Carlisle Ford Runge at the University of Minnesota says he's grown tired, even bored, with arguing against the expansion of the nation's ethanol industry.
"It's an article of faith [among politicians] in the Corn Belt," said Runge, a professor of economics at the U, on Tuesday. "And it's bipartisan."
But power brokers' desire to dramatically expand ethanol to fill gas tanks of the nation's vehicles has once again galvanized attention in Washington, D.C.
Earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., introduced a bill to peel back an ozone protection regulation, which currently prohibits summer sales of a high-blend of ethanol called E15.
Klobuchar called the move good for drivers and farmers alike, arguing the bill will "decrease prices at the pump, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil."
And just last week, U.S. House Rep. Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat whose district includes suburbs and farm country south of the metro area introduced a companion measure into the House, proposing to make the fuel blend available year-round.
The Environmental Protection Agency approved E15 for sales in 2011, but only a couple thousand stations across 30 states sell it, according to the Alternative Fuels Data Center.
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Published on 12/19/2022 (93 days ago) Ethanol Containing Fuel