The Pros And Cons Of Ethanol Fuel

Ethanol is a renewable, domestically produced alcohol fuel made from plant material, such as corn, sugar cane, or grasses (USDOE, 2016). The use of ethanol is important because it can help reduce oil dependence and CO2 emissions. About 20% more emissions are formed when fossil fuels are refined to produce gas (Boyle et al., 2012). Therefore, any reduction in the need for refinement of fossil fuel will result in a decrease in greenhouse gas emission. Ethanol fuel use in the U.S. has increased dramatically from about 1.7 billion gallons in 2001 to about 13.4 billion in 2014 (USDOE, 2016). It is estimated that the United States could produce around half its demand for oil using cellulosic feedstock without affecting food supplies (Nelson, V., 2011). Along with the reduced oil dependence and reduced emissions, there are also disadvantages to ethanol. Most vehicles can accept up to a10% ethanol content but to use blends that are higher, such as E85, the vehicle must be specially

Another factor that must be considered is the lower energy content of ethanol. The E10 many of us pump (which is 10 percent ethanol) has about 30,500 calories per gallon, while E85 has just 22,900 calories per gallon. And even though E85 contains 25 percent less energy per gallon, it's only about 10 percent less expensive (Popular Mechanics, 2016). The growth of ethanol in the United States is documented but what does the future hold? Corn ethanol production has ballooned over the past decade, kick-started by the 2007 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a law that mandated U.S. refiners start blending ethanol into their products in volumes that increased annually (The American Interest, 2016). The required use of ethanol has had other consequences including increased food prices. Since the use of corn crops for ethanol has been incentivised, the availability of these crops for food has