Postal Ethanol Test Finds Poor Performance
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For several years ethanol has been touted as a way to grow ourselves into energy independence. Grow corn, convert it into a fuel, and you need less oil from overseas suppliers who in too many cases are unstable and unfriendly.
The use of ethanol has grown in large part because of federal subsidies and good PR, but the results to date have not been impressive. Corn diverted to energy production is corn not available for cattle, a major reason for rising food costs.
Now comes a study from the Postal Service which will dash the hopes of many who saw corn as a major alternative to overseas oil.
The Postal Service has purchased more than 30,000 vehicles that run on E85, a mixture of 85 percent gasoline and 15 percent ethanol.
The results?
___E85 decreased overall fuel efficiency by 29%.
___E85 must be priced at least 30% less than gasoline for ethanol to be a cost-effective.
___ The Postal Service found that only 1,100 retail sites sell ethanol, primarily in the Midwest, thus there is a need to increase the infrastructure if ethanol is to be used nationwide.
___The Postal Service found that the use of ethanol increased gasoline consumption by 1.5 million gallons.
This is a case where the Postal Service has been far ahead of the public. It tried an experiment with much potential, but unfortunately ethanol appears to be less valuable than many anticipated.
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...
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