Ethanol - A new battle brewing?

[oldpilgrim]

Yup: I just bought a new generator for home standby Becoz my old one was carb gummed and it could not be cleared.
I made a decision after fighting chainsaw fuel issues that were expensive.
Now it is my policy: I will not use ANY ethanol fuel in a small engine, nor in my boat engine/
I Canada Premium gas is about 45 Cents an imperial gallon more than E 10. Worth it to avoid the many issues with ethanol in stored gas,, gummed carbs destroyed rubber hose, etc. I like the higher octane performance in my 2 strokes, too, especially my chainsaws. Lower octane gas burns out pistons in hardwood bucking on hot days.

Jix

You at least have a choice. In my state it's e10 or nothing. We have lots of problems with gas going bad .

 

[Mikeeemo]

In Alabama & Georgia we have E10 and a few dealers with E0. There are a ton of vehicles down here are are NOT Flex fuel rated. That and high humidity make for fuel issues in small equipment, and poor economy for the rest.
For the record; A mandate to use something is not a choice, period.

 

[Copperhead]

Agreed. The main question then is, who is doing the mandating? Can't be the Feds, as there are many states that freely allow fuel choice at the pump. My contention all along is that if one wants to direct their outrage at the political class, then the best place to start is at their state capitol. Now it is true, that the Renewable Fuels Standards require a certain level of ethanol be used, it does not say that ethanol free fuel cannot be also available at the same time. And the RFS does not restrict the total ethanol fuel allocation to be blended any way one wants to.... in E10, E15, E20, E30, and E85 common forms currently. So even that suggests there is not enough ethanol around to be blended into every gallon of gasoline. Of all the ethanol in the RFS numbers, it does not reach 10% of the total gasoline consumption of the entire U.S. And when it goes into higher blends, that really takes away from the availability for E10. So, one needs to ask their hired help at their state capitol why these folks do not allow ethanol free along side the ethanol laced fuels. Iowa, which is corn central and we have 46 ethanol plants in just this state alone, we have freedom of choice because the state government has a mindset that they will allow consumer choice. Even with that choice, the majority of fuel sold in the state is E10 and has been for some time. Folks here just don't have the fear of it that is exhibited in other areas. But there is also ethanol free for those that have some sort of aversion to using ethanol or for the small engines or whatever.

In all of this, it seems more that people who have issues with ethanol primarily do so because they don't have a choice. Those that do have free choice, they seem to buy E10 at a higher rate on their own even though they don't have to.

 

[oldpilgrim]

If the Feds have nothing to do about it, and I agree that the states seem to be the biggest culprits, how do you explain this article that I posted a bit ago?


Get ready for $2 gasoline again

from near the end of the article:

Gasoline futures bumped higher early last week after the U.S. increased the amount of ethanol required to be blended into the fuel next year.

 

[oldpilgrim]

If the Feds have nothing to do about it, and I agree that the states seem to be the biggest culprits, how do you explain this article that I posted a bit ago?


Get ready for $2 gasoline again

from near the end of the article:

Gasoline futures bumped higher early last week after the U.S. increased the amount of ethanol required to be blended into the fuel next year.

 

[Copperhead]

Higher Renewable Identification Number (RIN). Higher RIN prices support continued ethanol blending despite lower gasoline prices - Today in Energy - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

I never have said that the Feds don't have an effect on the cost, just that they don't direct the availability of ethanol free. That is a state issue. Don't confuse cost with availability. I am not letting the Feds off the hook where they are to blame. But I am not going to blame them for something some stupid state wants to do to it's people and then have that state government play the Bill Clinton "it's not my fault" routine. They screw over their own people for their own political game and try to pass the buck. And they are very effective at playing the bait and switch game, as is evidenced by threads like this.

The Federal gooberment has an effect on everything that we buy, either thru taxation, regulation, etc. From the food we eat, the homes we buy, and to some degree, the fuel we use. They affect price of diesel, gas, propane, and the vehicles that use the stuff....everything. And while they do regulate the amount of TOTAL ethanol use, they don't dictate the blend level of it or that ethanol free not also be made available.

 

[Egon]

Ethanol - a new battle brewing.

Thought that would be a new batch brewing. Them Revenuer's never stopped battling!