'Blend wall' decision on ethanol will have multiple side effects

Minnpost.com ^ | 26 may 10 | Rolf Westgard

[rellimpank]

The battle lines are forming over a plan to move the ethanol "blend wall" from 10 percent gasoline content to 15 percent. Forces pushing for 15 percent include farmers unions, Midwest members of Congress, some environmental groups, and state legislatures whose Renewable Energy Standards may fail without mandated biofuels. With ethanol production now over 10 billion gallons/year, supply is exceeding mandated demand.

[Pearls Before Swine]

I’m buying DBA or JJG (agricultural commodity ETFs). Crop stores and weather are good now and prices are relatively low, but increased demand for corn will affect all grain prices, especially if we get a weather scare, as often happens. It happened two years ago at 10% blend levels.

[Safrguns]

There is one place in my town that I know of that advertises and sells their gas ethanol free.

It’s the only place I buy gas if I can help it.

Besides... I get better gas mileage too.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The Ethanol Mafia will not be denied.

[mountainlion]

I can't run my ATV or chain saws on this poor fuel. It dissolves carburetor parts and fuel lines. When alcohol was first put in fuel it ruined fuel pumps in my old vehicles. Thanks a lot Obama.

[rstrahan]

If you go over 10%, it can severely damage older engines...and that’s anything over 5 years old. Cars won’t run on that junk. There’s a LOT of research about it. One city’s police force went down when they had this stuff put in their fleet.

[Red Badger]

Rest In Peace, old friend, your work is finished.....

If you want ON or OFF the DIESEL ”KnOcK” LIST just FReepmail me.....

This is a fairly HIGH VOLUME ping list on some days.....

[Red Badger]

This is so they will have to buy new fleet cars and trucks from Government Motors...................

[ctdonath2]

According to plan.

[Huebolt]

Do you get better mileage with the ETHANOL BLEND????? Please say it’s true. I’ve always heard otherwise.

[Huebolt]

OOps, misread that. never mind....

[CrazyIvan]

A friend of mine runs the local Chrysler dealership. After
some customer drive ability problems he bought a hydrometer
that will read out the % of alcohol in fuel. He has found as
high as 22% in some blends.

[laxcoach]

The sound you hear is all the boat owners in the US crying about water buildup in fuel tanks and engine repairs.

In other news, you can faintly hear the makers of fuel stabilizers giggling with joy.

[hoosierham]

I ended up buying a different used car years ago when the ethanol dissolved the plastic parts inside my Dodge's carburetor(at the time I didn't know what was going on and couldn't afford a big repair bill on an old ,otherwise suitable work car). Ethanol is a second-class fuel in terms of energy density.

Odd how all the envirowhacko fuel choices are those of less energy density and more expense.

[The Great RJ]

My owner’s manual of my 2006 Mazda 3 clearly says that only ethanol blends of up to 10% may be used. Will the government be willing to pay for the damages to vehicles and invalidated warranties as a result of this 15% blend? Given the nasty solvent properties of ethanol, I would imagine that environmental controls of some vehicles will be damaged by 15% blends so mandating the use of these blends as a boon to the environment is pure BS.

[hoosierham]

I find about 2 to 3 mpg less using ethanol blends versus 100% gasoline,but blends are mandated by EPA for many areas.

[maryz]

supply is exceeding mandated demand.

. . . "mandated demand" -- don't you just love that phrase?

[rellimpank]

--think you read it wrong--he goes there to get the ethanol-free gas--

--was in Wisconsin for a month, where you can get ethanol-free "premium" for " boats, rec vehicles", etc.

I got sufficiently better mileage with it to be worth the extra cost---

[Buckeye McFrog]

I take it farmers are unionized in Minnesota?

They’ll need another Cash for Clunkers program once all of our fuel systems turn to mush.

[Buckeye McFrog]

This is a fairly HIGH VOLUME ping list on some days.....

That’s OK. We’ll have fairly high volume ping engines if we have to start burning this cr@p....