President Biden's Corny New Plan to Lower Gas Prices Has Some Problems

townhall.com ^ | 4/13/2022 0700 hrs edt | Spencer Brown

[rktman]

President Biden announced his latest supposed silver bullet to deal with inflated gas prices that reached their all-time high last month — more ethanol than usually allowed in American gas — during a speech on Tuesday evening in Iowa.

As usual, Biden's announcement was more about avoiding blame that explaining what his plan would do...because it won't do much.

Biden's decision to use executive authority to have the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waive normal rules to allow grain-based ethanol mixtures of up to 15 percent in American gas supplies is, according to the White House, more action aimed at lowering gas prices Biden claims have skyrocketed due to Putin's invasion and greedy oil and gas CEOs. But there are more than a few problems with Biden's new plan.

First, the EPA typically restricts ethanol-rich fuel during the approaching summer months due to the increased pollution and smog its use causes. The U.S. Energy Information Administration notes that ethanol-gasoline mixtures "have higher evaporative emissions from fuel tanks and dispensing equipment" that "contribute to the formation of harmful, ground-level ozone and smog." So, Biden is ordering the EPA to abandon its mission to "to ensure that Americans have clean air" while cutting into America's food supply despite warnings of upcoming shortages.

[rktman]

As usual, lots of responses but no answers. The stoopid is beginning to hurt. A lot. If we simply all buy EVs there wouldn't be any problem. "Plug 'em in Mr. and Mrs. America!". Right branDUHn and cameltoe? FFS the ignorance shown is hard to bear. Butt, part of their plan.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Oh no. Not Corn On the Cob on the gas pumps again!!!

[ConservativeInPA]

Ruin car engines and raise food prices.

For the record, farmers that take government subsides to grow corn for ethanol are part of the problem. It's called welfare and you are shitty farmers that can't either make it on your own or you are greedy. It's no different than corporate welfare (as many farms are corporations). It's no different that that fat black bitch wanting her Obama phone.

[spincaster]

It also is hard on everything in your gas motor. I guess the sooner all our gas engines fail ,the sooner the Government can mandate Electric cars.

[rdcbn1]

Our power generating and distribution systems cannot power even a fraction of the electric cars needed to make electric cars practical on a wide spread basis. California’s electric power systems are falling apart ad cannot even service existing needs

[Yo-Yo]

So then how can the EPA restrict E15 in the summer months, yet allow E85 to be sold?

[chief lee runamok]

"..insist that the little shoulder-splat was just an errant piece of corn."

It was bird poop, corn doesn't splatter like the bird poop did unless freshly harvested.

[Intar]

I have a couple problems with this article:

• 1. "Greedy Oil Executives" statement: Oil is a publicly traded commodity and the market sets the price. Oil companies have little if no ability to set the price of Gas. Many states tax per gallon and no state has lowered their tax rate (to my knowledge) to offset the historic high market price.
• 2. The corn used in ethanol production is inedible and used exclusively for said production. Hell, it isn't even suitable for animal feed, but we use it anyway. More ethanol production doesn't equal less food on our table.
• 3. To increase the ethanol ratio used in gas would require a retuning of refineries, so even if the change is pushed through, don't expect to see anything different at the pump for at least a year or more. That is even assuming that the blend is increased for normal pumps, which is highly unlikely due to the damage to engines made before 2010, which there are many still on the road, not to mention small engines like those found in motorcycles, lawnmowers, etc. Big oil doesn't want the lawsuits this would generate.

[Paladin2]

No fertilizer, no corn.

[Prolixus]

People are going to want pure gasoline to offset the damage caused by ethanol.

I guess that means the price of pure gasoline is going to skyrocket.

Right now Trufuel is $23.99 per 110 oz can (about $28/gallon) at everyone’s favorite national hardware store.

May be a good time to stock up.

[READINABLUESTATE]

Many farmers are opting out of corn this year as fertilizer prices are up 300% in the last year or two.
Then there is the price of fuel to plant...

[apillar]

Biden: “World food prices are surging because of the Russian sanctions, and the fact that Ukraine (the breadbasket of Europe) can’t grow crops because of the war! So I got a great idea! Let’s take all our excess corn and turn it into fuel!”

[cuban leaf]

Maybe this could work:

[Vaduz]

Bird leaves memo on Biden’s lapel.

[Alberta's Child]

This has nothing to do with fuel composition and everything to do with eliminating the annual supply chain disruption and gasoline price spike that comes when refineries are forced to change to the summer fuel blends.

President Trump tries to do the same thing in 2019 — and for the same reason.

[outofsalt]

"The corn used in ethanol production is inedible... More ethanol production doesn't equal less food on our table."

However, the fields used for growing the stuff, the water, fertilizer and man hours are not producing food. I'm not against farmers producing any sellable product, but I do believe we will be facing food shortages that should take priority. We should, "drill here, drill now"!

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Increased ethanol will ruin more vehicles. These guys are beyond the pale.

[rktman]

Silly. Simply plug them in the wall. Sheesh....... /S

[mmichaels1970]

This has nothing to do with fuel composition and everything to do with eliminating the annual supply chain disruption and gasoline price spike that comes when refineries are forced to change to the summer fuel blends.

Agreed. Using regulation to force an entire product line to change based on arbitrary dates can't be good as far as down-the-line costs are concerned.

I'm conflicted here. I don't like ethanol. I don't like excessive government regulation. Biden is waiving a regulation for a product I don't particularly like to attempt to reduce the price of a product I need.

Still contemplating this one.

[outofsalt]

Outside of the high pollution cities pure gas can be found.
Still more expensive but not hardware store pricing