Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Wed 05/28/2025 View Tue 05/27/2025 View Mon 05/26/2025 View Sun 05/25/2025 View Sat 05/24/2025 View Fri 05/23/2025 View Thu 05/22/2025
2022-06-08 -Great Cultural Revolution
Biden Administration Quietly Raised Amount of Ethanol Required in Summer Blend Gasoline from Ten Percent to Fifteen
[ConservativeTreehouse] Last Friday the Biden administration raised the mandatory amount of biofuel, specifically ethanol, that must be blended within the U.S. gasoline supply. The previous amount of 10% (summer blend) was raised to a year-round 15% (waiver) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is likely to lead to two sets of bigger issues, less food and higher gas prices.

♦ First issue. – The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is a government mandate, passed in 2005 and expanded in 2007, that requires growing volumes of biofuels to be blended into U.S. transportation fuels like gasoline and diesel every year. Approximately 40 percent of corn grown in the U.S. is used for ethanol. Raising the amount of ethanol required in gasoline will result in the need for more biofuel (corn). With farming costs and outputs already under pressure this could be problematic.

♦ Second issue – The EPA enforces the biofuel standard by requiring refineries to submit purchase credits (known as Renewable Identification Numbers, or RINs) to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proving the purchases. This enforcement requirement sets up a system where the RIN credits are bought and sold by small refineries who do not have the infrastructure to do the blending process. They purchase second-hand RIN credits from parties that blended or imported biofuels directly. This sets up a secondary income stream, a trading market for the larger oil companies, refineries and importers.

The RIN credit trading platform is similar to what we might expect to see if the ‘Carbon Trading’ scheme was ever put into place. However, now that summer biofuel requirements for blended gasoline have gone from 10% to 15%, the price of the RIN credits will likely jump. This will cost refineries billions in additional expenses,…. which will mean the cost of the gasoline from the refineries will increase,….. which will mean the cost of the gasoline at the pump will go higher.

♦ Third Issue – “Ethanol is a valuable source of octane in finished gasoline, but it is chemically different than petroleum gasoline and cannot be used in concentrations above 10 percent in small engines — like outboard boat motors, motorcycles, lawnmowers, generators or chain saws — or in any cars made before 2001. Complicating matters further, most cars on the road today still aren’t warrantied to run on gasoline with more than 10 percent ethanol. Retail stations also must have compatible infrastructure in order to sell gasoline with higher ethanol blends.” This issue is known within the industry as “The Blend Wall.”

The net result of Joe Biden’s EPA raising the mandatory amount of biofuel that must be present in the U.S. gas supply is this:

(1) Less food as more corn is needed for ethanol.

(2) Higher prices for finished and blended gasoline.

(3) Vehicle engines breaking down at a much higher rate.
Posted by DarthVader 2022-06-08 08:14|| || Front Page|| [11131 views ]  Top

#1 Because no one needs to eat, right?
Posted by Rob Crawford 2022-06-08 08:51||   2022-06-08 08:51|| Front Page Top

#2 
By Law/reg., the Gas Pumps have to be labeled "may contain up to __% ..."

We have not seen 1 station around us change the WARNING stickers to read 15%, since the announcement 3+ weeks ago. Atlanta had a 18+/- hr "maintenance" shutdown several weeks ago for prep work and South GA had spotty outages. But still no 15% yet.

NOTE: By adding 50% more alcohol to gas it reduces Corn feed and food to even lower safety margin levels.

According to reports I read of the plus or minus
14B Bushels expected for the 2022 harvest. We have a safety margin of about 200M Bushels.

October 7, 2011. For every 10 ears of corn that are grown in the United States today, only 2 are consumed directly as food.

So will 2 ears will become 1.5 ears?
Posted by NN2N1 2022-06-08 08:59||   2022-06-08 08:59|| Front Page Top

#3 Also 11 years ago a E-GAS energy related discussion
Posted by NN2N1 2022-06-08 09:06||   2022-06-08 09:06|| Front Page Top

#4 This will wreak havoc with the small engines used for lawnmowers, chainsaws, chippers, etc.
Posted by Cloluck Bourbon1058 2022-06-08 09:41||   2022-06-08 09:41|| Front Page Top

#5 Most places where marine engines are common have stations selling ethanol-free gas. I expect I'll be adding enough of it to my tank at fill up time to keep the ethanol percentage to 10%. It will cost more, but still much less than a new engine.

Learn where to buy ethanol free gas here.
Posted by M. Murcek 2022-06-08 09:45||   2022-06-08 09:45|| Front Page Top

#6 This will wreak havoc with the small engines used for lawnmowers, chainsaws, chippers, etc.

You really shouldn't be using ethanol fuel (of any percentage) in those small engines, anyway. Ethanol can damage the plastic and rubber parts in small high-rpm engines resulting in carburetor failure, higher running temperatures, and/or total engine failure.
Posted by Mullah Richard 2022-06-08 09:58||   2022-06-08 09:58|| Front Page Top

#7 I take advantage of the ready availability of ethanol-free gas here for my mower and leaf blower. They all start on the first or second pull, even after several years of use.
Posted by M. Murcek 2022-06-08 10:00||   2022-06-08 10:00|| Front Page Top

#8 I think a lot of the cars on the road are not set up for burning high ethanol fuel -isn’t that what the ‘flex-fuel’ designation is about? So it may not take long for our cars to break down or run poorly.... then we’ll have to go buy electric ones!
Posted by Glenmore  2022-06-08 10:05||   2022-06-08 10:05|| Front Page Top

#9 Quietly? It was spoon on pan for half a week how this was going to slash dollars off the gallon or something.
Posted by swksvolFF 2022-06-08 10:14||   2022-06-08 10:14|| Front Page Top

#10 Have fun with your liberal acquaintances by telling them that stopping 5% short of a fill up will mitigate any problems.
Posted by M. Murcek 2022-06-08 10:20||   2022-06-08 10:20|| Front Page Top

#11 Glenmore, flex-fuel was an engine that could run on gas, ethanol or methanol or a blend.
Posted by ruprecht 2022-06-08 10:39||   2022-06-08 10:39|| Front Page Top

#12 Anyone know where I can find an E85 compatibility chart? Mrs Rabbit drives a 2006 Hyundai Sonata and Im not finding this info. Thanks . I have not seen the E85 label on any pump here in East Tenn.
Posted by BrerRabbit 2022-06-08 11:40||   2022-06-08 11:40|| Front Page Top

#13 What is the rationale for this? Does ethanol burn cleaner? By how many tons does the administration expect this measure to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? How many tons of carbon dioxide is released in the production of corn? How many more dollars will it cost? I want hard numbers, otherwise I must conclude that this is yet another malicious effort to destroy America.
Posted by Abu Uluque 2022-06-08 12:31||   2022-06-08 12:31|| Front Page Top

#14 Yeah, and the cost in dollars must include the cost to replace engines that are destroyed by ethanol or simply cannot run on ethanol.
Posted by Abu Uluque 2022-06-08 12:33||   2022-06-08 12:33|| Front Page Top

#15 Silly rabbit! Costs are irrelevant. It's all about the feelz!
Posted by Bobby 2022-06-08 12:35||   2022-06-08 12:35|| Front Page Top

#16 I love my old Briggs & Stratton gasoline engine lawn mower. It's almost 30 years old and still starts without hesitation every time. It still cuts the grass evenly and cleanly. It is one of the most reliable machines I have ever owned. I would be seriously pissed off if it was ruined by ethanol.
Posted by Abu Uluque 2022-06-08 12:44||   2022-06-08 12:44|| Front Page Top

#17 Ethanol does nothing for the diesel shortage. And lots of diesel is used to produce the corn for the ethanol, which will worsen the diesel shortage.
Posted by Glenmore  2022-06-08 13:41||   2022-06-08 13:41|| Front Page Top

#18 Its all stupid.

Dig a hole, add some biofuel corn, water it, ethanol.
Posted by swksvolFF 2022-06-08 13:54||   2022-06-08 13:54|| Front Page Top

#19 Are there any additives one can use to prevent ethanol damage to older engines?
Posted by Angstrom 2022-06-08 18:35||   2022-06-08 18:35|| Front Page Top

#20 A web search of "prevent ethanol damage to car's engine" will toss out a range of articles about ethanol's effects on various engine components and pointers to various products that promise to mitigate ethanol damage. Do any of these products actually work? I have no idea.
Posted by M. Murcek 2022-06-08 18:42||   2022-06-08 18:42|| Front Page Top

#21 Euthanol will put your engine out of its misery. All part of helping you transition to the Green New Deal in the Sky
Posted by Theater Spolulet5218 2022-06-08 20:02||   2022-06-08 20:02|| Front Page Top

07:10 NN2N1
07:09 Besoeker
07:03 NN2N1
06:58 NN2N1
06:58 Besoeker
05:28 Whiskey Mike
05:23 Whiskey Mike
05:21 Whiskey Mike
05:18 Whiskey Mike
05:15 Whiskey Mike
05:13 Whiskey Mike
05:08 Whiskey Mike
05:05 Whiskey Mike
05:03 Whiskey Mike
03:23 Besoeker
02:05 Grom the Affective
02:04 Grom the Affective
01:26 49 Pan
00:22 EMS Artifact
00:16 Skidmark









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com