Get behind ethanol to stimulate economy

As the Obama administration looks to effect real change in America, it can start with a sensible energy policy with regard to ethanol blends in gasoline. We all want to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of oil while also curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing blends from E10 to E15 would do both, while creating homegrown jobs in the process.

The science speaks for itself. Increasing ethanol blends from E10 to E15 will save us from inporting an additional 7 billion gallons of gasoline each year — which means more money in more American pockets while having a sizeable impact on greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, the move to E15 would equate to 10.5 million fewer vehicles on the road in terms of emissions. That’s about as many registered vehicles as in the state of New York, our third most populous state.

Recent studies conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln demonstrate that corn-based ethanol can reduce GHG emissions by as much as 59 percent compared to gasoline — a number that continues to improve with each year as the industry finds more efficient ways to produce and use ethanol. These benefits come with no change in vehicle performance, according to a wide range of studies conducted by universities and government agencies.

Even conservative estimates suggest that 10,000 to 20,000 new “green-collar” jobs can be created for every 1 billion gallons of ethanol produced. A recent study done by North Dakota University found that a shift from E10 to E15 could mean 136,101 new jobs and $24.4 billion in economic stimulus each year. in this economy, that fact alone should make it worth considering.

The fact is government regulations that restrict ethanol blends to E10 were created in the 1970s. It was a different time then. For all intents and purposes, it was a different world. Why let an outdated and arbitrary regulation prevent us from effecting energy policy that wroks.

There is more science supporting a move to E15 than there was for creating the E10 benchmark three decades ago. Let’s get behind ethanol.

Rick Mummert

Albert Lea