Posted on 06/24/2013 8:39:21 AM PDT by thackney
The Supreme Court on Monday dealt a big blow to the oil industry, when it decided not to hear a legal challenge against the federal government’s decision to approve the sale of fuel containing 15 percent ethanol.
The decision not to hear the case — which was issued without comment Monday morning — was a defeat for the American Petroleum Institute and several other groups that have been vigorously fighting the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 approval of the E15 blend. Although the agency green-lighted the sale of E15 for cars and trucks made since 2007, the higher-ethanol blend is not authorized for older vehicles.
After the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in January that the API and more than a dozen other groups did not have standing to challenge the EPA’s limited approval of E15, the American Petroleum Institute and other organizations appealed to the Supreme Court.
Harry Ng, API vice president and general counsel, called the high court’s move “a big loss for consumers, for safety and for our environment.”
The oil industry argues that E15 has not been proved safe, there are high “misfueling” risks that could cause filling station owners to face liability when the fuel is inadvertently pumped into older cars and there is a limited market for the mix, especially since some automakers have warned drivers that using the fuel will void their warranty.
Ng said the EPA was “irresponsible” in approving E15, “even though government research showed potential infrastructure concerns at our nation’s gas stations that could lead to serious safety and environmental problems.”
Biofuel backers cheered the decision.
Tom Buis, the CEO of Growth Energy, which originally sought E15′s approval, called the move “a true victory for the American biofuels industry” as well as consumers, the economy and the environment.
Bob Dinneen, the president of the Renewable Fuels Association, said the Supreme Court’s decision “ends a long and drawn out petroleum industry effort to derail the commercialization of E15.”
But while this legal fight may be over, the industry’s larger war against an eight-year-old law mandating the use of more ethanol and other alternative fuels is just beginning. The oil industry is furiously lobbying lawmakers to tinker with the 2005 renewable fuels standard, and, in some cases, repeal it altogether. At the same time, oil companies and industry trade groups are asking the EPA to use its authority to waive some of the requirements.
The Energy and Commerce Committee has begun a broad, bipartisan review of the renewable fuel standard, ahead of possible changes. It is set to hold a hearing on the issue Wednesday afternoon.
Some refiners say they have already reached a so-called “blend wall,” a threshold where adding the required volume of ethanol to gasoline supplies would result in ethanol blends exceeding the 10 percent cap approved for use in all vehicles. Because the RFS was established with target volumes — rather than percentages — a recent decline in gasoline use means that blend wall has arrived sooner than expected. The effects are different from some refiners; their individual obligations are determined by their share of the fuel market.
Renewable fuel supporters counter that the mandate was designed to drive innovation in the fuels market and force changes by refiners, automakers and motorists ultimately helping to wean the U.S. off foreign oil in exchange for domestically produced alternatives.
Huh? I don’t think the octane magically erases the lower energy content.
Here on this gubment website it says that E85 gives you 25%-30% less mileage:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/Feg/ethanol.shtml
Link:
CUP: New Ethanol Fuel Expected To Boost Horsepower, Hurt Fuel Mileage
http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-new-ethanol-fuel-expected-to-boost-horsepower-hurt-fuel-mileage/
We have cheaper, easier to get, essentially unlimited, oil in the ground. It’s better for our engines, it’s better for the environment and it’s not burning our food supply.
There shouldn’t be one tablespoon of ethanol in our gasoline.
The degree of corruption between the government and vested interests passed outright criminal a long time ago. About the time our republic drew its last breath. Just SOP in the old Soviet Union, now here for our pleasure.
Heh. I'm sure they were thrilled when you had them fitted for their mower harnesses. ;-)
BTW, you might be interested in the 24v rechargeable electric reel mowers that are on the market. The brand name is Brill, I believe. The motor spins the reel, so all the girls really need to is roll the mower around. There's no geared resistance as with the old-school design.
All these problems you have experienced is exactly the reason the Indy car (which use 100% alky fuel) drain all fuel tanks, put a few gallons of racing gas in, start and flush complete fuel system before going back on the truck for the trip back to home base. The alky is not to be left in the system for even an overnight period.
Their fuel systems all have Teflon lined, stainless steel hose and hard line, designed for alky fuel. Is there a wonder why we have problems with our small engines and automobiles? Water, water, water.
And who said ethanol burned cleaner?
Stanford did a study that came to the opposite conclusion, mentioned in the wikipedia article on ethanol:
“A study by atmospheric scientists at Stanford University found that E85 fuel would increase the risk of air pollution deaths relative to gasoline by 9% in Los Angeles, USA: a very large, urban, car-based metropolis that is a worst case scenario.[72] Ozone levels are significantly increased, thereby increasing photochemical smog and aggravating medical problems such as asthma.[73][74]”
It isn't the oil industry who lost, it's all of the citizens who own and operate motor vehicles.
Actually it won't, because the ethanol draws moidture out of the air and with time forms a layer of water/ethanol (which won't run the engine) on the bottom of the tank. I already pay a premium ($5.15/gal * 300gal for a fill-up) for non-ethanol gas at the fuel dock.
I just spent the weekend cleaning the carb jets that were plugged from the ethanol. Boaters beware.
Looking down the road YOU DON’T BURN YOUR FOOD! Let alone the ecological component of using fossil fuels to create the fertilisers to grow the feed stock to produce ethanol.
The only “nutrient” remove from corn by distillation is the starch. How much more corn starch do you think the average American should have in his diet?
I’m well aware of the problems that ethanol-blended fuels present for marine engines; I was speaking mostly to the packaging problems of flex-fuel needs and EFI. In my opinion, marine engines need to be as simple as possible. Fuel injection might be more precise, but I’ll take a carb and ethanol-free gasoline any day.
The oil industry is not so much the loser as is the American consumer. This is an evil decision, ‘bought’ with Big Ag funds wanting to support the food for fuel agenda.
“Looking down the road YOU DON’T BURN YOUR FOOD!”
FDR and Henry Wallace did...they killed the baby pigs and poisoned mountains of potatoes with potassium permanganate...all for the same reason...to support Big Ag prices.
They better perfect the electric car before they ban gas cause ethanol is shi*.
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