| As gas prices continue to surge higher and higher and | | | | ethanol-blended fuel will travel miles farther on less |
| concern over our country's reliance on foreign oil | | | | money than those burning straight gasoline," Ron |
| grows more serious by the day, many experts are | | | | Lamberty, Vice President of Market Development for |
| pointing to ethanol as a quick and easy solution to the | | | | ACE said in a press release about the study. "Not only |
| current energy crisis. | | | | is ethanol's cost-per-mile lower than regular gasoline, |
| What is ethanol? Ethanol is a clean-burning, high-octane | | | | the blending economics of ethanol translate to lower |
| fuel made from plants, often corn, that many claim will | | | | prices at the pump for consumers." |
| be safer for the environment as well as reduce our | | | | Prices for E10 around the Midwest are as much as 10 |
| reliance on oil from the Middle East. | | | | cents less per gallon than regular unleaded, the ACE |
| This is Not Your Father's Ethanol ... | | | | press release indicated. A recent Consumer |
| While ethanol first gained minor notoriety as a "fad | | | | Federation of America study shows that blending |
| fuel" that was introduced in the 1970s but never really | | | | low-cost ethanol with high-priced gasoline can bring |
| caught on, the ethanol industry has made numerous | | | | down prices at the pump by up to 8 cents per gallon. |
| innovations and improvements to the ethanol | | | | The Next Step ... |
| production process as well as the final product over | | | | With results like those mentioned above and with new |
| the years and now expects to produce over 5 billion | | | | innovations continuing to be rapidly introduced in the |
| gallons of ethanol this year alone. | | | | ethanol production process, it's little wonder that many |
| Of the ethanol that is produced, much is used to boost | | | | fuel experts are now beginning to talk about shifting |
| the octane rating of gasoline. Premium gasoline is | | | | from ethanol as a fuel additive to ethanol as a |
| made by adding ethanol to the gasoline mixture. The | | | | replacement for petroleum-based fuel. |
| two most common blends are: | | | | According to these experts, such a switch could allow |
| 1. E10 - 10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline. E10 is | | | | us to break free from our addiction to foreign oil, could |
| approved for use in any make or model of vehicle sold | | | | slash gas prices at the pump, could strengthen our |
| in the U.S. Many automakers recommend its use | | | | national security, could produce jobs to rural America |
| because of its high performance, clean-burning | | | | instead of the Middle East - all while protecting our |
| characteristics. In 2004, about one-third of America's | | | | environment. |
| gasoline was blended with ethanol, most in this 10% | | | | To see an example of the benefits of increased |
| variety. | | | | reliance on ethanol, Americans have to look no further |
| 2. E85 - 85% ethanol and 15% unleaded gasoline. E85 | | | | than nearby neighbor Brazil, which has been committed |
| is an alternative fuel for use in flexible fuel vehicles | | | | to using ethanol for 30 years. |
| (FFVs). There are currently more than 4 million FFVs | | | | In Brazil, cars can run on gas or ethanol thanks to |
| on America's roads today, and automakers are rolling | | | | "flex-fuel cars." Drivers can simply choose between |
| out more each year. | | | | the two types of fuel or a mixture of both each time |
| Adding ethanol to gasoline is beneficial because it not | | | | they pull up to the pump. |
| only decreases the fuel's cost, increases the fuel's | | | | How far is America away from offering drivers here |
| octane rating and decreases gasoline's harmful | | | | this same luxury? Many of the flex-fuel cars that |
| emissions but it also, according to a recent study, lets | | | | triggered the ethanol boom in Brazil were made by |
| drivers travel farther for less money. | | | | GM and Ford and cars with the same technology |
| At current market prices, $20 worth of | | | | were first introduced here in the U.S. three years ago. |
| ethanol-blended fuel allows a vehicle to travel up to 15 | | | | In fact, already three of every four new cars sold in |
| miles farther than on gas without ethanol, according to | | | | the U.S. have the flex-fuel technology. |
| a pilot study conducted by the American Coalition for | | | | Maybe that's why in a recent speech, President Bush |
| Ethanol (ACE), a national trade association for the | | | | felt compelled to say, "Ethanol will replace gasoline |
| ethanol industry headquartered in Sioux Falls, South | | | | consumption. Ethanol is good for the whole country. |
| Dakota. "On a twenty dollar bill, drivers who choose | | | | |