Nebraska Ethanol Board joins industry partners in comments to the EPA
Source: By Megan Grimes, Nebraska Ethanol Board • Posted: Monday, October 29, 2018
“Auto manufacturers need higher-octane fuel options to get superior fuel economy, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and lower prices for consumers,” said Sarah Caswell, Nebraska Ethanol Board administrator. “Ethanol is high octane, low carbon and the safest component in gasoline today. Ethanol is the clear choice for a healthier environment.”
Mid-level ethanol blends have proven to provide a low-carbon, low-cost source of octane and industry partners provided specific recommendations on what regulatory barriers to address. This rule has the potential to eliminate major roadblocks for increased ethanol demand, Caswell noted.
The comments to the EPA focused on several key points, all centered on the role high-octane fuels can play in meeting the policy objectives of the proposed rule and identifying clean-burning, low-carbon, low-cost ethanol as a means of doing so. Industry partners provided detailed information on the health and economic benefits of an ethanol-based, high-octane program and some of the specific regulatory obstacles that EPA can remove.
Partner organizations signing on the comments included: Environmental and Energy Study Institute, Governors Biofuel Coalition, Urban Air Initiative, National Farmers Union, Farmers Union Enterprise, and Farmers Union chapters in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. View the full comments here.