An ethanol advocacy group’s suggestion that an American Petroleum Institute study supports increasing allowable ethanol levels in gasoline to 12% is misleading, the oil industry trade association said.
The Renewable Fuels Association recommended raising the allowable ethanol level to 12% as an interim measure in comments it filed last month with the US Environmental Protection Agency supporting a petition by another fuel ethanol group, Growth Energy, to increase the allowable limit to 15%.
“Already agreed upon science and ongoing research make clear the move to up to E15 blends is warranted. In addition, existing statutes allow EPA to take an interim step by approving the use of up to 12% ethanol blends,” RFA Pres. Bob Dineen said. “In order to achieve the energy, economic, and environmental goals of this country, increasing the use of domestically produced renewable fuels like ethanol is essential. EPA has the authority, and now the science, to approve such a step.”
Six recently completed research projects from the Coordinated Research Council (CRC), the University of Minnesota, Minnesota State University, and API confirm the safe and effective use of higher ethanol blends, RFA said.
But in a July 23 statement, API called the ethanol advocacy group’s call for approval of a 12% ethanol limit premature.
“RFA fails to note there is a large-scale cooperative government-industry research effort under way seeking to better understand the impacts of intermediate ethanol blends. The API study, which is incomplete, is one part of that effort. The last field phase has not been conducted,” API said.
