U.S. ethanol producer Archer Daniels Midland Co. said Friday it was disappointed that the Environmental Protection Agency has delayed for a second time a ruling on higher blends of ethanol in the U.S. fuel supply.
The EPA said Thursday that testing to raise the blend rate of gasoline to 15 percent ethanol, or E15, in newer vehicles would not be completed until the end of September.U.S. law currently allows ethanol blends of up to 10 percent.
“We’re disappointed that, in 18 months, the [Department of Energy] has not been able to complete this testing and provide EPA with the data necessary to make a decision,” ADM spokesman David Weintraub said in a statement.
“Every day they delay, the U.S. is sending more gallons of home-grown ethanol overseas while it’s importing more petroleum,” he said.
ADM renewed its call for an interim increase in the ethanol blend to 12 percent for all vehicles because it is practically the same as E10.
ADM has said a higher interim blend would help ease the current glut of ethanol in the U.S. market caused by the E10 “blend wall.”
Decatur, Illinois-based ADM is among the top ethanol producers in the United States, with the capacity to produce up to 1.8 billion gallons of ethanol a year.
Right, I want to cut my mileage for ADM? Are they kidding?
This is unreal. First of all this company should be called ArcherDaschelMidland in honor of Tom Daschel who helped force this ethanol sham on the public. They forced the refineries to make this garbage gas and mandate it’s usage mainly in the Chicago/Milwaukee corridor under the guise of “cleaner air” then claim there’s a shortage of it and we need to expand production for this “popular” product. Free market forces are working overtime here… In the end this “stuff” uses more fossil fuels to create than we get in return and it does pollute only in a different way. But I will rest easy knowing that ADM has only my well being in their heart.
The ethanol in gas has been the biggest boondoggle ever foisted on the American public. It serves only to pay farmers to grow unneeded corn to be used in diluted gasoline. One of the reasons cars in Europe get better gas mileage is because they have better gas-no ethanol. The cities and states are also pushing for this as the lower mileage will increase gas tax revenues. Plus, while vehicles can tolerate 10% ethanol, non-flex fuel vehicles may need expensive refit of fuel system parts. And that is not just cars: motorcycles, lawn mowers, every gas engine. Who pays for that?