By Todd L. Petersen
The latest news regarding ethanol blending comes to us from a recent issue of Hemmings Motor News.
H.R. 1314, introduced by Virginia Representative Robert Goodlatte, actually goes so far as to call for the elimination of the Renewable Fuel Standard.
You may recall that the Renewable Fuel Standard, passed in 2005, is what resulted in 10% ethanol being blended into almost all of the gasoline in the US.
It did not “require” all gasoline to contain 10% ethanol. Instead, it made oil companies responsible for getting rid a set amount of ethanol each year. Given the billions of gallons required, it has resulted in almost all gasoline in the US going to 10% ethanol (E10).
In major metro areas, where all the cars are, pretty much all gasoline contains 10% ethanol. However if you’re out in the ding weeds like I am, even in a corn state like Nebraska, finding straight gasoline with no ethanol (E0) has never been a problem.
As unlikely as it may be that either of these bills are adopted, it is at least a step in the right direction.
In the Georgia senate, S.B. 115 forbids all ethanol blended fuels. Senate Resolution 205 asks the US Congress to eliminate requirements for the use of ethanol as a fuel. Ethanol-induced corrosion is specified as the primary reason to ban ethanol.
The Hemmings article indicates the EPA is requiring 19.28 billion gallons of ethanol to be blended for 2017. Even with these numbers, it has become evident over the past couple of years that E0 is beginning to appear in places that had been all 10% blends for many years.
We have lately been seeing a marked uptick in inquiries from places such as New York, New England, and Washington State for autofuel STCs. Exactly where this gasoline is coming from, we haven’t yet been able to determine.
However, it goes to show that if there is a market for something, someone eventually moves to provide it.
We can hope that Goodlatte’s HR1314 will pass, but — at least for now – I recommend against holding your breath.
The above commenters need a reality check if they think “the left” or “greenies” have anything to do with ethanol in fuel. Maybe 20years ago, not today. The environments lobby was squarely behind elimination of subsidies for ethanol in motor fuel. The real culprit here is big agro. Think of Archer Danials Midland and Con Agra, probably many others (Deere maybe?). Follow the money and you will find big agro. I’ve not heard an enviro argument for ethanol of many many years. “The left” has moved on to solar and wind, ideas that seem to be taking off on there own. Factoid: The new Coal Mining Museum in West Virginia is solar powered. The estimated payout for the install is 7 years.
Of course you can blame Washington all you like; they certainly have been payed off, by Big Agro.
False. Ethanol is a pure greenie push. The crap was used to replace MTBEs in fuels and the greenies got MTBE banned at the state level. In 1988 Denver, Colorado was the first place to ban MTBE and mandate Ethanol as the oxygenator replacement additive. The 1990 Clean Air Act is the culprit that spread it nationwide. The Clean Air Act is a pure green lobby creation and is the primary reason the EPA exists at all. By 2003 California with the most fuel consumption banned MTBEs and mandated Ethanol blended fuels. In 2005 the EPA itself wrote the Energy Policy Act mandating Ethanol just about everywhere else. Then came the 2006 Renewable Fuels Standard, the 2007 Energy Independence Security Act, And now the EPA under Obama has been pushing to increase Ethanol to 15%.
At NO time as big Ag been involved in any of this…that is pure poppycock.
Sorry, but big Ag was indeed the opportunist behemoth behind the ethanol standards. My nephew was a page for former Senator Jim Talent (R) Missouri. His insider tale makes it very clear who foisted the ethanol farce upon us. It was (and still is) Big Ag. FWIW, my nephew remains very well informed on this topic. “Follow the money” remains the best forensic tool around. The trail was brightly lit then (in 2005) and remains so today. The ‘greens’ were merely the political front and cover (stooges, we might say) for the farm lobby. Evidently Big Ag is still doing a bang up job of deflection. In Jan 2016 Forbes even jumped on Big Ag with an article about the ‘dirty Corn Lobby and the Ethanol Mandate’.
Read carefully what I said. Your nephew is wrong. Big Ag is simply supplying a market the GOVERNMENT greenies forces. If you want to right this wrong then vote for people that are rational about the environment. The ones the greenies call “climate deniers”
Ethanol costs Americans a pile of money every year to clean or replace carburetors that have gummed up over the winter months. I run only non-Ethanol fuel in my equipment but had to wait 4 weeks to get my almost new lawn mower in for warranty work due to all the equipment brought in annually for Ethanol related repairs.
Blame the greenies for Ethanol…no one else. The Trump admin got a lot of votes in Iowa too. So don’t expect much change.
I detest ethanol. I have the autogas STC and can’t use it because E0 isn’t available here, I have a classic car whose entire fuel system has been destroyed by ethanol, I have two antique motorcycles with rusty fuel tanks due to ethanol’s insatiable appetite for water, I have another antique motorcycle which I don’t DARE put ethanol-polluted gas into because it will destroy the irreplaceable fiberglass tank and the ethanol-intolerant carbs (those I can get, they’re only a grand each), I have a lawn tractor which is supposed to be able to run on E10, guess what, it doesn’t and the warranty is “conveniently” expired, and more . . .
Ethanol is a band-aid, a kludge by politicians who know ZERO about internal combustion engines, who subscribe to the “do something, even if it is wrong” theory of governance and who don’t give a rat’s patootie what their stupidity costs their constituents, so long as THEY look good and get re-elected so they can continue to gorge themselves at the public trough – which WE pay (a lot) to keep filled.
So let me see, my choices ought to be to pay 10 or 15% more for fuel which won’t destroy every vehicle I own, or cheap out and save 25 cents a gallon and replace EVERY gas powered device I own. Hmm, the average (ethanol tolerant) new car costs $35,000 these days, at 25 cents a gallon, that means I need to use 140,000 gallons of fuel just to break even. And that’s just for the car, forget about everything else.
Ethanol? Thanks for nothing, Washington.
Ethanol is candy in exchange for votes. Ethanol is an irrational boot on the necks of Americans by an out of control government agency with no accountability and is based on far left ideology which explains RINO’s entirely.
Ethanol is a poor fuel, is expensive, cannot compete with gasoline without taxpayer funding like solar and wind, gets poor economy when added to gasoline, it cannot be shipped in oil pipelines being too corrosive, but just like fluoride and Geo-engineering congress seems far too daft to stop it.
But, if your name was Jamie Diamon and you worked for JP Morgan Chase and made a handful of phone calls to slippery republican congressman something would get done!
I am serious about that.
Well said, Ed! Sad commentary on the state of politics……..