American-fueled Energy Market Ramps Up
Farewell, foreign oil. There's a new fuel in town.Consumers are anticipating the arrival of sustainable and cleaner-burning fuels that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, as stated in the recently passed energy bill of 2007.
Largely considered the most significant provision in the bill, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requires that alternative fuels like ethanol (produced from a variety of domestic sources including switchgrass, wood chips and waste) make up 36 billion gallons of the country's fuel supply by 2022. This effort aims to achieve energy independence while also ramping up production of cleaner-burning fuels.
"By ramping up production of ethanol, we essentially boost our local economies by relying on farmers and the agricultural sector for a variety of crop sources and wild grasses," says Leroy Watson, legislative director of the National Grange, the nation's oldest national agriculture association. "By increasing production of domestically produced fuel, we also subsequently reduce our dependence on foreign oil and keep billions of dollars at home that are currently going to foreign governments."
But what does this mean for American motorists?
Consumers can expect to pay less at the pump because of the inexpensive raw materials used to create the fuel (derived domestically) and the lowered cost of production. Illinois-based Coskata, Inc., an ethanol refinery, has already announced plans to produce ethanol for as little as $1 per gallon.
After the ethanol is produced, it is then blended with gasoline to create fuel like E85 - 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline - and is shipped to E85 fueling stations across the country. Currently, there are about 1,200 E85 fueling stations in the United States, and that number is expected to double over the next year, according to E85vehicles.com
"This energy bill has essentially given independent organizations across the country incentive to prepare for energy independence by installing new pumps and working to bring E85 pumps nationwide," Watson says. "We're seeing an energy revolution in this country whereby American companies and America's agriculture sector are using their own resources and innovation to create an energy market that is homemade, cleaner-burning, and improving air quality for our families."
Recent U.S. Department of Agriculture studies have shown that ethanol can produce 94 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum, and can reduce the amount of toxic emissions that lead to chronic lung disease, asthma and other respiratory problems. This direct reduction in harmful pollutants reduces health risks to our communities posed by petroleum.
"Not only are we concerned for the well-being of our economy and in investing in American-made energy, but we're also concerned with issues surrounding our quality of life," Watson says. "Excessive gasoline use has battered our environment and has had a negative impact on the health of many Americans. Investing in cleaner-burning fuel reduces the risk of health complications for our families and our communities."
While a number of consumers groups have praised the economic and environmental benefits of E85 for motorists, the next step is a national push to bring the realities of the fuel to commercial scale. Organizations like the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC) are leading the charge to spur the development of E85 infrastructure nationwide. For a listing of E85 fueling stations in your area, visit the NEVC Web site at www.e85refueling.com
Courtesy of ARAcontent
