The Behind-the-Scenes Struggle Over Ethanol
Obama supports biofuels, but competing interests are fighting over the course of ethanol policy
Perhaps the biggest obstacle dangling before the industry—as reflected in today's announcement and news of the new group's upcoming advertising campaign—is sagging public opinion, resulting, in part, from a successful lobbying campaign launched against ethanol earlier this year. Dinneen and others blame the leaders of the Grocery Manufacturers of America, who allied this past spring with livestock farmers, restaurant producers, and other groups to protest against rapidly rising corn costs and shrinking profit margins and singled out ethanol production as a main culprit.
Their efforts were coordinated by a powerhouse D.C. lobbying and public relations firm, the Glover Park Group. So, pro-ethanol forces hit back. This summer, superbusiness Archer Daniels Midland, one of the nation's leading ethanol producers, teamed up with other agribusiness to launch a first wave of response. Now comes the Growth Energy campaign, which includes the heads of POET, the nation's largest ethanol producer, and ICM, the industry's leading technology provider.
Once he takes office in January, Obama will have to navigate these conflicting claims.
Reader Comments
Iowa's 10% tax on my gas
Having recently completed a road trip where I could accurately compare fuel economy with different fuel, I'm enraged to see that the garbage E10 that has been quietly foisted on us doesn't drop my fuel economy some piddling 3% like the agrigiants claim -- it reduces it between 10 and 13 percent in real world driving.
If you want to make E10 available, fine. But it should be available as a CHOICE, not quietly snuck in as the only option available anywhere. Ironically, in the corn belt, I found that every station offered *both* varieties of fuel. If you wanted real gas, you just paid a little more and you got it.
I guess where they produce this garbage, they know full well the real cost of using it.
Just say no to ethanol
All the politics, enviro-hype and petro-propaganda aside:
I lost 2 mpg with the addition of 10% ethanol to my local fuel supply. It now takes 22.8 gallons of fuel to cover the same distance as 20.0 gallons of 100% gasoline used to cover, this is a 13% reduction in the efficiency of my engine to displace 10% of the fuel.
With ethanol I have to purchase 2.8 additional gallons of fuel for the same distance traveled and I now burn .5 more gallons of 100% gasoline to do it.
Really great for both the environment and my pocket book. Way to go Washington Idiocracy!
fuel solutions sucron process
can food waste be used as a feedstock ?
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