Ethanol-blended fuel can be found at many gas stations, but only a handful of states require it, according to a recent survey of laws conducted by Hemmings Motor News
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Hemmings Motor News is a monthly magazine catering to traders and collectors of antique, classic, and exotic sports cars. It is the largest and oldest publication of its type in the United States, with sales of 215,000 copies per month, and is best known for its large classified advertising se…
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Is gasoline required to contain ethanol?
Federal law requires that fuel ethanol contain at least 2% denaturant by volume, but the actual amount in fuel ethanol may be higher. Most of the gasoline now sold in the United States contains some ethanol.
Who mandated ethanol in gasoline?
In 2007, Portland, Oregon, became the first U.S. city to require all gasoline sold within city limits to contain at least 10% ethanol.
Does all gas in the US have ethanol?
Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from various plant materials collectively known as "biomass." More than 98% of U.S. gasoline contains ethanol, typically E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline), to oxygenate the fuel, which reduces air pollution.
Which countries has made it mandatory to blend ethanol with gasoline?
Detailed Solution. The correct answer is Brazil.
Are they putting more ethanol in gas 2022?
The Environmental Protection Agency said it would set the 2022 levels for corn-based ethanol blended into gasoline at 15 billion gallons.
What is gasoline without ethanol called?
What Is Recreational Fuel? Some gas stations market ethanol-free 90-octane gasoline as “recreational fuel” or REC-90. Many consumers prefer to use non-ethanol fuel for marine equipment and small engines for lawnmowers, snowblowers, chainsaws, generators, pumps, and the like.
How long will ethanol free gas last?
Ethanol-free gas is suitable for use for around six months if correctly stored and sealed. It lasts longer than gas with ethanol in it can still degrade, especially if it's been exposed to atmospheric conditions. Although ethanol-free gas does go bad, you can mitigate the risk of degradation by storing it correctly.
What state uses the most ethanol?
IowaTwenty–eight states have ethanol facilities....(Largest to Smallest Capacity as of June 2018)RankStateOperating Production (Million Gallons Per Year)1Iowa4,157.02Nebraska2,228.03Illinois1,769.04Minnesota1,247.025 more rows•Jul 3, 2018
Why don't we use ethanol instead of gas?
The big problem is energy density – a gallon of ethanol has only two-thirds the energy density of pure gasoline.
Who is the largest producer of ethanol in the world?
The United StatesThe United States is the leading producer of fuel ethanol in the world. In 2021, the U.S. produced 15 billion gallons of the biofuel.
What are the disadvantages of using ethanol as a fuel?
Disadvantages of Ethanol FuelRequires a Large Piece of Land. We've learned that ethanol is produced from corn, sugarcane, and grains. ... The Distillation Process is Not Good For the Environment. ... Spike in Food Prices. ... Affinity For Water. ... Difficult to Vaporize.
When did the US start putting ethanol in gas?
The first ethanol blended with gasoline for use as an octane booster occurred in the 1920s and 1930s, and was in high demand during World War II because of fuel shortages.
When did ethanol gas become mandatory?
August 2005August 2005 — President George W. Bush signs the Energy Policy Act of 2005, requiring oil companies to add ethanol to their gasoline. Called the Renewable Fuels Standard, this mandate begins with a 4-billion-gallon (15.14-billion liter) requirement in 2006 and doubles by 2012.
When did the US start putting ethanol in gasoline?
The first ethanol blended with gasoline for use as an octane booster occurred in the 1920s and 1930s, and was in high demand during World War II because of fuel shortages.
Who took up the cause to ban leaded gasoline?
The US Environment Protection Agency, for example, issued guidelines to reduce lead content in 1983. But it wasn't until 1986 – six decades after its introduction – that Japan became the first country to ban it completely. Three and a half decades later – in 2021 – Algeria became the last country to ban it.
What is the US government policy for ethanol?
The federal government provides an array of subsidies to increase the consumption of biofuels such as corn ethanol. The subsidies include tax breaks, grants, loans, and loan guarantees. The government also imposes a mandate to blend biofuels into gasoline and diesel fuels.
Which states have ethanol?
Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, and Pennsylvania mandate ethanol-blended fuel only if ethanol refineries in their states produce certain minimum amounts. And at least a few of the states—Minnesota, Missouri and Oregon— provide exceptions for older vehicles or for exempt premium gas from having to contain ethanol. In all, 14 states have attempted ...
How many states require E10 fuel?
Nope. Only seven states require E10 fuel. That's down from nine total. And, in fact, at least a couple states' legislatures have brought up the idea of banning ethanol-blended fuel entirely.
Which states have scrapped the ethanol mandate?
Earlier this year, Hawaii became the second state to scrap its mandate that all gasoline sold in the state must have a certain amount of ethanol blended into it. Boaters and old-car enthusiasts... Earlier this year, Hawaii became the second state to scrap its mandate that all gasoline sold in the state must have a certain amount ...
What is the SEMA action network?
SEMA's Action Network ( http://semasan.com/) has been very active in opposing ethanol in fuel on behalf of collector car owners. If you want to become politically active on the issue, you may want to consider supporting SEMA's efforts or getting in touch with your state and federal representatives and senators.
Why would we run out of ethanol?
If you had to run the inter cycle on ethanol you would eventually run out of ethanol because you would wind up using more BTUs than you where producing.
Is Hawaii a ethanol state?
Earlier this year, Hawaii became the second state to scrap its mandatet hat all gasoline sold in the state must have a certain amount of ethanol blended into it. Boaters and old-car enthusiasts who believe ethanol poses a threat to their engines cheered this move; at the same time, it made us wonder exactly how all 50 states have decided to legislate ethanol-blended fuel. Most of them probably mandate it by now, right?
Is E10 a conditionally approved fuel?
Some states investigated mandating E10 but couldn't muster enough support for it; some mandated it with exceptions; some have conditionally approved ethanol-blended fuels based on the EPA's stances ; some haven't even considered the issue at all.
Which states have mandatory ethanol blending laws?
Currently there are only six states that DO have a mandatory ethanol law like this: Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon and Washington state . This kind of mandatory blending law means that virtually all of the gasoline available in those states will have ethanol in it, with only a very few exceptions.
Is ethanol mandatory in California?
With the new Federal rules, you can bank that more and more states will officially become mandatory ethanol states. And remember, a state doesn't have to be a "mandatory" state to have ethanol present in most of its gasoline anyway. For example, California does not have a mandatory ethanol blending law, but it should because ethanol is already in all of the gasoline in the state. The California Air Resources Board at one time in the past had an agreement with the EPA to blend ethanol into all of the gasoline in California at the 5.7% level. That level was been changed by a California law that allowed the distributors to go to E10 by 2010 and so you have lots of ethanol gas in California despite not technically being "mandated".
Is ethanol legal in Washington?
The law in Washington is rather quirky and is much different than any other mandatory ethanol law. It isn't really a mandatory E10 law. It requires that for all of the gasoline sold in the state of Washington, 2% of it must be ethanol. Now that could mean that all of the gasoline be E2 or that 20% of all the gasoline be E10.
Does California have a mandatory ethanol blending law?
For example, California does not have a mandatory ethanol blending law, but it should because ethanol is already in all of the gasoline in the state. The California Air Resources Board at one time in the past had an agreement with the EPA to blend ethanol into all of the gasoline in California at the 5.7% level.
Does Florida have a rule on ethanol?
One good rule in the Florida law is in Section 104 where terminals are exempted from having to blend ethanol if it becomes more expensive than gasoline , which is highly likely. Missouri exempts all of the standard constituents that need it and it even has a blanket exemption for premium unleaded.
Does Oregon require ethanol to be labeled at the pump?
But they don't require ethanol to be labeled at the pump, so you don't really know if it's in the fuel you're getting or not. Oregon used to be really really strict with no exemptions for any kind of gas used anywhere. But they realized the problems that were cropping up and passed emergency exemptions in 2008 and later.
Does Florida have unblended gasoline?
The law does not guarantee the availability of unblended gasoline, which must be premium unleaded and it only allows retail dealers to supply it if they follow very strict guidelines. Florida has similar exemptions like aircraft and 2-cycle engines as Minnesota does.
What is Brazil's biofuel?
Brazil has the largest and most successful bio-fuel programs in the world, involving production of ethanol fuel from sugarcane, and it is considered to have the world's first sustainable biofuels economy. In 2006 Brazilian ethanol provided 18% of the country's road transport sector fuel consumption needs, and by April 2008, more than 50% of fuel consumption for the gasoline market. As a result of the increasing use of ethanol, together with the exploitation of domestic deep water oil sources, Brazil reached in 2006 a volumetric self-sufficiency in oil supply, but is not effectively self-sufficient, since most of its locally extracted oil is heavy.
Why is corn used for ethanol?
The reason that corn has been notoriously used for ethanol production is because farmers are either paid to destroy crops or to not grow corn crops. Another reason is that the cost of processing and transporting raw corn can be more expensive than transporting and processing it in to ethanol fuel. Corn production is highly dependent upon government subsidies, so naturally ethanol derived from corn is also highly dependent on government subsidies. Contrary to what most would claim, ethanol is not a food-versus-fuel issue. Corn, along with other crops that have been distilled are still a usable food source for cattle. Known as dried distillers grains, it is proven to be significantly healthier and easier for cattle to digest. On October 2008, the first "biofuels corridor" was officially opened along I-65, a major interstate highway in the central United States. Stretching from northern Indiana to southern Alabama, this corridor consisting of more than 200 individual fueling stations makes it possible to drive a flex-fueled vehicle from Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico without being further than a quarter tank worth of fuel from an E85 pump.
What percentage of ethanol is used in gasoline?
Today the mandatory blend is allowed to vary nationwide between 18% to 25% ethanol ( E25) and it is used by all regular gasoline vehicles and flexible-fuel vehicles. The Brazilian car manufacturing industry developed flexible-fuel vehicles that can run on any proportion of gasoline and ethanol.
What fuel does Brazil use?
Typical Brazilian "flex" models from several carmakers, that run on any blend of ethanol and gasoline, from E20-E25 gasohol to E100 ethanol fuel. The ethanol industry in Brazil is more than 30 years old and even though it is no longer subsidized, production and use of ethanol was stimulated through:
Why is ethanol used in Shell?
Due to ethanol's greater stability under pressure it is used by Shell in their 100 octane fuel. Similarly IFS add 10% ethanol to their 91 octane fuel, label it premium fuel and sell it more cheaply than regular unleaded.
How much land is used for ethanol production in Brazil?
Sugar cane plantations covered 3.6 million hectares of land for ethanol production, representing just 1% of Brazil's arable land, with a productivity of 7,500 liters of ethanol per hectare, as compared with Germany maize ethanol productivity of 3,000 liters per hectare.
When was the first ethanol pump installed?
On 17 September 2007 the first ethanol fuel pump was opened in Reykjavik, Iceland. This pump is the only one of its kind in Iceland. The fuel is imported by Brimborg, a Volvo dealer, as a pilot to see how ethanol fueled cars work in Iceland.