NPRA: Speakers differ on ethanol 'blend wall' issues

摘要

Meeting specification for renewable fuels in the US requires rapid growth in the use of 85-15 ethanol-gasoline blends (E85) and, if the ethanol industry has its way, relaxation of the current 10% cap on gasoline for uses other than in flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs). Compliance with renewable fuel standards after that will require rapid expansion of E85 or, failing that, approval of "midlevel" ethanol blends. Coleman Jones, biofuels implementation manager at General Motors, said that long-term effects were not assessed when tests on ethanol blends above 10% showed no harm. Midlevel blends of ethanol will not solve the near-term blend wall problem but might be important in the longer term, Jones argued.