Ethanol isn’t made from corn people would put on the grill, popcorn or candy corn, for that matter. What many people don’t know, including the author of “Corn belongs on the cob not in your gas tank” (Sun Journal columnist V. Paul Reynolds, March 15), is that ethanol is produced from No. 2 yellow corn grown for animal feed, and it is saving the public as much as $1.09 per gallon at the pump.
In a time when roughly 8 percent of people’s annual incomes are being used for commuting costs, those savings really add up.
Higher ethanol blends, such as E15, offer consumers the ability to choose a fuel based on their price and performance needs. E15 is not approved for motorcycles and other small engines, so it would not be an appropriate choice for every situation. However, E10 is available at every station that offers E15, and clear gas is still available in some states.
E15 is compatible with the majority of cars on the road and is the most tested fuel in history.
The U.S. Department of Energy conducted 6 million miles of road testing and found no issues with emissions equipment or engine durability. This resounding success led EPA to approve E15 for use in vehicles made in 2001 and newer — 80 percent of all vehicles on the road.
E15 is less expensive than regular gas; however, if people are happy with the gas they have been buying, they can keep right on buying it.
There isn’t an ethanol mandate for consumers, just an opportunity for choice and a big savings.
Tom Buis, CEO, Growth Energy, Washington, D.C.
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