Tarter: The battle is on between oil, ethanol
Ethanol blends at the pump have become the norm at the pump. Lawmakers in Washington are strongly considering eliminating $5 billion of tax credit subsidies that gives refiners 45 cents a gallon to use ethanol, a renewable fuel additive that comes mainly from corn. Folks fill up their tanks at the Marathon station at Forrest Hill Avenue and Gale.
We live in ethanol country here in central Illinois. Most of us have seen the rise of gasohol as it was once called to the 10 percent blend that we take for granted when we pump our gas today.
We may be more positively disposed towards ethanol in these parts since were surrounded by corn fields and know what it means to the farmer when the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that about 40 percent of the nations corn crop will go toward the production of alcohol fuel this year.
A local article I read this weekend.
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How far oil companies are willing to going today.
The oil companies will pay hundreds of millions if not more to block any attempt for gas station owners to help. When will the hydrogen and electric plug in spots be available for electric cars and hopefully hydrogen. The Government needs to be on the side of the consumer and quit kissing the feet of the oil companies executives and lobbyist. Natural gas cars are available now and hopefully the public will get on board. Our country has an abundance of naturaal gas.
Unlike sugar cane processing, ethanol via corn is not realistically viable. The cost\benefit (energy spent\returned) ratio is barely above 1:1.15.
Additionally the amount of water ness. for refining is a burden upon rural water tables and increases water bills for suburban areas. The US cannot follow the Brazilian model of energy independence via ethanol due to the differences in corn vs sugar cane processing.
Long past time that the US embrace mass transit and fore-go the "love affair" with the internal combustion engine.
If watch technology advanced at the same pace as the internal combustion engine...we would still be wearing wind-up time pieces.