Ethanol good for consumers, planet

As the general manager of an ethanol plant and the president of the Indiana Ethanol Producers Association, I've been approached repeatedly with questions about higher ethanol blends and if they are good for our vehicles, good for consumers and good for our environment.

The answer to all these questions is a resounding YES. Ethanol is a clean, green, home-grown energy source and increasing its use through E15 will benefit both Indiana and the country.

In the 1970s, the EPA passed an arbitrary regulation that capped the percentage of ethanol that can be blended with gasoline at 10 percent. Now, 30 years later, ethanol producers have asked the EPA to remove this cap and allow, but not require, ethanol to be blended with gasoline at 15 percent.

By allowing E15, the EPA can help consumers see the benefits of increased ethanol use.

For consumers, increased ethanol means savings at the pump, without sacrificing vehicle performance or increasing food prices. In a 2008 study by Iowa State University, researchers found ethanol lowers the price of a gallon of gas by up to 40 cents. Another study by the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute has predicted no change in the price of food because of E15.

These savings won't come at the cost of your engine. Ethanol, which is already safely in 70 percent of the nation's fuel supply, has been tested more times than any other fuel additive, with all studies coming to the same conclusion: E15 performs no different than conventional gasoline.

Even Underwriters Laboratory, the independent group responsible for monitoring and analyzing product safety, has stated there is no significant increase in risk from using E15.

Ethanol doesn't just help consumers. Environmentally, ethanol burns cleaner and greener than gasoline and can help reduce our carbon footprint. Moving to E15 means we could reduce an additional 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, which is the equivalent of taking 3.5 million vehicles off our roadway.

For the past several months, the EPA has been accepting public comments on higher ethanol blend and the agriculture community has responded, with more than 10,000 people writing in support of more ethanol.

This is a good start, but there is still time for you to comment as well.

Before July 21, log on to http://www.GoE15.com and tell the EPA that ethanol benefits our state and our country. You can also e-mail a supporting comment directly to a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov

Stand up for more ethanol use and all the benefits it provides. Please contact the EPA and make your voice heard.

source: pal-item