Q . What is ethanol?
A . Ethanol is a
clean-burning, high-octane fuel; the
most common blends are E10 (10 percent
ethanol and 90 percent unleaded
gasoline) and E85 (85 percent ethanol
and 15 percent unleaded gasoline).
E10 can be used in any
vehicle made and sold in the U.S. E85
can only be used in flexible-fuel
vehicles.
At its core, ethanol
is grain alcohol, produced from crops
like corn. In Brazil, ethanol producers
use sugar cane, which is a more
efficient source. Although Brazil is a
low-cost producer of ethanol, tariffs
discourage imports from there into the
United States. But President Bush has
said he wants to work with Congress to
drop the tariffs.
To make matters even
more confusing, E85 is one of many kinds
of ethanol and other types offer more
promise. Former Federal Reserve Chairman
Alan Greenspan is pushing cellulosic
ethanol, made from plant wastes such as
corn stalks, grain straw and wood chips,
as the best alternative.
Q . What is
different about a flexible-fuel vehicle
that allows it to use E85?
A . These
vehicles are built with special fuel
system components designed to make them
compatible with higher ethanol
concentrations, according to
California's Consumer Energy
Center. Automakers spend about $100 to
$150 per vehicle to make them E85
compatible. Flexible-fuel cars and
trucks can use regular gasoline as well.
Q . What are
the benefits of using ethanol blends?
A .Ethanol is
an American-made fuel that lessens the
dependence on foreign oil.
clean-burning fuel,
which improves air quality. Ethanol is
an oxygenate; oxygen helps the
fuel burn
more cleanly and more completely.
Ethanol has a higher
octane rating than regular gasoline,
which allows for more horsepower and
torque.
Increased production of
ethanol benefits grain farmers and
creates good-paying jobs with the
development of ethanol refineries,
especially in rural areas where
manufacturing jobs have been few.
Q
. Are there disadvantages?
A
. Yes. Ethanol is not readily available.
There's no
energy-efficient infrastructure -- such
as a pipeline -- to distribute ethanol.
It has to be shipped by rail or truck,
which requires more energy. The U.S.
Department of Energy estimates the cost
of shipping ethanol accounts for 30
percent to 35 percent of the price.
Broad use of ethanol
would mean turning more farmland to corn
production. Corn has a high soil erosion
rate; growing corn means more damage to
topsoil and increased deforestation,
according to the Center for Global Food
Issues.
Q
. Will ethanol save motorists money at
the pump?
A
. Not really.
While E85 is generally
cheaper than regular gas, a
flexible-fuel vehicle using E85 gets 5
percent to 12 percent fewer miles per
gallon than regular gas, according to
the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.
That's because ethanol contains less
energy content than regular unleaded
gas. Motorists will have to fill up more
often to get from Point A to Point B.
In Detroit, the Sunoco on
West Eight Mile Road sells E85 for $2.69
a gallon, compared to $2.79 for regular
unleaded gas.
Q
. How easy is it to find E85?
A
. Depends on where you live. In Metro
Detroit, there are four gas stations
with E85 pumps -- in Detroit, Dearborn
Heights, Southfield and Warren. There
are 11 in Michigan and another dozen in
the works. E85 is available in all but
about a dozen states. There are no E85
pumps in New England.
Trying to use E85 in
Metro Detroit can be taxing. The Rev.
Bart Muller and his wife, Jennifer,
drive flexible-fuel vehicles -- a Ford
Explorer and a Ford Taurus. Because the
Brighton couple commutes in opposite
directions -- he travels to Dearborn,
she goes to Auburn Hills -- they
alternate vehicles when it's time to
fill up.
"When she needs gas, I
take her car," Muller said, noting the
only convenient station with an E85 pump
is in Dearborn Heights. "But there's no
waiting at the pump. I've only ever met
one other guy that uses E85. It's a
shame more people aren't using it."
E85 is expected to become
more widely available. Congress has
required refiners to nearly double
ethanol production to 7.5 billion
gallons by 2012. Americans consumed a
record 4 billion gallons in 2005. There
are 97 ethanol refineries in the U.S.;
nine are expanding. Thirty-five more
refineries are under construction. "The
ethanol industry is on the move, and
America is better off for it," Bush
said.
Q
. Will ethanol fuel solve America's
dependence on foreign oil?
A
. It can help. Lawmakers, politicians
and automakers concede that ethanol fuel
is only part of the solution. Congress
is considering whether to give the Bush
Administration authority to raise fuel
economy standards for passenger cars.
In their letter to Bush,
Michigan lawmakers said the lack of E85
pumps across the country was a "critical
missing piece" in the nation's effort to
reduce reliance on foreign oil.
"Our U.S. autoworkers are
building the cars we need to cure our
addiction to foreign oil, but we don't
yet have a fully functioning
distribution system," said U.S. Rep.
Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, who has
introduced one of a half-dozen bills in
Congress that would offer financial
incentives to independent gas stations
or oil companies to add alternative fuel
pumps.
Some contend that
transforming corn into ethanol requires
more energy from fossil fuels than
ethanol generates. Others argue that's
not the case.
Everyone agrees the best
fuel alternative is cellulosic ethanol,
assuming technology can produce it on a
cost-effective basis. Among its
advantages over corn-based ethanol: It
doesn't require fertilizer and care;
farmers use waste products like
cornstalks or grass lining highways.
With aggressive research,
the National Resources Defense Council
believes more than half of the nation's
fuel supply could come from cellulosic
ethanol by 2050 -- or 7.9 billion
barrels a day.
"Our country is on the
verge of a dramatic change for our
power," said Stephen L. Johnson, an
administrator for the Environmental
Protection Agency. "Twenty-five years
from now, we can make foreign sources of
oil go the way of the typewriter and the
Walkman."
You can reach David
Shepardson at (202) 662- 8735 or
dshepardson@detnews.com.
