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Friday RFS Roundup – 11/14

As the Office of Management and Budget continues to sit on the 2014 ethanol mandate, which is more than 10 months late, advance biofuels sweetheart KiOR files for bankruptcy and EWG and AAA expose the problems with corn ethanol.

Is this the Worst Policy in America?

For the first time since the ethanol mandate was enacted, a government agency has confirmed what the refining industry has said for years…forcing ethanol into our fuel supply will increase gas prices.

Taking a Look at the EPA Comments

Last year, the EPA proposed a reduction to the 2014 RFS. In order to make it official, the EPA solicited comments from citizens and groups both in favor and opposed to this reduction. Featured are some of the disparate voices that spoke in favor of the reduction.

Is your daily driver a race car?

95 percent of automobiles on the road today aren’t designed to run on gasoline that contains more than 10 percent ethanol.

While the EPA granted approval for e-15 use in late model cars and light duty trucks, AAA cautioned, “this new fuel entered the market without adequate protections to prevent misfuelings and despite remaining questions about potential vehicle damage, even for EPA-approved 2001 and newer vehicles.”

Most Americans don’t realize that up to 10% of what goes into the tank is ethanol distilled from corn. Congress required refiners to blend ethanol into gasoline in laws passed in 2005 and 2007, which were intended to spur the production of renewable fuels and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

On Tuesday, the EPA released the 2013 ethanol mandate target numbers, eight months later than original scheduled. There was no change in total or advanced biofuels numbers, but there was a reduction in the mandate for cellulosic ethanol—a type of fuel not yet commercially available in the U.S.

As the amount of biofuel blended with U.S gasoline supplies increases, many vintage vehicles could be feeling the long-term effects. Modern gasoline blends are far different than those used in the era of classic cars and motorcycles.

Running E15 gasoline in a car that is not approved for it could cause engine problems. Ethanol is known to corrode rubber and some metals and can cause additional moisture in the fuel tank for cars that sit for a while.

The impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard on consumers, a range of industries and the environment are becoming increasingly apparent to lawmakers and Americans across the nation.

A Reality Check for the Ethanol Lobby

The ethanol lobby sure is making a lot of noise lately. That’s no surprise—as more academics, business groups, politicians, consumer advocates, environmentalists and NGOs call attention to the consequences of the Renewable Fuel Standard, ethanol lobbyists are in full damage-control mode.

The EPA case for E15, a fuel blend consisting of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline, has completely fallen apart, as evidenced by the recent report from the AAA that E15 can cause accelerated engine wear and failure, resulting in costly repairs for unsuspecting consumers.

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