Opinion: Ethanol Helps Cut Toxic Emissions

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Washington Post) Americans should be thanking President Biden for allowing the continued sale of lower-cost, lower-carbon E15 this summer (letters, “No more ethanol in gas,” April 22). E15 is saving drivers as much as 30 cents per gallon, cutting the typical U.S. household’s annual fuel bill by more than $200. Mr. Biden’s action simply allows cost-conscious families who are currently purchasing E15 to continue doing so all year long.

What’s more, new vehicle testing from the University of California at Riverside shows that using E15 reduces emissions of the pollutants that can cause smog — namely ozone, particle pollution and air toxics. And researchers from the Energy Department, Agriculture Department, Harvard, MIT, Purdue, University of Illinois, Ford Motor Co. and many others all agree: Today’s ethanol reduces life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 50 percent. In addition, Environmental Protection Agency data show that cropland in the United States continues to shrink as ethanol production has increased, undermining the assertion that grassland or forest has been “cleared” to grow corn for ethanol.

Unlike releasing oil from the strategic reserve, which simply prolongs our dependence on dirty petroleum, allowing greater use of American-made ethanol lowers pump prices and improves air quality and fights climate change. Mr. Biden should be commended for doing the right thing. READ MORE

Domestic biofuels provide affordable clean fuel option (Washington Times)

Excerpt from Washington Times: I (U.S. Representative Cindy Axne (D-IA 3rd)) have been working tirelessly to ensure E15 gas can be sold year-round, and am pleased that my efforts have paid off and E15 will be available at gas stations this summer. This fight is not over though, and I’ll be continuing to work to make that change permanent. Now is the time for a transformation of our energy sector to further combat rising gas prices – while also fighting climate change and supporting farmers and domestic fuel production. Specifically, we should increase our investment in biofuels and build out our nation’s biofuels infrastructure.

Biofuels, including ethanol and biodiesel, are a homegrown source of energy that create jobs in Iowa and across the country with the ethanol industry supporting nearly 350,000 jobs, many of them union jobs, and contributing roughly $40 billion to our economy.

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Biofuels have been shown to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least half for ethanol and upwards of 80% for biodiesel. In addition, biofuels reduce harmful tailpipe emissions resulting in cleaner air and a healthier environment.

Finally, higher blends of ethanol are significantly cheaper at the pump. Blends of 15% ethanol, or E15, are often 10 cents cheaper per gallon and can be up to 60 cents cheaper per gallon. The savings on E85 is even more robust – nearly a dollar cheaper per gallon on average. In fact, a nationwide shift to E15 could save consumers more than $12 billion annually.

Increasing our investment in biofuels and building out our nation’s biofuels infrastructure is a win-win-win; a win for the American consumer, a win for farmers, and a win for the environment and it’s imperative that we do so.

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I led them in introducing the bipartisan Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Investment and Market Place Expansion Act, which will bring us one step closer to this goal.

The legislation would provide consistent federal investment for biofuels infrastructure $500 million over five years to make E15 available at more gas stations and will remove barriers to E15. I fought hard to get this legislation passed through the House with double the funding – $1 billion dollars and I remain committed to getting it across the finish line and signed into law. READ MORE

Advanced BioFuels USA