallons of E15/20 blend motor fuel. The differences

between the two sets of statistics may be largely attributed to the fact that some blending of ethanol

blend fuels occurs between the terminals and retail locations.

Diesel Fuel Sales

During 2011, based on annual reports submitted to the Department, the amount of clear biodiesel sold

equaled 227.2 million gallons, or 42.2 percent of total clear diesel fuel sales. The total gallons of clear

diesel fuel sold at retail accounted for by these reports equaled 543.8 million. In comparison, the

number of taxable (clear) gallons of diesel fuel shipped from terminals during 2011 equaled 659.2

Instructions For Form 82-053 - Motor Fuel Retailers Gallons Annual Report - 2011 Page 3