It’s been a couple of weeks since our last Ethanol Update post, so let’s get right to it.
#RFSworks
Have you submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yet telling it not to mess with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)? If not, stop reading, click here, and make your voice heard! It only takes a couple of minutes.
After you’ve submitted your letter, head to Twitter or Facebook and let others know why you’re standing up for homegrown biofuels by using the hashtag #RFSworks.
Retailers rally for RFS
It’s not just corn farmers who are rallying to support the RFS. Retailers are also coming together to dispel the Big Oil “blend wall” myth.
“When consumers have a choice, there is no blend wall,” said fuel station owner Dave Sovereign. Read more here.
Flex fuels in India
While the U.S. government has proposed slashing the RFS and moving its homegrown, renewable fuels policies backwards, India is set to introduce a flex-fuel policy that will use higher blends of ethanol and reduce the country’s reliance on imported and environmentally damaging fossil fuels.
Higher ethanol blends, lower greenhouse gas emissions
Researchers from Argonne National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Lab, and Oak Ridge National Lab are conducting coordinated studies to address the opportunities and challenges to deploying a high octane mid-level ethanol blend to the passenger vehicle fleet. They found such fuels, which blend between 25 to 40 percent ethanol and 60 to 75 percent conventional gasoline (instead of the current 10 to 90 percent ratio), could lead to greater fuel efficiencies and lower overall GHG emissions.
Researchers are also finding that the changes to fueling infrastructure (i.e. altering pumps and holding tanks at fueling stations) will require some changes, the challenges to make those changes are often overstated.
More information on the research being done, along with a video, can be viewed here.
Silencing fracking critics
This tidbit is a couple weeks old, but it’s worth mentioning. The Public Accountability Initiative has released a report detailing the oil and gas industry’s efforts to silence fracking critics at academic institutions. Researchers at the Colorado School of Mines, University of Wyoming, University of Pittsburgh, University of Texas, Boston University and Cornell have been targeted.
Big Oil throws money around academia to produce anti-ethanol “studies,” so this report on its efforts to silence fracking critics was worth linking to.
New flex-fuel pumps in Pipestone
Check out the new flex-fuel pumps and price signs at Holiday in Pipestone, Minn. The pumps were funded by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Coborn’s. A big thank you to the Pipestone County Corn and Soybean Growers for funding the price signs.
New flex-fuel pumps and price signs at the Holiday station in Pipestone, Minn.
Tasseldega Nights
Looking for some free ethanol-fueled fun on Saturday night? Come out to Deer Creek Speedway near Rochester for free admission courtesy of Minnesota’s corn farmers. More details on the even are here.
Where to find higher ethanol blends
If you’re wondering where you can fill up with E15, E85 or other higher ethanol blends, go to www.mnfuels.com for a map and list of stations. You can also download the Minnesota Biofuels Association station locator app.