Ethanol

The Science Committee in the House of Representatives has a approved a bill that would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from allowing the use of gasoline with a higher ethanol content without additional study. According to The Detroit News, the bill was sponsored by Rep. James ...

Sugar beets are a more efficient source for ethanol production than corn for a lot of reasons: they use less land, less water and, they can grown in many regions during the winter where it's too cold to grow corn. Sugar beets, which are mostly water, use 40 percent less water for growth than ...

Oil companies will pay $6.8 million in fines for not meeting federal quotas for blending in cellulosic biofuels – those produced from grasses, wood and plants – even though there weren't enough of those biofuels available for use, the New York Times reported. Those fines are likely to ...

There are drawbacks to every kind of alternative to burning fossil fuels in our cars. Electric cars don't have enough range. Hybrids are burdened with what essentially boils down to two parallel powertrains. Hydrogen is limited to where it is available. Bio-ethanol has its own drawbacks, but ...

Last month's expiration of ethanol subsidies from the U.S. federal government may already be driving up gas prices. Average gas prices as of Friday were $3.39 a gallon, up three cents from a week ago and up from $3.26 a month ago, according to AAA. Fuel prices for the three weeks ended ...

The Tea Party movement was a key factor in ending corn-based ethanol subsidies because it pushed Republican candidates to speak out against spending, in this case monies that would provide little benefit to the transportation industry while exacerbating the national debt and deficit ...

Quick, which is easier to find: a public charging station for an electric vehicle or a station that offers E85? Despite the much larger number of flex-fuel vehicles on the road, it turns out that when you bring the fight down to electricity vs. ethanol, EV drivers have nearly a 2-1 edge. Based ...

While we've been consumed with the ramp-up to next week's Detroit Auto Show, there's a more pressing matter on the international car events calendar – this week's New Delhi Auto Expo. Ford Motor Company isn't overlooking the burgeoning biennial show, and it's taking the opportunity to ...

That falling ball in Times Square didn't just signal the end of 2011, it was also the death knell for thirty years of ethanol subsidies. That in turn could signal an abrupt rise in prices at the pump. By failing to vote in an extension, Congress allowed the $0.45 per gallon production subsidy to ...

Corn-based ethanol is a controversial fuel in its own right, and a long-standing government subsidy for blending the biofuel with gasoline has been an additional source of consternation over the last 30 years. The United States Congress wrapped up its work for 2011 without extending the ...