The EPA should ban E15

By Money Matters Editors

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has sent the E15 proposal – gasoline with 15% ethanol – back for more study.

Money Matters Editors argues E15 from should be abandoned outright. Here’s why:

Ethanol from corn is not achieving its environmental, energy or conservation goals.

First, the scientific community is divided as to whether corn-based ethanol results in less or more greenhouse gas emissions. Some studies have shown that when one considers the energy to grow corn, harvest it, load the trucks, and process it, corn-based ethanol emits more greenhouse gases than it, in theory, would save from not drilling for oil.

Second, corn-based ethanol is causing environmental distortions. Farmers are switching from growing traditional, regionally-appropriate crops to growing – you guessed it – corn, because the profit margins are higher. That’s causing environmental degradation.

Third, diverting corn to fuel production from food is forcing up the price of food: anything that uses corn or corn syrup is going up. Livestock framers are paying considerably higher prices for feed because of the current E10: these prices would only rise under E15.

Fourth, older U.S. cars probably would not be able to burn E15 safely: E15 may cause damage to emission control systems, and gas pumps.

Finally, ethanol can be produced from other sources: it’s best to concentrate on those, rather than divert corn to fuel use.

The corn lobby is huge in Washington, and it’s going to try to intimidate the EPA to switch to E15. What should the EPA do instead to increase U.S. vehicle efficiency? Force automakers to build lighter cars. A 20% reduction in weight through use of aluminum and plastics will save more barrels of oil than E15 ever could. Ash can E15.