Ethanol Bill Introduced in Congress (It's big)

[HoosierRon]

Sioux Falls, SD (January 4, 2007) – ...

Including many of the legislative priorities called for by the American Coalition for Ethanol, the bill places homegrown biofuels at the center of America’s quest for energy security. Introduced today by Senator Harkin and co-sponsored by Senator Lugar, the legislation includes these provisions:

Setting new benchmarks for the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), reaching 30 billion gallons per year by 2020 and 60 billion gallons per year by 2030.

Requiring all U.S. automobiles to be flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) by 2017, capable of running on gasoline or any blend of ethanol up to 85 percent (E85).

Requiring the major oil companies to carry E85 at half of their gas stations by 2017.

http://www.ethanol.org/documents/Int...20071.4.07.pdf

Americans used about 140 billion gallons of gasoline last year. Assuming a 1.6% annual increase in demand, by 2030, roughly one-third of gasoline would be replaced with ethanol. That would allow the U.S. to end all Persian Gulf imports.

[EldoFan]

If the Democrats keep their promise.......and lock the Republicans out of their overhyped 'first 100 days'.......this just might pass

[Joevette]

this is good idea, all cars should be able to run on E-85 and regular gasolines, especially any and all hybrids available on the market should be required to be flex fuels ASAP

[johnnyangelb]

This is a great idea, but I think the timeline is a little long. However, I'm no expert.

[HoosierRon]

Originally Posted by johnnyangelb

This is a great idea, but I think the timeline is a little long. However, I'm no expert.

Look at the numbers:

60,000,000,000 gallons of ethanol per year. It takes a long time to build that many production facilities. You have to find locations to build them, get regulatory approval, find investors, etc. Plus, to get to that number, there will need to be advances in cellulosic ethanol production. There just isn't that much corn to go around. It takes time to create new enzymes in the lab.

[GMJoe]

There are other materials that can be used to produce ethanol besides corn:
switchgrass, sugarcane or soybeans.

Both parties are now fully on board for alternative fuels(although it is now reported the US has enough oil just in the Rocky Mountains to last us 50 or 60 years and the world has enough oil reserves to last a century or more). President Bush will propose a big boost in ethanol and alternative fuels in the State of the Union speech. Since this is on the Dem's priority list, we should be on our way to energy independence beginning this year.

[Gm786]

This is good news.

[motorman]

WAIT there will be a group that will sue saying "all that corn should be used to feed the hungry not make fuel for those polluting automobiles"

[PhishPhood]

I'd opt sooner for biodiesel then ethanol, E85.

This sounds like a campaign promise fulfilled for an 'effort' by ADM, the ExxonMobil of corn fuel. I too am not an expert but from some internet exchanges that I've read, I understand that the net effect of ethanol on oil usage is minimal. The corn has to be grown and fertilzed and processed all of which uses as much or nearly as much dino fuel as it produces in ethanol.

In addition E85 is significantly less efficient than gasoline at present; 30 mpg with gas vs 25 mpg with E85 for example. Thus you could end up spending more for your personal driving while ADM passes about the same amount of money along to Big Oil / the MidEast as we now use.

Now grow your own biodiesel at home or have your locality create a plant to produce it and put it in one of these worldclass new diesels that will be here soon or just make Willie Nelson the ExxonMobil of biofuels and now we are keep the money at home.

[1931Chevy]

IMO this is good but I think they should look at Biobuthanol and congress next thing in the agenda needs to be and universal healthcare system

Biobutanol - Better than ethanol in every way

Quote:
According to Ramey, his butanol production process yields about 42 percent more energy from a given amount of feedstock than existing ethanol production methods. ...

It has double the carbon amount of ethanol, which equates to a 25 percent increase in harvestable energy (BTUs). Loosely translated, this means you get energy in the form of butanol plus energy in the form of hydrogen from the fermentation involved in producing biobutanol. ...

Butanol can be blended with traditional unleaded gasoline just like ethanol, but it goes one step better than its ethanol cousin insofar as it can be combined with gasoline in larger concentrations than those of ethanol-gasoline blends. Butanol can also be blended with ethanol itself to reduce ethanol's evaporation rate. In addition, E85 (15 percent unleaded gasoline and 85 percent ethanol by volume) requires upgrades to the fuel system due to the corrosive nature of ethanol. Butanol can be used undiluted as a vehicle fuel without changing the components of the gasoline vehicle. (Note: some modifications such as increasing the amount of fuel injected will optimize engine performance when running on butanol, but modifications are not required to run successfully on butanol - Ramey's Buick was not modified for the cross-country trip.) ...

Butanol yields an impressive 104,800 BTU/gallon far surpassing the meager 84,250 BTU/gallon of ethanol. Gasoline contains about 121,000 BTUs/gallon. This means the butanol in your Otto cycle internal combustion engine will yield fuel consumption close to that of gasoline. ...

With over 60,000 miles on his Buick, butanol reduced hydrocarbons emissions by 95 percent, carbon Monoxide to 0.0 percent, and nitrogen oxides by 37 percent....

Unlike ethanol and hydrogen, it can take advantage of existing fuel distribution infrastructure. It does not have to be stored in high pressure vessels like natural gas, and can be (but does not have to be) blended (10 to 100 percent) with any fossil fuel. Butanol can also be transported through existing pipelines for distribution since it is less corrosive than ethanol and is less susceptible to separation in the presence of water.

[bobojay]

The bio-diesel I believe is going to happen along with the E-85. We have to have more diesel cars here to go along with that though.
There was a story in the KC Star newspaper today about a new E-85 pump becoming available at a big quick stop type fuel station here in the most affluent county in the metro area. It's the only pump in this county. The sales have been going gangbusters since last week, on word of mouth only, surprising everyone locally, especially the distributor. The per gallon price is $1.75.
At that price, it doesn't surprise me at all. That's .45 less than regular unleaded at the same station, which the manager vowed to keep at that level of difference.

[GMJoe]

Biodiesel should absolutely be a top priority. If we had the same commitment to be energy independent as we had to put a man on the moon,we could achieve that goal in ten years or less!
Here is a link to the site that produces a better fuel than ethanol because it is as efficient as gas:www.butanol.com .
We definately need to push Congress to support this fuel for all the reasons 1931 CHEVY states above!

[asim]

Originally Posted by EldoFan

If the Democrats keep their promise.......and lock the Republicans out of their overhyped 'first 100 days'.......this just might pass

Don't you mean 100 hours (which is about 2.5 weeks)?

[rhvfd10]

I'm impressed all you all seem to think this will happen. I say that, if anything, all you will get is a "call" for more ethenol production & stations. Too many competing interests for this to have a chance.

[audi4me]

I think that whatever we can do to get out of that crazy region / armpit of the world, the sooner the better. Bring our servicemen and servicewomen home where they belong. Everyone knows why we're really there. Instead of spending --billions-- of dollars to protect the sand and people who don't even want us around in the first place, why not invest that in making us more energy independent and providing a better national healthcare system. You know ... take care of us? Okay, I'll step down now. Sorry.

On a side note: I keep checking back here every 3 hours for news releases about the new CTS!! I'm flying up to Detroit just to see it and all the other new models and concepts. Can't wait -- 14 more days before I'm in the air!