ethanol
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An action signed by EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler removes the current restriction on smog-forming E15 ethanol blends in summer.
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EPA proposes more smog-contributing ethanol in summer gasoline
Ethanol is known as an alternative fuel, and is even renewable. But that doesn't always make it clean. The Environmental Protection Agency, after proposing watered down emissions and fuel economy standards for cars, has now released a proposal to increase the amount of ethanol blended into pump gas...
Eric C. Evarts -
Trump expected to lift E15 ban limiting ethanol in summer gasoline
President Donald Trump is expected Tuesday to direct the EPA to lift the seasonal ban on higher-ethanol E15 blends of pump gasoline linked to summer smog issues. The move has been anticipated for months. This timing for it, according to Reuters, is aimed at helping Republican candidates in...
Bengt Halvorson -
E10 gasoline now standard, but E15 push stalled, so here comes E30
Though the Environmental Protection Agency has already ruled on ethanol-blended gasoline mixtures for 2018, that hasn't stopped ethanol advocates from pushing for a higher 30-percent blend for non-flex-fuel vehicles. The latest call for ethanol comes from corn-state ethanol refiners, farmers, and...
Mark Stevenson -
Which alternative fuels will survive long-term? Twitter poll results
Building a fueling network turns out to be more of a challenge than many advocates, regulators, and drivers may have anticipated. The attempt to boost passenger vehicles fueled by cheap, abundant U.S. natural gas is now essentially over, with a mere 942 public natural-gas fueling stations...
John Voelcker -
Renewable-fuel mandate ruling leaves no one happy: the best compromise?
As they say, the best compromise is usually the one that leaves all parties equally dissatisfied. When it comes to the Environmental Protection Agency's renewable-fuel mandate, it seems regulators have reached equilibrium. The latest skirmish in the long-running battle over the U.S. renewable-fuel...
Mark Stevenson -
You just don't hear the phrase "alternative fuels" as much as you did, say, 10 years ago. With a couple of million plug-in electric cars now on the world's roads, the idea of swapping in one hydrocarbon fuel for another may have passed its time. Admittedly biodiesel continues to make quiet inroads for diesel commercial vehicles. DON'T MISS: When fueling stations shut down for your natural-gas car: one reader's experience But neither E85 ethanol nor natural gas has gained significantly more headway than they had in 2010. And as an article we published yesterday demonstrated, when an...
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Proposed ethanol cuts bring EPA up against Iowa's powerful politician
Following years of debate, the EPA said earlier this month it will study the possibilities of cutting the amount of ethanol in the United States' gasoline supply. Since 2007, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has required growing amounts of ethanol to be blended into U.S. fuel supplies, with...
Sean Szymkowski -
EPA to study cutting amount of ethanol in U.S. gasoline
Since 2007, the Renewable Fuel Standard has required increasing levels of ethanol in gasoline blends sold in the U.S. Most fuel stations across the United States no longer offer pure gasoline, with E10—a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline—prevailing. After years of...
Sean Szymkowski -
Ethanol wasn't killed by Prohibition at Rockefeller's request: another alt-fuel myth busted
For almost a century, many people have blamed oil magnate John D. Rockefeller for the demise of ethanol as a viable fuel for internal-combustion engines. He fought its use, the theory goes, to eliminate competition for the gasoline derived from his Standard Oil business—whose descendant...
Sean Szymkowski -
E15 gasoline faces stronger headwinds as more states move to ban it
While political control in Washington has changed, the debate over a mandate to blend specific volumes of ethanol into the U.S. fuel supply has not. Since its passage in 2007 as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act, the ethanol-mandating Renewable Fuel Standard has attracted...
Stephen Edelstein -
Sierra Club to sue EPA over failure to report on ethanol
The confirmation of Scott Pruitt as Environmental Protection Agency administrator was expected to rankle environmental groups. Pruitt is a climate-science denier who, in his previous position as Oklahoma attorney general, sued the agency he is now charged with many multiple times over its efforts...
Stephen Edelstein -
Several members of Trump's team are against ethanol, advisor Carl Icahn said in a recent interview.
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Is ethanol-free gasoline heading for the end of the road?
The EPA expects demand for ethanol-free gasoline to gradually dissipate.
Stephen Edelstein -
EPA boosts required 2017 ethanol volume above expected level
The EPA increased the amount of ethanol to be blended with gasoline for 2017.
Stephen Edelstein -
Bill to cap ethanol in U.S. fuel supply gains momentum
A House bill aims to cap the amount of ethanol blended with the U.S. fuel supply.
Stephen Edelstein -
Oil company pays $26 million for half-billion-dollar ethanol plant
The failure of cellulosic ethanol may prove beneficial to oil giant Royal Dutch Shell. Cellulosic ethanol was seen as an important component of mass ethanol adoption because it is made from non-edible plants. But despite the hopes of ethanol advocates and policymakers, cellulosic sources never...
Stephen Edelstein -
Fuel from emissions? Catalyst converts carbon dioxide to ethanol
At least in North America, ethanol is a contentious fuel. A decade ago, it was seen as a homegrown and carbon-neutral way to use less gasoline—and federal legislation mandated that increasing volumes be blended into U.S. fuel supplies. Much debate followed over using "food for fuel," its...
John Voelcker -
An EPA proposal would add more ethanol blends for "flex-fuel" vehicles.
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Nissan takes a different approach to fuel cells: ethanol
When the world at large thinks of fuel-cell vehicles—to the extent it does, at least today—they are associated with hydrogen as the fuel to power them. But a fuel cell, more broadly speaking, is any device that produces electricity from a variety of input fuels or energy carriers. This...
John Voelcker -
New House bill seeks to limit ethanol in gasoline to current usage
A new House bill would cap levels of ethanol blended with gasoline.
Stephen Edelstein -
Fiat Chrysler is last Detroit maker to convert cars to use E15
All Detroit automakers now say their cars can run on E15 ethanol.
Stephen Edelstein -
Why Isn't The 2016 Chevy Volt A Flex-Fuel Plug-In Hybrid That Can Use E85 Ethanol?
The 2016 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid has received numerous accolades, including this site's Best Car To Buy 2016 Award. It's better-looking, quicker, quieter, and has a significantly longer all-electric range of 53 miles. It is not, however, certified to use E85, the fuel blend containing 85...
John Voelcker -
Final 2016 Ethanol Rule: Fuel Blenders, Biofuels Interests Unhappy With EPA Numbers
The final EPA 2016 ethanol rule bothers both the biofuel and oil industries.
Stephen Edelstein