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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2018)
4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 editor@dailyastorian.com KARI BORGEN Publisher JIM VAN NOSTRAND Editor Founded in 1873 JEREMY FELDMAN Circulation Manager DEBRA BLOOM Business Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN Production Manager CARL EARL Systems Manager PRO-CON Is it time to end the ethanol mandate for automotive fuel? AP Photo/Nati Harnik Steam blows over fermentation tanks at the Green Plains ethanol plant in Shenandoah, Iowa. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis AP Photo/Charlie Riedel An ethanol plant stands next to a cornfield near Nevada, Iowa. Fuel nozzles for E-85, left, and traditional gasoline at a Race Way station in Batesville, Miss. A school bus passes a pile of milo near Canton, Kansas. The crop is used mainly for feeding cattle and ethanol production. PRO: Ethanol in gasoline is a boon for farmers, but rips off American consumers W ASHINGTON — U.S. oil and substantially unless the RFS mandate’s mar- natural gas producers are shattering ket-distorting impacts are reined in. The RFS is more complicated than just records — recently overtaking Saudi Arabia and Russia to lead the world in warning drivers to stick with standard E10 fuel. crude oil production. For now, yearly ethanol volume requirements Fueled by advanced technology, the can be met while still leaving room — just American energy resurgence is paying off for barely — for E10 and E0. consumers and shielding U.S. markets from Without reform, the RFS will eventually instability overseas. require more gallons of ethanol than the fuel But drivers may need extra cash to pay the supply can accommodate as E10. mechanic if federal regulators keep forcing In the nation that leads the world in oil and more ethanol into the fuel supply. natural gas production, restricting consumer Multiple industries have long warned about choice does not make sense. the risks of higher-ethanol fuels like E15 (15 It makes even less sense when you factor in percent ethanol), which extensive testing shows the broad swath of collateral damage unleashed can damage engines and fuel systems. by government ethanol policy. Nearly three out of every four vehi- Higher ethanol blends from corn cles on the road today are not designed generate unintended consequences at for E15 gasoline, and a number of every step from the farm to the fuel automakers have even said that E15 tank. may cause damage that is not covered Environmental organizations, by warranties. anti-hunger groups, wildlife protection FRANK J. It’s not just cars. Consumer groups activists, grocers, restaurant owners MACCHIAROLA and producers of poultry, pork and beef warn that E15 is incompatible with lawnmowers, motorcycles, ATVs, all have spoken out against the RFS, power equipment and boats, and many of these with concerns ranging from environmental and consumers opt for fuel that is entirely ethanol habitat protection to increased food prices and free (E0). elevated costs for farmers and ranchers. With so many drawbacks, who’s asking for The outdated, bureaucratic boondoggle more ethanol in fuel? Not consumers. that is the RFS should be a prime target for the The Society of Independent Gasoline White House, which has energetically pursued Marketers of America and National regulatory reforms, achieving real benefits for Association of Convenience Stores say families and businesses. “most retailers that sell E15 or E85 have But the Trump administration may be seen minimal sales of these products.” headed in the wrong direction on etha- By contrast, “there’s a significant nol, supporting policies that would push demand in the market” for “non- even more E15 ethanol into gas tanks. blended gasoline” or E0. To its credit, the White House is taking a Availability of consumer-preferred close look at ethanol policy, convening several lower ethanol fuel is at risk due to the stakeholder meetings to find compromise Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). reforms that will satisfy ethanol supporters and Finalized in 2007, before the U.S. energy everyone else. revolution took off, the RFS requires the fuel Boosting prospects for success is the fact industry to add more and more ethanol to the that RFS reform is one of the rare issues that fuel supply each year, regardless of market enjoys support from both Republicans and demand. Democrats in Congress. The idea was to encourage a cheaper, local But when it comes to smart ethanol policy, alternative to reduce reliance on fuel imports political parties shouldn’t matter. The only label from overseas. Ten years and one U.S. energy that matters is “consumer.” revolution later, surging domestic crude oil pro- Are policymakers changing ethanol policy duction has taken care of the reduced imports to protect consumers’ engines, wallets and fuel goal. choices? As for cheaper energy, the math doesn’t add If the answer is “no,” Washington should go up for a higher ethanol mandate. Ethanol has back to the drawing board. It’s time to stand up less energy than gasoline, forcing drivers to for consumers and fix the broken RFS once and fill up more often when using higher ethanol for all. blends. Frank J. Macchiarola is group director of On top of that, the Congressional Budget downstream and industry operations for the Office projects gasoline prices could jump American Petroleum Institute. CON: Ending ethanol in fuel mandate will create economic and environmental disaster T AMPA, Fla. — When federal environ- the (RFS),” adding, “I’m there with you 100 mental standards are under assault from percent.” an administration that appears bent on The EPA, slanting toward the oil industry rolling back the clock to an era of smog and air and its lobbyists, now appears to be going back pollution caused by the use of dirty fossil fuels, on Trump’s promise. now is not the time to abandon national clean The Renewable Fuels Association fuel mandates. concluded that in 2017 the ethanol industry The federal Renewable Fuel Standard accounted for 211 plants in 28 states. (RFS), enacted by the Energy Policy Act of These facilities produced a record of 15.8 2005 and Energy Independence and Security billion gallons of ethanol. To discourage the Act of 2007 — two measures implemented by production of this critical biofuel would cost the George W. Bush administration — stip- thousands of positions in an industry that ulated federal annual increases in the overall accounts for 357,493 jobs, severely cripple the refining of biofuels, including minimum economies of several states dependent on corn Environmental Protection Agency requirements ethanol production and federal subsidies. for the incremental production of corn- The ethanol industry accounted for based ethanol until 2022. $44 billion in gross domestic product The alternative to using biofuels in 2017 and boosted already-deflated would return the country to a time corn prices by 25 percent. Corn-based when America’s cities were shrouded ethanol has also reduced America’s in heavy palls of smog caused by chok- dependence on foreign fuel by 7 per- cent in 2017. ing levels of air pollution from fossil WAYNE Not only has America’s dependence fuel-burning fuels. MADSEN on foreign fuel been decreased by the Fossil fuels are responsible for production of corn ethanol, but there introducing into the atmosphere toxic has been a demand for U.S. ethanol in foreign fumes, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, markets that are ethanol competitors of the nitrous oxides and exhaust hydrocarbons. The Alternative Fuels Data Center has found United States. These include Canada, Brazil, India and major fossil fuel exporters like the that high-octane ethanol produced from starch United Arab Emirates. and sugar-based feedstocks, including corn The International Energy Agency recognizes grain, provides a positive energy balance. Brazil as the world’s second-largest biofuel That means the production of ethanol fuel producer. Not only is Brazil able to supplant doesn’t require more energy than the amount the United States as the world’s largest biofuel of energy contained in the ethanol fuel itself: producer but ranking behind Brazil in biofuel an environmentally-friendly equilibrium that production are Germany, Argentina, Indonesia, reduces dangerous greenhouse gas emissions. France, China and Thailand. In addition to helping to protect the envi- ronment, corn ethanol has also boosted the If the United States pulls federal subsidies economies of several farm belt states. from corn ethanol production, its competitors, Without the corn ethanol mandate, the which all subsidize their respective biofuel adverse effects of retaliatory tariffs on agri- industries, can and will step up to the plate. cultural exports, brought about by Trump American biofuel firms that currently lead Administration tariffs, would have a more dras- in technological innovation would likely look tic impact on corn-producing states like Iowa, to markets and plants abroad if America’s com- mitment to renewable energy resources falters. Nebraska, Kansas and others. Biofuel centers of excellence currently During the 2016 presidential campaign, provide quality jobs in states ranging from Trump told Iowa farmers that his commitment Pennsylvania and Michigan to California and to ethanol subsidies was solid. He said “the New Mexico. EPA should ensure that biofuel Eliminating the federal government’s com- blend levels match the statutory mitment to corn ethanol would destroy an entire level set by Congress under industry. Does Mr. Trump really want this economic disaster to occur on his watch? Wayne Madsen is a pro- gressive journalist whose columns have appeared in newspapers through- out the United States and Europe.
