BioFuels Journal

Sioux Falls, SD—The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), the nation's largest ethanol advocacy association, joined March 6 a broad alliance of groups to formally petition the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allow the use of up to 15 percent ethanol in gasoline for motor vehicles.

ACE joined Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association, and the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition along with several 'next-generation' cellulosic ethanol companies in making the formal waiver application.

"The American Coalition for Ethanol is pleased to be part of this unified effort to submit scientific data to EPA so they may approve the use of mid-level blends of ethanol, such as E15, in motor vehicles nationwide," said Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President of ACE.

"Allowing the use of mid-level blends of ethanol in America's existing fleet of vehicles would bring an array of benefits, including the creation of good jobs, ensuring a market for next-generation biofuels, and providing more cost-effective choices at the pump for consumers.

"The current arbitrary cap of 10 percent ethanol per gallon of gasoline is stalling growth in America's green energy sector and unnecessarily limiting progress toward energy independence."

The scientific data on the use of blends beyond E10 in standard, non-flex-fuel vehicles has been overwhelmingly positive.

• The State of Minnesota released a study last March on the use of E20 in standard vehicles, finding no materials compatibility issues for current vehicles or fuel dispensing equipment.

During an entire year of testing, E20 provided power and performance similar to that of E10, through a broad range of ambient weather conditions. (Read press release.

• ACE released a pilot study in December 2007, co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and conducted by the University of North Dakota and Minnesota State University-Mankato, which studied gasoline and a variety of ethanol blends up to 85 percent.

This research found that not only did blends beyond E10 perform well in standard vehicles, but that mid-level blends like E20 and E30 seemed to be the "optimal" blend in terms of fuel economy and emissions.

(Read press release.

• The U.S. Department of Energy's national laboratories released an interim study on the use of blends beyond E10 in legacy vehicles and small engines, the study findings affirming the potential for mid-range blends and stating that these blends represent "a critical pathway" to reducing petroleum-based gasoline consumption.

(Read press release.

To encourage greater support in Congress for the mid-level blend waiver, ACE and 30 of its grassroots members traveled to Capitol Hill on March 2-3 as part of its "Biofuels Beltway March."

A varied group of ethanol advocates - including ethanol producers, farmers, investors, lenders, engineering and technology firms, agriculture groups, and rural electric cooperatives - met with more than 70 Members of Congress and with Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the EPA, to discuss E15 and other issues.

According to Jennings, the purpose of the grassroots event was three-fold: to encourage EPA Administrator Jackson and Members of Congress to support the effort to move beyond the E10 blend wall; to share data about how technology innovations make corn ethanol more sustainable and efficient at the same time as oil is getting dirtier and more costly; and to impress that ethanol will be a part of the solution to a low-carbon, clean-energy future as long as the metrics used to determine the lifecycle carbon footprint as the same as those applied to petroleum.

"The ACE members participating in this Capitol Hill effort made a compelling case in support of ethanol and the need to move beyond the E10 blend wall," Jennings said.

"We conveyed personally to EPA Administrator Jackson that unless blends beyond E10 are permitted, there will be no market for next-generation biofuels, which brings investment and development of these promising new technologies to a standstill.

"Having next-generation cellulosic ethanol companies join on the E15 waiver illustrates how critical this issue is for their long-term viability, this lends enormous momentum in support of the waiver application."

Read more about ACE's "Biofuels Beltway March" at www.ethanol.org (click the "Get Involved" tab, then "DC fly-in") or at ACE's blog, www.ethanol.typepad.com.

For more information, call 605-334-3381.

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• ACE

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