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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2018
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
JIM VAN NOSTRAND
Editor
Founded in 1873
JEREMY FELDMAN
Circulation Manager
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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.