What drivers don’t know hurts them
When it comes to knowing how much corn ethanol is blended into our gasoline, Kentuckians are being left in the dark. That’s because our state is one of 15 that does not require gasoline pumps to include labels warning customers how much engine-damaging ethanol is in their fuel.
The Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed increasing the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline – so much so that in 2016 the amount of corn ethanol required to be mixed with fuel will exceed the socalled blend wall, or 10 percent of fuel. Such a step makes it more critical than ever for consumers to be educated and for gas station pumps here and elsewhere to disclose the proportion of ethanol in gasoline.
Yet despite the negative effects of ethanol in our gasoline, there are efforts in Congress to block reform of the Renewable Fuel Standard. The RFS, first passed by Congress in 2005, was aggressively expanded in 2007 to mandate that ethanol be blended in increasing amounts to the nation’s gasoline supply. When it began, the RFS required that 9 billion gallons of ethanol be added to our fuel. The 2007 law raised the requirement to 36 billion gallons by 2022.
Fortunately, some members of Congress are speaking up. At a recent event in New Hampshire, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., took a stance on the RFS saying, “I don’t think the government should mandate anything for the marketplace. … I think it really should be up to the marketplace to dictate what kind of energy we use.” I applaud this stance.
Ethanol-based gasoline puts engines at risk, hurting Kentucky consumers by potentially causing them thousands of dollars of damage to their engines. Ethanol fuel, specifically E15 – a blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline – is extremely harmful to the engines of approximately 90 percent of cars on the road. The EPA has only approved E15’s use in vehicles made after 2001, though many popular auto manufacturers still say that engine damage from E15 even in vehicles approved for its use could void your warranty.
Cars are not the only consumer product threatened by the ethanol mandate and the corn lobby’s push to use more of it in fuel. Kentuckians who own small-engine vehicles such as boats or motorcycles are also at risk, even though without labeling they may not know it. According to a recent Boating Industry survey, more than 60 percent say ethanol causes 20 percent or more of the engine damage they encounter. Many Kentucky marinas have moved to carrying ethanolfree gasoline, which is better for boaters and keeps the industry alive in the state.
Ethanol contains one-third less energy than regular gasoline and, therefore, each gallon of gas lowers in mileage, forcing drivers to spend more on gas while lowering our fuel economy. In fact, in 2011 ethanol’s energy shortcomings added 10 cents per gallon to the cost of U.S. gasoline.
The RFS is another example of government overstep, influenced by a special interest: the corn lobby and the politicians who pander to it. The dangers of the RFS are clear for Kentuckians, even though they may be obscured at the pump. I urge members of the Kentucky delegation to stand by the needs of our state and their constituents by supporting a repeal of the RFS mandate.
When it comes to knowing how much corn ethanol is blended into our gasoline, Kentuckians are being left in the dark. That’s because our state is one of 15 that does not require gasoline pumps to include labels warning customers how much engine-damaging ethanol is in their fuel.
The Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed increasing the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline – so much so that in 2016 the amount of corn ethanol required to be mixed with fuel will exceed the socalled blend wall, or 10 percent of fuel. Such a step makes it more critical than ever for consumers to be educated and for gas station pumps here and elsewhere to disclose the proportion of ethanol in gasoline.
Yet despite the negative effects of ethanol in our gasoline, there are efforts in Congress to block reform of the Renewable Fuel Standard. The RFS, first passed by Congress in 2005, was aggressively expanded in 2007 to mandate that ethanol be blended in increasing amounts to the nation’s gasoline supply. When it began, the RFS required that 9 billion gallons of ethanol be added to our fuel. The 2007 law raised the requirement to 36 billion gallons by 2022.
Fortunately, some members of Congress are speaking up. At a recent event in New Hampshire, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., took a stance on the RFS saying, “I don’t think the government should mandate anything for the marketplace. … I think it really should be up to the marketplace to dictate what kind of energy we use.” I applaud this stance.
Ethanol-based gasoline puts engines at risk, hurting Kentucky consumers by potentially causing them thousands of dollars of damage to their engines. Ethanol fuel, specifically E15 – a blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline – is extremely harmful to the engines of approximately 90 percent of cars on the road. The EPA has only approved E15’s use in vehicles made after 2001, though many popular auto manufacturers still say that engine damage from E15 even in vehicles approved for its use could void your warranty.
Cars are not the only consumer product threatened by the ethanol mandate and the corn lobby’s push to use more of it in fuel. Kentuckians who own small-engine vehicles such as boats or motorcycles are also at risk, even though without labeling they may not know it. According to a recent Boating Industry survey, more than 60 percent say ethanol causes 20 percent or more of the engine damage they encounter. Many Kentucky marinas have moved to carrying ethanolfree gasoline, which is better for boaters and keeps the industry alive in the state.
Ethanol contains one-third less energy than regular gasoline and, therefore, each gallon of gas lowers in mileage, forcing drivers to spend more on gas while lowering our fuel economy. In fact, in 2011 ethanol’s energy shortcomings added 10 cents per gallon to the cost of U.S. gasoline.
The RFS is another example of government overstep, influenced by a special interest: the corn lobby and the politicians who pander to it. The dangers of the RFS are clear for Kentuckians, even though they may be obscured at the pump. I urge members of the Kentucky delegation to stand by the needs of our state and their constituents by supporting a repeal of the RFS mandate.
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