Posted on 07/25/2005 7:35:58 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - To stretch America's gasoline supplies, the leaders of a joint Senate-House conference committee racing to finish a U.S. energy bill agreed on Monday to almost double production of the motor fuel additive ethanol to 7.5 billion gallons a year by 2012.
However, the full panel rejected a proposal to reduce U.S. oil consumption by 1 million barrels per day and also turned down a plan to require utilities to generate more of their electricity from renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.
The ethanol compromise is larger than the 5 billion gallons approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, but smaller than the 8 billion gallons called for by the Senate.
Ethanol, derived mostly from corn, is a popular political cause in farm country, where it is regarded as a homegrown answer to oil imports and a boon to farm income.
It is usually blended directly into gasoline in a mix of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline, which makes motor fuel burn more cleanly to meet federal air pollution requirements.
Ethanol is more difficult for oil companies to transport because it evaporates more quickly than conventional gasoline, requiring refiners to remove more smog-forming emissions.
The federal ethanol requirement was set to be cleared on Monday evening, by the full panel of Senate and House negotiators meeting to finalize additional terms of the broad energy legislation.
House negotiators voted against a Senate plan requiring the U.S. president to come up ways to cut America's oil demand by 1 million barrels a day by 2015.
"We have a relentless addiction to oil. We need to address it," said Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and sponsor of the oil savings amendment. The U.S. has to import 60 percent of its oil to meet its 21 million barrel daily demand.
House opponents said the proposal would force Americans into carpools and automakers to boost vehicle fuel standards.
I read where it takes more energy to produce ethenol than ethanol can deliver - like 4 gallons of oil to produce one gallon of ethenol ....
What a joke.
whoops, make that ethanol .....
I've read that too.
I hate the way ethanol makes my gmc truck run, but we don't have a choice here. If they keep pushing ethanol I just may get that that diesel truck after all. 25mpg for a powerful truck compared to 15mpg ethanol k-chunker.
Google on something to the effect of: net energy balance, and you'll find that most studies conclude that the enregy efficiency of ethanol distillation generates about twice the net energy of gasoline refinement.
Hmmm - more homework piled on .... :)
j
I've always found the best way to contemplate the miracle that is ethanol is to pour an ounce or two of it over a couple of ice cubes and go sit on the porch.
Oh Yea .... Everclear nothwithstanding .... at least not standing after a few .....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.