« Brazilian Ethanol In Africa | Home | Ethanol Stations Remain Few And Far Between »
The Growing - And Surprisingly Large - Ethanol Movement
By Mr Ethanol | February 28, 2008
Consumer reports:
The search for alternative fuels is moving fast and furiously this week at the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando. Or, in the words of Energy Department Undersecretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Alexander Karsner: “Acting with a sense of urgency to develop alternatives to traditional energy supplies is no longer optional.” Risks to traditional petroleum supplies have never been higher and are still growing, he says.
That seems to be the conclusion of a surprisingly large contingent of ethanol investors, producers, corn farmers, and advocates gathered here at the conference. Estimates range from 2,000 to 2,700 of them are in attendance.
No surprise, much of the reason for all the interest is financial: Last year’s Energy Act included a provision requiring the production of 30 billion gallons of ethanol to be blended with gasoline by 2020.
The ethanol industry is putting its collective efforts into marketing a blend of ethanol called E85, so-named because it is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. A promising supplement to gasoline, there are many sides to E85. For instance, when we tested a flex-fuel Chevrolet Tahoe running on E85 in 2006, we found its fuel economy dropped 27 percent overall, compared with running on gasoline. Likewise, there is debate over the net energy benefits of creating fuel from food crops, with some analysts questioning the energy return when factoring the petroleum used in farm machines and for transporting.
Some stations sell E85 for less than gasoline, while others charge more, hitting consumers with a double-whammy: more fuel cost per gallon and less efficiency. Availability and pricing may change as competition heats up in the ethanol market. Today, only a small fraction of gas stations carry E85, but the number has been growing.
Topics: BizOp, Ethanol, Industry, Market |
Related Posts
- Better Chances For Movement On Energy Bill This Week
- Hollywood Stars Illuminate Visionary’s Second Coming For US Auto Industry
- Evaluating New Investment Opportunities In The Ever-Changing Agricultural Market
- Necessary Safeguards For Ethanol Plant
- Ethanol At Crossroads?
- Does Ethanol Pollute More Than Gasoline?
- Large European Ethanol Maker Hit By Cheap Brazilian Imports
- Japan To Subsidise 3 Ethanol Plant Projects
- Ethanol’s Use Outstrips Plans To Deal With Its Risks
- Plug-In Hybrid Cars May Increase Air Pollution
New Way Of Making Easy Money Online