Filed under: Ethanol, Green Culture, Legislation and Policy
South Dakota Senator wants to scale the ethanol 'fuel wall' from E10 to E20
Sen. John Thune, the Republican who ousted Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004, says it's time for all gas pumps to offer E20 blends.Right now, E10 is the standard; that is, a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline. Thune wants a jump to 20 percent ethanol mix to "grow the industry." He sent a letter to the EPA requesting the agency to certify a 20 percent blend for use in conventional engines. The EPA will study the request. It's already studying a proposal from Minnesota to offer 20 percent blends throughout the state by 2012.
Ethanol is also available in an E85 blend, but that formula is compatible in only a few vehicles. E85 accounts for about one percent of all ethanol sales.
The EPA is charged with proving that E20 doesn't harm engines or air quality. I also hope the agency conducts thorough tests on fuel economy as well. I certainly don't want to pay for more expensive fuel that isn't as potent.
[Source: Ben Shouse / Sioux Falls Argus Leader]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jimmy 5:23PM (3/13/2007)
This is a step in the right direction. We need to use renewable fuels in our current and near future vehicles. Based on some small research and some anecdotal evidence higher blend ethanol fuels will have no problem in modern fuel injected engines. However, Thune is encouraging research and study by the EPA and for a lack of Federal interference in Minnesota's renewable fuel plans.
You can read the full test here:
http://thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=415&Month=3&Year=2007
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Karkus 5:30PM (3/13/2007)
Seems a little premature to me. We're not even close to having enough ethanol to supply E10 to the entire country, much less having enough for all those E85 vehicles. And once the general public realizes that MPG goes down with ethanol, they might not have much enthusiasm for it.
The top priority should be getting the more efficient cellulosic ethanol processes to work. Only then can ethanol significantly reduce foreign oil dependency. Right now it's mostly about pork barrel subsidies.
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Tim 6:00PM (3/13/2007)
Create a need, and many will jump in to fill it. Creating a stable market for Cellulosic Ethanol is exactly why the gov’t must also commit to replacing their worn out vehicles with EVs and biofuels (hopefully biodiesel) PHEV-40s.
When working against entrenched technologies, it’s not so much supply and Demand… It’s demand creates supply. Gov’t which is unfortunately the largest consumer in our pseudo-socialist society can do this.
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Andrew 10:21AM (3/14/2007)
I used to think Democrats were economically ignorant - but now I realize the Republicans can give them serious competition.
couple of problems here.
First, the government should not be picking winners and losers - we end up picking not best technology but technology with best lobbyists. Central planning did not work in the Soviet bloc, does not work in Cuba, and will not work here.
The feds have mandated an expensive fuel, excluding other alternatives such as butanol. Then they put up a huge tariff wall to keep out ethanol from more efficients producers. Then they add huge taxpayer subsidies, 50 cents per gallon.
Ethanol costs 2X more per btu, so about 2X more per mile. There is no free lunch.
Will this create "economic benefit"? Sure, for some. Wasting taxpayer money always helps someone. Remember the 100,000,000 dollar "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska? I'm sure the local economy would have benefited.
Finally most cars on the road are designed to work with up to 10%, they were never designed to work with 20%.
Ethanol is something *everyone* loves: Democrats and Republicans are competing to throw more money at it. Automakers sell giant "green" SUV's that get 11 mpg on E85 (28% worse than gas).
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Andy 7:59PM (4/23/2009)
Actually some reports have shown that E30 will maintain a better fuel economy in cars than E10