U.S. Groups Support Expansion of Biofuels in Ontario

by Jacqui Fatka (Feedstuffs) U.S. Grains Council and Growth Energy submit comments in support of 15% renewable fuel content in gasoline use by 2025. -- This week, Growth Energy and the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) jointly submitted comments to the Canadian province of Ontario supporting the expansion of biofuel blending under the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan. The comments applaud Ontario's commitment to implementing a 15% renewable content in gasoline by 2025 and highlight the retail success of 15% ethanol-blended fuel, or E15.

The comments noted that the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory performed extensive study and analysis of mid-level ethanol blends including E15 on engine emission systems. “In fact, Oak Ridge ran 82 vehicles for 6 million miles before concluding that 'ethanol blends did not affect emissions changes over time differently than aging with ethanol-free gasoline' and that the use of ethanol blends resulted in reductions in carbon monoxide and non-methane hydrocarbons,” the comments pointed out.

“Americans have also now logged more than 7 billion consumer miles on E15 with no reports whatsoever of engine issues,” the comments added. “It is clear that North American automobiles are already poised and ready for the continued expansion of E15.”

Also, the comments noted that Canada’s Department of Natural Resources studied the deployment of mid-level ethanol blends in 2017 and found evidence suggesting that these blends "offer an opportunity to improve Canada’s trade balance, enable the necessary improvements to gasoline internal combustion engine efficiency by raising octane levels and to reduce life-cycle GHG emissions in accordance with Canada’s commitments under the International Paris Accord.” READ MORE