LETTER: The benefits of mixing ethanol with our gasoline
I read your May 22 editorial on ethanol. While I understand your point about the costs associated with complying with the Renewable Fuels Standard, I believe you have completely missed the benefit side of the cost-benefit calculation. Ethanol has brought many benefits to the nation — and rural America in particular.
Originally, raising grain prices was, of course, the point. Corn farmers started the movement in the 1980s to add value to the mountains of surplus corn. Many U.S. ethanol plants are still independent producers owned by hundreds of farmers and businessmen who put up millions of dollars to build them. Most communities saw those investments returned many times over, not to mention the boost from well-paying jobs.
It would seem obvious that substituting up to 30 percent or more of the nation’s transportation fuel requirements with a plant-based, renewable, locally produced, environmentally beneficial product would be desirable. The fact that it reduces reliance on carbon intensive petroleum products is an additional compelling reason for using ethanol. Nine out of 10 of the cars, trucks and SUVs on the road today are approved by their manufacturer to run on E15. There is zero evidence of ethanol harming vehicles.
The oil industry doesn’t really want ethanol to go away, but it doesn’t want to give up any more market share. It needs the low-cost oxygenate as refineries have been retooled to run more profitably by producing a lower-octane base gasoline. If they don’t use ethanol, they must use a benzene-related oxygenate to bring the octane up. If you want an eye opener, research how toxic benzene is.
If refiners want to mitigate the cost of compliance, they should blend more ethanol, it’s certainly available and is cheaper and better than the alternatives.
