No End In Sight For The Biofuel Wars

[Elderberry]

Climate Change Dispatch by Paul Driesse 12/16/2019

The Big Oil-Big Biofuel wars rage on. From my perch, ethanol, biodiesel and “advanced biofuels” make about zero energy, economic or environmental sense.

They make little political sense either until you recognize that politics is largely driven by crony-capitalism, campaign contributions, and vote hustling.

Even now, once again, as you read this, White House, EPA, Energy, Agriculture, and corporate factions are battling it out, trying to get President Trump to sign off on their preferred “compromise” – over how much ethanol must be blended into gasoline, how many small refiners should be exempted, et cetera.

This all got started in the 1970s when publicly spirited citizens persuaded Congress that “growing our own energy” would safeguard the USA against oil embargoes and price gouging by OPEC and other unfriendly nations, especially as our own petroleum reserves rapidly dwindled into oblivion.

Congress then instituted the Renewable Fuels Standard in 2005, when the Iraq War triggered renewed fears of global oil supply disruptions.

The RFS requires that almost all gasoline sold in the USA must contain 10% ethanol – which gets third fewer miles per gallon than gasoline and damages small engines.

But, we were told, these fuels are renewable, sustainable, a way to prevent “dangerous climate change.”

It’s all bunk. In recent years, the horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) revolution has given America and the world at least a century of new oil and natural gas reserves.

More: https://climatechangedispatch.com/no-end-in-sight-biofuel-wars/

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Climate Change Dispatch by Paul Driesse 12/16/2019

The Big Oil-Big Biofuel wars rage on. From my perch, ethanol, biodiesel and “advanced biofuels” make about zero energy, economic or environmental sense.

They make little political sense either until you recognize that politics is largely driven by crony-capitalism, campaign contributions, and vote hustling.

Even now, once again, as you read this, White House, EPA, Energy, Agriculture, and corporate factions are battling it out, trying to get President Trump to sign off on their preferred “compromise” – over how much ethanol must be blended into gasoline, how many small refiners should be exempted, et cetera.

This all got started in the 1970s when publicly spirited citizens persuaded Congress that “growing our own energy” would safeguard the USA against oil embargoes and price gouging by OPEC and other unfriendly nations, especially as our own petroleum reserves rapidly dwindled into oblivion.

Congress then instituted the Renewable Fuels Standard in 2005, when the Iraq War triggered renewed fears of global oil supply disruptions.

The RFS requires that almost all gasoline sold in the USA must contain 10% ethanol – which gets third fewer miles per gallon than gasoline and damages small engines.

But, we were told, these fuels are renewable, sustainable, a way to prevent “dangerous climate change.”

It’s all bunk. In recent years, the horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) revolution has given America and the world at least a century of new oil and natural gas reserves.

More: https://climatechangedispatch.com/no-end-in-sight-biofuel-wars/

A century of new natural gas reserves is possible, but certainly not oil reserves. That is a pipe dream.

[catfish1957]

The RFS requires that almost all gasoline sold in the USA must contain 10% ethanol – which gets third fewer miles per gallon than gasoline and damages small engines.

The last time I had work done on my riding mower engine, my repair man says he thanks the Ethanol Mandate every day.......

[Joe Wooten]

The last time I had work done on my riding mower engine, my repair man says he thanks the Ethanol Mandate every day.......

Mine too!!

[Elderberry]

I've had to replace so many fuel hoses that by now I should know to just replace them every year.

[Smokin Joe]

The last time I had work done on my riding mower engine, my repair man says he thanks the Ethanol Mandate every day.......

Actually, what is required is that a set amount of ethanol be blended into gasoline. There is the option to have blends from zero ethanol (we can get that at the pump, here) to E85 (85% ethanol), but what must be met by law is not a standard percentage, it is a bulk amount.
If only a million gallons of gasoline were sold, then that ethanol (since 2013, in excess of 15 billion gallons of ethanol per year) must be blended into the fuel supply, by law.

The 'blend wall' is the 10% Ethanol blend with gasoline which is the limit for ethanol content before most automakers' warranties are voided, although flex fuel vehicles are a different critter.

Because ethanol is hygroscopic (absobs water from the atmosphere and anywhere else), it tends to increase the amount of corrosion in pot metal and aluminum fuel system parts, wreaking havoc on conventional gasoline fuel systems, especially in many small and air cooled engines (where no ethanol fuel is recommended when available).

Addressing the issue with different materials and designs going forward is all well and good, but fails to allow for the millions of legacy systems in operation--the environmental (not to mention pecuniary) cost of replacing those systems far outweighs the alleged benefits from burning ethanol.
For even newer small engines, and larger ones made before 1986, the ethanol is destructive to fuel system components, seals, valve seats, o rings, and the like.

[roamer_1]

The last time I had work done on my riding mower engine, my repair man says he thanks the Ethanol Mandate every day.......

Concoco Premium, still ethanol free, and all I burn, in everything from pickup trucks to chain saws.

[Smokin Joe]

Concoco Premium, still ethanol free, and all I burn, in everything from pickup trucks to chain saws.

All small engines, anything air cooled, running on E0 here, the vehicles mostly are in the right age window for E-10 (post-'86), but I prefer the E0 premium. With fuel capacities between 22 and 38 gallons, it's tough to keep the fleet full some weeks, even at lower prices.

[roamer_1]

All small engines, anything air cooled, running on E0 here, the vehicles mostly are in the right age window for E-10 (post-'86), but I prefer the E0 premium. With fuel capacities between 22 and 38 gallons, it's tough to keep the fleet full some weeks, even at lower prices.

I haven't found the cost to be all that different. Between the extra performance and extra mileage I get out of premium gas, I really don't see doing otherwise.

[Smokin Joe]

I haven't found the cost to be all that different. Between the extra performance and extra mileage I get out of premium gas, I really don't see doing otherwise.

Considering it takes 170 gallons to fill the tanks (6 vehicles), It's a bit of a bite, no matter what I put in the tank. Here, the difference is close to $0.50 a gallon.

[roamer_1]

Considering it takes 170 gallons to fill the tanks (6 vehicles), It's a bit of a bite, no matter what I put in the tank. Here, the difference is close to $0.50 a gallon.

I don't know what it is here, and I don't really care. But the last time I looked at it, it was 7 bucks different per tank, and I got about half of that back in extra mileage - Yes, you get farther on Premium than you do on Regular.
So for roughly 3.50 difference on a tank, I'll take the smoother running and better power all day long.

I quit worrying about it right there. Add to that, varying motors, 2 stroke, small engine, boat, tractors, trucks, and etc, and their varying degrees of ability to handle ethanol (none very well, btw) the uniformity of just burning premium and eliminating any confusion about what's in the jug and whether I can use it in any particular machine...

MEH. Premium.

[Smokin Joe]

I don't know what it is here, and I don't really care. But the last time I looked at it, it was 7 bucks different per tank, and I got about half of that back in extra mileage - Yes, you get farther on Premium than you do on Regular.
So for roughly 3.50 difference on a tank, I'll take the smoother running and better power all day long.

I quit worrying about it right there. Add to that, varying motors, 2 stroke, small engine, boat, tractors, trucks, and etc, and their varying degrees of ability to handle ethanol (none very well, btw) the uniformity of just burning premium and eliminating any confusion about what's in the jug and whether I can use it in any particular machine...

MEH. Premium.

Well made points, and when money was flowing better, I made the same choice. When things have picked up, I'll go back to the premium. You're right about the mileage increase, too.

[thackney]

Concoco Premium, still ethanol free...

Not in all areas.  EPA reformulated requirements end up with ethanol in all fuels in my area, unless you buy racing fuel by the barrel...

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15339380/the-vapor-rub-summer-versus-winter-gasoline-explained/