Posted on 06/08/2022 7:36:05 AM PDT by dalight
Last Friday the Biden administration raised the mandatory amount of biofuel, specifically ethanol, that must be blended within the U.S. gasoline supply. The previous amount of 10% (summer blend) was raised to a year-round 15% (waiver) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is likely to lead to two sets of bigger issues, less food and higher gas prices.
♦ First issue. – The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is a government mandate, passed in 2005 and expanded in 2007, that requires growing volumes of biofuels to be blended into U.S. transportation fuels like gasoline and diesel every year. Approximately 40 percent of corn grown in the U.S. is used for ethanol. Raising the amount of ethanol required in gasoline will result in the need for more biofuel (corn). With farming costs and outputs already under pressure this could be problematic.
♦ Second issue – The EPA enforces the biofuel standard by requiring refineries to submit purchase credits (known as Renewable Identification Numbers, or RINs) to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proving the purchases. This enforcement requirement sets up a system where the RIN credits are bought and sold by small refineries who do not have the infrastructure to do the blending process. They purchase second-hand RIN credits from parties that blended or imported biofuels directly. This sets up a secondary income stream, a trading market for the larger oil companies, refineries and importers.
The RIN credit trading platform is similar to what we might expect to see if the ‘Carbon Trading’ scheme was ever put into place. However, now that summer biofuel requirements for blended gasoline have gone from 10% to 15%, the price of the RIN credits will likely jump. This will cost refineries billions in additional expenses,…. which will mean the cost of the gasoline from the refineries will increase,….. which will mean the cost of the gasoline at the pump will go higher.
♦ Third Issue – “Ethanol is a valuable source of octane in finished gasoline, but it is chemically different than petroleum gasoline and cannot be used in concentrations above 10 percent in small engines — like outboard boat motors, motorcycles, lawnmowers, generators or chain saws — or in any cars made before 2001. Complicating matters further, most cars on the road today still aren’t warrantied to run on gasoline with more than 10 percent ethanol. Retail stations also must have compatible infrastructure in order to sell gasoline with higher ethanol blends.” This issue is known within the industry as “The Blend Wall.”
“I was getting around 20.5 MPG in my Jeep wrangler but lately I have been getting around 21.5 MPG since the E15 mandate.”
That doesn’t seem right since Ethanol has 30% less energy than gas per gallon.
Your concern is unnecessary unless you fill at a pump labeled “E15”. Standard ethanol blend pumps will still be E10. But if your truck uses a carb, you need to fill with non-ethanol, straight gasoline.
“Democrats doing the pelosi hand rub in glee as they predict millions of cars will be off the road with destroyed engines soon and the new e-car market demand will have a great surge. This edict makes the greenies very happy and ev mfg happy along with chinee battery factories ecstatic. The poor/lower middle in the U.S. that rely on older used cars better get used to riding in bidets busses.”
They will cut our standard of living in half by the time we can do anything about it.
On. Purpose.
“
...Complicating matters further, most cars on the road today still aren’t warrantied to run on gasoline with more than 10 percent ethanol.
...”
What percentage is E85 gas?
Some cars do run on that type of fuel.
It definitely isn’t right, not based on the ethanol content anyway. Warmer outside temperatures will improve mileage over winter conditions. Colder, denser air requires more fuel.
Thanks for the info; answered my question!
It is “up to” 85% ethanol, often less.
The information in #35 is wrong.
That is not a bug, it is a feature. But this time, no cash for your clunker.
Unless you are buying gas from a pump labeled ‘E15’ (and why would you?), you aren’t getting it. There is no ‘mandate’ that you buy it.
Where do you get the non-ethanol ?
Ethanol adds octane to gasoline.
Yes indeed. Recall the Obamaumao “we “give” you a subsidy for a new car if you bring in your old car that doesn’t require un-ethanoled gas”.... and then they put a chemical in the engine block to FUSE it.
Oh and that subsidy to buy a new car-— IT WAS TAXABLE on income tax. Unbelievable graft and deviousness. Had friends who were all “eco” and did this— and then told them “hey dummies— you knew you’d have to pay a FEDERAL tax on that subidy money on your new car-—PLUS NOW YOU HAVE payments. Where you didn’t before for a paid for- 170 F-150 that ran like a top.
They aren’t blink. They are doing this deliberately. Every last one needs a dirt nap.
blink == blind
Ok many thanks for the update!
“I buy the $5.45/gallon non ethanol for my small engines.”
—————
I did the same for my lawnmower a couple months ago, paying about $4.00/gallon when ethanol gas was around $3.40 here. Now, both prices are up about a dollar from that point. It is literally insane that straight gasoline is more expensive than gasoline with ethanol added to it. When you add something, it should be more expensive.
Of course, the very idea of burning food in our engines at the time of food shortages is literally insane, and the potential damage to engines and the higher cost for gasoline to do so it’s just an added bonus of having environmental freaks in charge of our energy policy.
Nothing more asinine than growing corn and converting it into a poor replacement for gasoline.
Especially now with the globalists serving up starvation conditions for the developing world.
4th issue, roughly 40 percent of all corn is now used to make ethanol. So 50% increase in ethanol means now 60 % of corn used and food shortage!
Not correct. Gasoline would freeze way before ethanol.
Gasoline freezing point: -100 °F
Ethanol freezing point: -173 °F
Ethanol is also more volatile than gasoline and may create vapor bubbles in fuel lines and jets that aren’t designed for two-phase flow. IOW, restricting the fuel flow.
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