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Ethanol Facts 11/14/06 12:07:13 PM
Ethanol Facts
1. Ethanol blended fuels represent more than 12% of the U.S. motor gasoline sales.
2. Ethanol is widely marketed across the country as a high octane enhancer and oxygenate that reduces air pollution and improves automobile performance.
3. Ethanol production reduces our energy imports and our supplies of exported transportation fuel; thereby reducing overall gasoline prices and benefiting consumers.
4. Ethanol blends up to 10% are approved under the warranties of all the major auto manufactures, domestic and foreign, marketing in the U.S. 5. 80% of all revenue generated by an ethanol facility is spent within a 50 mile radius of the plant, thereby creating substantial pockets of rural economic development.
6. More than 60 percent of the fuel sold in Iowa is now blended with ethanol.
7. As new plants begin production, nearby growers are likely to see local basis improve by 5 cents, 6 cents, even 10 cents per bushel, according to an ISU extension study.
8. Ethanol profitability varies, but ISU researchers say the average return on investment in recent years has been 35 percent and the current outlook is for continued profitability, benefiting grower owners.
9. U.S. ethanol demand in 2003 is projected to use 1 billion bushels of corn by year's end.
10. One acre of corn can produce 300 gallons of ethanol. In a 10% ethanol blend, that's enough to fuel four cars for a year.
11. Approximately 175 million bushels of Iowa corn are processed into ethanol each year.
12. More than 14,750 Iowa jobs are affected by ethanol; including 2,550 directly related to ethanol production.
13. Ethanol guards against gas line freeze by absorbing moisture that may get in the tank during cold weather.
14. Iowa's 12 farmer-owned ethanol facilities will have the capacity to produce 411 million gallons of ethanol. This will use approximately 152 million bushels of corn annually when the plants are all in production.
15. Ethanol is non-toxic, water soluble, and highly biodegradable.
ETHANOL & the Environment: The right fuel makes a big difference !
Want to do your part to reduce air pollution? It's as simple as selecting the ethanol pump at your local service station or convenience store. Ethanol is an oxygenated fuel, which means it has a higher oxygen content than standard gasoline. This enables ethanol to burn more completely, thereby reducing the volume of hazardous vehicle emissions.
For instance, carbon monoxide emissions are reduced by 30%, while carbon dioxide emissions are cut by 27%.
In addition, research shows that ethanol helps offset the "greenhouse effect" caused by fossil fuels by as much as 46%.
The EPA credits ethanol and other oxygenated fuels with reducing and controlling these hazardous emissions. Yet there's still room for improvement. Standard gasoline is currently used in two-thirds of the vehicles on our nation's roads, so if we're going to continue to improve air quality, more people have to understand the benefits of ethanol.
Current Ethanol Rack Prices (as of October 15, 2006)*:
Iowa: $1.7177
Illinois: $1.8572
Kansas: $1.9610
Minnesota: $1.8510
Missouri: $1.8843
Nebraska: $1.8296
North Dakota: $1.7470
South Dakota: $1.8468
Wisconsin: $1.9722
*ETHANOL TODAY - November 2006
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