Missouri’s corn growers expect to benefit from a new federal ruling allowing 50-percent more ethanol in our motor fuels, but not right away. The ten percent formula for gasoline and ethanol is part of state law. But now the EPA says the ethanol mix can go up to 15 percent in cars built after 2006.
Executive Director Gary Marshall with the Missouri Corn Growers expects the new position will increase ethanol production in Missouri but doubts it will mean more producers. And he says it might take some time to get enough vehicles eligible to use the new fuel mix to make it a marketable product.
Thee state association of gas stations worried about E15’s potential harm to engines but Marshall has no such worries. He expects the EPA and the Department of Energy will have new studies out this winter saying 2001 and newer vehicles are okay for E15. Marshall hopes the new EPA policy is another step toward eventual use of E-85, now available at a relatively few stations and usable in relatively few vehicles.
E15 might have gotten a big boost within the last few days. NASCAR says it will use E15 as the fuel in all of its divisions next year.