Ethanol 101
Ethanol
offers the solution to fuel shortages, polluted air and depressed farm
economies.
Fuel ethanol is a high
octane motor fuel derived from plants
that can be safely used in virtually
every engine platform today at varying
levels. At more than 13 billion gallons
of production, ethanol represents
approximately 10% of the nation’s
gasoline supply today and can be found
in more than 96% of all gasoline
sold.
The majority of
American consumers are using E10 ethanol
blends (10% ethanol) and E15 (15% ethanol) availability is rapidly
increasing, especially in the Midwest.
More than 13 million consumers driving
Flex Fuel vehicles, or FFVs, can use any
blend of ethanol from E10 up to E85 (85% ethanol).
Ethanol is part of our
nation’s solution to reducing our
dependency on imported oil, creating
domestic jobs, cleaning our environment
by reducing dangerous emissions caused
by burning gasoline, and helping to
improve engine performance by adding
much needed octane.
Ethanol is increasingly becoming a
global commodity. Global ethanol
production and demand is trending up,
with the U.S. now the world's top
producer and consumer of ethanol, as
well as a leading exporter.
Food, Feed and
Fuel
Modern ethanol production is about more than fuel. Ethanol
producers are providing increasing amounts of livestock feed products—distillers
grains, corn gluten, and corn gluten meal—while simultaneously providing growing
volumes of corn distillers oil and other bio-based chemicals to replace oil.
Similar innovation is also occurring on American farms. New farming technologies
and increased efficiencies are resulting in record and near record corn
production each and every year. Despite facing the worst drought in 50 years,
U.S. farmers produced the tenth-largest corn crop in history in 2012.
Approximately one third of every bushel
of corn processed by an ethanol
biorefinery returns to the livestock
feed market in the form of distillers
grains or corn gluten. In fact, USDA and
university studies have shown these feed
products carry greater nutritional value
than the traditional feed ingredients
they are replacing in beef, dairy, swine
and poultry rations.
NASCAR sees improved
engine performance with E15 use
Leading the
way in 2011, NASCAR launched its
long-term biofuels program to reduce
emissions of the fuel used in all its
racing series. NASCAR’s three national
touring series began using Sunoco Green
E15, a renewable fuel blended with 15%
American-made ethanol from
American-grown corn. Sunoco, the
Official Fuel of NASCAR, manufactures
blends and transports this renewable,
low-carbon fuel that emits 20% less
greenhouse gas emissions than unleaded
gas. After completing more than two
million miles during NASCAR races using
Sunoco Green E15, teams report an
increase of up to 10+ horsepower. These
reports validate the fuel qualities and
environmental impact of ethanol as a
fuel to the millions of NASCAR fans as
well as the general American public.
The E15 Ethanol Blend
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency has
approved E15 as a blend choice for cars
and light-duty trucks in model year 2001
and newer. It’s an option, not a
mandate.
The Department of
Energy conducted six million miles of
testing on
E15 – the equivalent of 12 round trips
to the Moon – and found no issues.
NASCAR race cars have run more than 3
million miles on
E15, and its
drivers and mechanics give the fuel high
marks for power and durability.
A full move to E15 would create a bigger
market for American ethanol that could
help create as many as 136,000 new jobs
in the United States and eliminate as
much as 8 million metric tons of
greenhouse gas emissions from the air in
a year — the equivalent of taking 1.35
million vehicles off the road.
Increasing the domestic, renewable fuel
supply would also displace some of the 7
billion gallons of oil that is imported
every day into the United States from
countries such as Venezuela, Saudi
Arabia and Nigeria.
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