ethanol
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One way to make vehicle fuels greener is to grow them--and it appears that biodiesel may have plenty of potential. Like the feedstocks for ethanol, the plant oils refined into biodiesel are grown, rather than extracted from the ground. But being lumped into the same bucket as ethanol is worrying the biodiesel industry, which fears the fuel is being dragged into draft legislation mainly aimed at ethanol producers. According to Politico Pro (sub req.), the National Biodiesel Board has reacted strongly to a leaked EPA proposal to adjust its Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) that would limit volume...
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New Lure For Ethanol Blends: More Ethanol, But A Lower Price?
Could low prices be the key to making ethanol more popular? One Michigan filling station allows customers to change the ethanol-gasoline blend in their fuel. As customers "dial up" the amount of ethanol, the price goes down, WardsAuto reports. Other stations offer multiple blends, with varying...
Stephen Edelstein -
Is Brazilian Sugarcane The Answer To U.S. Biofuels Needs?
Is Brazilian sugarcane the perfect biofuel for American drivers? Brazil believes ethanol made from sugarcane can supplement corn-based ethanol produced in the United States, which would help meet U.S. government targets for increased biofuel consumption. Under the Energy Independence and Security...
Stephen Edelstein -
Americans Want More E15, Other Ethanol Blends, New Poll Says
A new poll claims 82 percent of Americans want to put E15, a blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline, in their cars.
Stephen Edelstein -
Gas Stations Claim Oil Companies Block E15, FTC To Investigate
The idea is simple: Replace refined hydrocarbons yanked deep out of the earth with vehicle fuel derived from crops. The ongoing politics of ethanol remain anything but simple. The latest salvo sally in the ethanol wars was fired by two U.S. senators from agricultural states, Amy Klobuchar [D-MN]...
John Voelcker -
Supreme Court Won't Reverse EPA E15 Ethanol Rules
The U.S. Supreme Court has been slow to rule on many of the biggest cases on this year's docket. Maybe that's because some of the justices are prone to procrastination, or maybe, like seasoned TV scriptwriters, they're just playing America like a violin, getting us all worked up for a rousing...
Richard Read -
For fans of fuel efficiency, the New York Times has good news and bad news. The good news is: drivers in the U.S. are using less gas these days. The bad news is: that's driving up the cost of gas. To anyone who's taken Econ 101, that probably seems counter-intuitive -- mostly because it is. To locate the source of this conundrum, we have to visit America's wellspring of counter-intuition: the United States Congress. PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS In December of 2007, President George W. Bush signed into law the Energy Independence and Security Act [PDF]. Among the many bits and bobs included in...
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U.S. Biofuels & Ethanol Mandate: More Vulnerable Than Ever Now?
Since 2007, U.S. fuel producers have been required by law to include more and more ethanol and other biofuels in their blends. Now, Pike Research suggests, the biofuels mandate enacted as part of the 2007 U.S. Energy Act may be vulnerable to renewed political pressure. Pike notes that the drawbacks...
John Voelcker -
E15 Ethanol Controversy: No Signs Of Moderating Any Time Soon
Debate over the slow rollout and potentially damaging effects of gasoline with 15 percent ethanol blended in just continues to roll on. The latest to pile on are members of the Science Committee in the House of Representatives, which held a hearing Tuesday on the progress of EPA efforts to roll out...
John Voelcker -
Ethanol Is Nothing New; E10 Gasoline Was Sold In 1930s
Back in the 1930s, the United States produced the vast bulk of the oil it burned. It wasn't until the 1973 oil crisis that things like OPEC and fuel efficiency entered the U.S. consciousness. And it took a while longer for the phrase "energy security" to come along. That's what led to the concept...
John Voelcker -
E15 Is Coming & AAA Ain't Happy; New Fuel Could Void Warranties
There's a lot of talk nowadays about renewable energy and energy independence. One product of such chatter is a new blend of gasoline called E15, but not everyone is happy to see it coming down the pipeline. Ethanol is a common additive in gasoline, thanks in large part to the Energy Independence...
Richard Read -
Oil Industry Sues To Overturn Ethanol-In-Gasoline Mandate
Paying too much for that fast-food burger? Blame the government's ethanol targets, says the oil industry--and it's sueing the Environmental Protection Agency for what it describes as "overzealous" biofuel mandates. The American Petroleum Institute filed the lawsuit over the EPA's decision to...
Antony Ingram -
Last month, the governors of eight states and almost 200 members of Congress asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to suspend rules that mandate production of ethanol for use in gasoline. On Friday, the EPA said no. The request to suspend parts of the 2007 Renewable Fuel Standard came from concerns that the feed corn essential to those states' agricultural businesses would be diverted to supply ethanol refineries. The 2007 rule mandates that increasing amounts of ethanol be used in U.S. vehicle fuel, as part of a broader national effort to cut oil imports and improve energy security...
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On 'Pure' Gasoline, Your Mileage May Vary: What's The Difference?
Unless you're the type to very closely read the fine print on the face of fuel pumps, you might not know that the vast majority of U.S. gasoline is truly ten-percent home grown—that's ten-percent ethanol, and with that ethanol almost certainly from corn. The upsides of adding more ethanol to...
Bengt Halvorson -
Will EPA Waive Ethanol Requirement Due To Drought?
This summer's drought across the midwestern U.S. may have an impact in an unexpected place: your gasoline tank. Almost 200 members of Congress, and the governors of eight states, have called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to suspend portions of the 2007 Renewable Fuel Standard that...
John Voelcker -
Is E85 Ethanol The Solution To High Gas Prices?
Ethanol is often touted as being the future fuel of internal combustion vehicles, as it can be more easily--and more locally--produced than regular gasoline, while producing lower greenhouse gas emissions. That makes it a further step towards energy independence, but does it make it the fuel of the...
Antony Ingram -
EPA Wins Legal Battle Against Higher Ethanol Levels In Fuel
The battle over the levels of ethanol in fuel may not have stopped just yet, but a decision by the U.S. Appeals Court will certainly weaken the challenge. Several groups, including grocery, auto and petroleum industry bodies filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency in November 2010...
Antony Ingram -
Midwestern Drought, Election Year Politics Add To Pressure On Ethanol
Corn ethanol, the oft-touted answer to the problem of foreign oil, is still suffering problems. This time, a drop in production--thanks to drought conditions in the midwestern states that produce it--is harming corn ethanol exports and putting further pressure on the fuel vs. food debate. That...
Antony Ingram -
It's fair to say that E15 gasoline--that's gasoline, blended with 15 percent ethanol--hasn't been universally popular, since being approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Not only are the blended pumps that serve it few and far between, but there are still clouds of doubt hanging over its long-term effects on engines. Even if you can find it and aren't worried about it slowly eating away at engine components, a new rule on how much you're able to purchase is further harming its case. As The New York Times reports, a four-gallon minimum purchase at service stations selling E10...
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What Will 'Low Carbon Fuel' Mean For You?
California is often at the forefront of clean vehicles, whether that's through startups like Tesla producing electric vehicles, or regulations that encourage the sale and manufacture of low-emissions vehicles. That trend is continuing says Pike Research, as the state aims to push through a new...
Antony Ingram -
Big Food Steps Up Fight Against Ethanol Mandate (Infographic)
Ethanol continues to be a political football, with the alcohol fuel coming under fire from the auto industry, environmental pressure groups, and others. The latest to line up against the corn-based fuel is a coalition of industrialized livestock and poultry producers that might collectively be...
John Voelcker -
Ethanol In Your Gasoline Tank: The Pros And Cons
With flex-fuel cars that can run on E85 ethanol still a minority of the vehicles on sale, you might think ethanol isn't as important as some other future fuels. But up to 10 percent of every gallon of gasoline you buy today is ethanol, and that proportion may rise to as much as 15 percent if gas...
Antony Ingram -
E15 Ethanol Gasoline Arrives...At One Station In Kansas
If ever there was a suitable place to sell stronger blends of ethanol in gasoline, it's the midwest. With vast supplies of common crops like corn, the midwestern states are ideal for ethanol production and sales. And kicking off that trend is one lone gas station in Kansas, the first to sell E15...
Antony Ingram -
OK, E15 Gasoline Is Now Approved; Do You Need To Care?
You felt the earth shake a week ago today when the EPA formally approved the sale of E15 gasoline, right? Oh, you didn't? Not surprising, really. No gas station in the U.S. sells E15 today, and it looks like it may be a while before any given driver sees the stuff showing up as one of several...
John Voelcker