Fill 'er up with E15: EPA OKs more ethanol

Columbus Dispatch ^ | October 14, 2010 | Jeffry Bartash

[upchuck]

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration has approved a 50percent increase in the amount of ethanol used in fuel blends, but only for newer vehicles, a decision that critics say could confuse consumers.

The Environmental Protection Agency said yesterday it will allow blends to include as much as 15percent ethanol, up from the current 10percent limit. The ruling is part of an effort to reduce the nation's reliance on fossil fuels and decrease oil imports.

Yet, a 15 percent blend is not deemed suitable for older vehicles. The EPA said gas stations will be required to clearly label their pumps to prevent customers from buying the wrong fuel.

The agency said the so-called E15 blend should be used only in vehicles built in 2007 or later. The blend should not be used for cars and trucks made before 2001 because they were not designed for higher ethanol blends.

The agency is still reviewing data on vehicles made from 2001 to 2006, with results expected in November.

To mitigate the impact of its decision, the agency said it will not mandate that gas stations offer the E15 blend.

"Ultimately it will be up to fuel suppliers and retailers to make it available," said Gina McCarthy, a senior EPA administrator. "It's by no means assured the market will develop quickly."

The risk of consumer confusion and potential legal liabilities have spurred a number of groups, such as automakers, boat builders and refiners, to oppose the EPA ruling.

"The large majority of today's vehicle warranties only cover gasoline with up to 10percent ethanol," said spokesman Bob Greco of the American Petroleum Institute. "More ethanol in gasoline could result in the voiding of customer warranties."

Also fighting E15 is an unusual collection of other foes such as livestock ranchers and environmentalists.

Refiners lament the cost and complexity of supplying different blends to gas stations. Ranchers worry that it will drive up costs as farmers shift away from growing corn for feed. Environmentalists say higher blends will lead to the clearing of more land for corn.

Supporters of higher ethanol blends contend that it will reduce the nation's dependency on foreign suppliers of oil and keep more U.S. dollars at home, helping the American economy.

Under federal law, the U.S. is supposed to double the amount of alternative fuels by 2022. Ethanol, a byproduct of corn, is the most readily available type.

[upchuck]

Quit burning our food!

[Vaquero]

Quit screwing with my Outboard too....

this crap kills 2 strokes.

[Talf]

welcome news,
except for Arabs

[MichaelP]

Corn is already at its highest price in history. This is the most wrongheaded decision imaginable. Add this to the Feds decision to have another round of QE and you have the recipe for hyperinflation, very soon! Not to mention the trouble it will cause for my boat...

Mike

[cripplecreek]

but only for newer vehicles

Kind of wondering how they intend to deal with that.

[p. henry]

At a time of soaring corn prices, Mexican tortilla consumers, and for that matter Americans who consume any of the thousands of processed food products that contain corn or high fructose corn syrup, will also not be overwhelmingly pleased.

[snoringbear]

“this crap kills 2 strokes.”

Our government, you know, that enity that’s “here to help us”, has already killed two stroke motorcycles. I am surprised that outboards have escaped. Probably went to sleep at the tiller or something...

[snoringbear]

“this crap kills 2 strokes.”

Our government, you know, that enity that’s “here to help us”, has already killed two stroke motorcycles. I am surprised that outboards have escaped. Probably went to sleep at the tiller or something...

[cripplecreek]

The Arabs couldn’t care less since it will have virtually zero effect on them.

[Irenic]

Stop the subsidies and this problem would clear up right fast!!!
http://zfacts.com/p/63.html

[Howie66]

The best thing that we can do is get rid of the EPA. This outfit is as useless as tits on a boar.

[BuffaloJack]

> welcome news,
> except for Arabs

This isn’t welcome news. Making more ethanol just drives up the prices for our food. Ethanol doesn’t burn as well or contain as much energy as petroleum. WE have plenty of oil and natural gas in America, we just let liberal morons legislate it out of our reach.

The chant should be:

Drill Now, Drill Here, and Stop Burning Our Food !!!

[hal ogen]

Burn food and kill worthless humans who around the world can’t afford food. More death to humans from these LIB moonbats. It is as if abortions and death panels aren’t enough. Humans are a pox on the planet. Why can’t these assclowns just kill themselves and leave the rest of us alone?

[cherry]

I guess I need to look for an older car or truck just to be safe...

[agere_contra]

Ethanol is not a fuel.

If a fuel requires subsidy or government mandate to succeed in the market, it is not a fuel.

[I still care]

The boaters down here in FL are ticked off also. It’s destroying marine engines.

[rollo tomasi]

If you think it's bad now, wait till 2015. Ham, bacon, and pork chop lovers are in for a big surprise.

"The Energy Independence and Security Act signed into law in December 2007 requires that specific minimum volumes of domestic ethanol and biodiesel to be blended into motor fuel supplies. The legislation includes a detailed enforcement mechanism to insure that these quantities are met. For conventional (mostly corn-based) ethanol, the mandate gradually increases the required quantity each year until it reaches 15 billion gallons by 2015. At the current industry average ethanol yield per bushel of corn, the mandate would require about 5.36 billion bushels of corn to be processed into ethanol – if the entire ethanol quantity is filled from domestic production. That volume of corn would be slightly larger than the October 10 USDA projection of domestic corn feed and residual use for the current marketing year.

The 15 million gallon mandate would require about 5.36 billion bushels of corn to be process into ethanol. This is equivalent to 44 percent of the 2008 corn crop."

http://www.agmrc.org/renewable_energy/ethanol/impact_of_ethanol_on_the_livestock_and_poultry_industry.cfm

Pictured are a bunch of dumbasses who are experts in unintended consequences.

[Wilum]

There goes my snow blower!

[seemoAR]

The plan seems to be to destroy the older vehicles. We will all have to buy newer stuff. Big business is going to make a killing.

[Paradox]

I once notice, on a drive from Miami to DC, that as I used more E enriched fuel, my gas mileage dropped. E only has about 70% the energy of Gasoline. I think all in all, adding ethanol to gasoline, unless its REALLY cheap, is worthless.