The Biden administration will temporarily allow high-ethanol content gasoline to be sold this summer to help lower the cost of gasoline, senior administration officials told The Associated Press.
According to the sources, the administration is proposing to allow gasoline with 15% ethanol to be sold between June 1 and Sept. 15.
Normally, only a 10% ethanol blend is allowed to be sold during the summer months.
What is ethanol, what does it do to gasoline when it is mixed and how much money can it save a driver?
Here’s what we know about Biden’s plan.
What is ethanol?
Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel made from various plant materials known as biomass. Almost all of the ethanol produced in the U.S. is made from starch in corn grain. It is biodegradable, dissolvable in water, and non-toxic.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 98% of U.S. gasoline contains ethanol — called E10, which means 10% of the mixture is ethanol and 90% is gasoline.
Why is ethanol added to gasoline?
The Clean Air Act of 1990 required petroleum companies to find cleaner-burning fuel. Adding ethanol to gasoline helps it burn better and lowers carbon emissions. Gasoline and ethanol are delivered to the gas stations separately and are blended at stations during delivery.
While the act called for cleaner-burning fuel, it prohibits the sale of E15 in the summer because it produces more volatile emissions that can create air pollution, according to the EPA.
What is the downside of ethanol?
Only about 2,300 gas stations around the country (out of a total of 150,000 stations in the US) sell E-15 fuel.
Not all cars can run with a high level of ethanol in gasoline. According to Autoblog, as long as your car was made later than 1980, it should be able to handle at least an E10 gas.
Certain vehicles cannot use the E15 fuel which will be available this summer. They are:
- All motorcycles,
- All vehicles with heavy-duty engines, such as school buses and delivery trucks.
- All off-road vehicles, such as boats and snowmobiles.
- All engines in off-road equipment, such as chain saws and gasoline lawnmowers.
- All conventional vehicles older than model year 2001.
Which vehicles can use E15?
- Flexible fuel vehicles.
- Conventional vehicles of model year 2001 and newer.
Are there other uses for ethanol?
Ethanol is used in many products, including the manufacture of drugs, plastics, lacquers, cosmetics, beverages, perfumes, mouthwashes, liniments, and some rubbing alcohols.
How much money can it save drivers?
According to the administration, adding ethanol to gasoline can save drivers 10 to 15 cents a gallon.
The Wall Street Journal reports that “oil-industry officials have questioned whether such moves would lower prices. Higher ethanol blending can sometimes raise prices on refiners.”
Prices for corn, the main ingredient of ethanol, have jumped sharply this year.
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