American Cars and Trucks are Burning More Biofuels
by Chris Clarke (KCET) Cars and trucks in the U.S. are running on gasoline with a higher proportion of ethanol these days, but limitations in older vehicles are likely to keep that percentage from growing much further, according to a report released today by the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The report, Biofuels Issues and Trends, also notes that biodiesel use in the U.S. went up dramatically in 2011, more than tripling its contribution to the total diesel consumed in the U.S. in that one-year period.
In 2011, the percentage of ethanol additive as a total amount of gasoline consumed in the U.S. climbed to 9.6%, up from 9.3% in 2010 and 8.0% in 2009.
…According to the EIA report, biodiesel — a fuel made from plant and animal fats — has grown dramatically in the last decade. Biodiesel production in 2011 was more than 100 times 2001′s level. Still, biodiesel isn’t nearly as close to pushing its “blend cap” as ethanol. Diesel fuel blends containing up to 5% biodiesel are approved for all diesel engines in the U.S., but the overall percentage in U.S. fuels — even with the dramatic increase over the last decade — is less than half that. READ MORE
