Biofuels
Today, over 10% of U.S. cars are powered by ethanol from American grown corn. Ethanol burns cooler and cleaner than traditional gasoline and has proven to be more affordable, all while increasing engine performance and longevity. Given the positive impacts of biofuel use for both consumers and producers, rural America stands to gain significantly from a large scale move to E15.
Lower Price at the Pump
As of today, 15 percent ethanol fuel (E15) saves the average American $0.10 per gallon at the pump. As traditional gasoline prices continue to rise, these savings will only be magnified in coming years. If the entire nation were to move to E15, Americans would save an estimated $12.2 Billion at the pump annually.
Protecting American Farmers
Aside from biofuels supporting an estimated 400,000 jobs as an industry, a collective move to using ethanol-based fuels would generate an increase in demand for corn by roughly 2.4 billion bushels annually. An increase of this nature would significantly increase farm profit margins and provide a safety net for corn farmers all across America.
Less Reliance on Foreign Oil
Prioritizing ethanol synthesized from American corn reduces our dependence on global oil markets dominated by the Middle East and Russia. The E15 market currently displaces the gasoline produced from an estimated 700 million barrels of oil each year. This also decreases our vulnerability to global supply chain disruptions.
Renewable and Sustainable
Greenhouse gas emissions from ethanol are 46% lower than that of traditional gasoline. In addition, ethanol contains very few of the toxic chemicals found in gasoline that contribute to ozone and smog. Finally, while fossil fuel deposits will eventually be exhausted, ethanol production could, in theory, be sustained indefinitely as it is synthesized from renewable feedstocks.
A nationwide switch to ethanol-based fuels would create demand for 2.4 billion additional bushels of corn per year.
At the same time, Ethanol use displaces the demand for 700 million barrels of foreign oil annually.
In addition, the U.S. exports over a billion gallons of American ethanol to our trading partners each year.
