California Air Resources Board Adopts Ten Percent Ethanol Blend
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06.17.07
In a major boost to the ethanol industry, the California Air Resources Board has decided to adopt a resolution stating that all refineries producing gas sold in the state will have to blend 10% ethanol into their gas. This is to coincide with the new fuel standards set by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that will take effect in late 2009, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).
"Today's decision by the Air Resources Board is an important step toward diversifying California's fuel supply with alternative and, in this instance, renewable fuels. While many alternative fuels exist in the market, ethanol is one that can be blended into today's gasoline with no change to our current cars. This action allows fuel providers to blend up to 10 percent ethanol into gasoline, while still ensuring we're meeting California's tough air quality standards," said Schwarzenegger.
The goal of Schwarzenegger's plan is to lower greenhouse gas emissions by shifting energy consumption from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like ethanol. By 2020, policymakers expect at least a 10% reduction in the carbon content of fuels, the replacement of 20% of fossil fuels with lower carbon alternatives and a tripling in the size of the state's renewable energy market.
Analysts predict the ruling will almost double the demand for biofuel in California, the world's fifth largest economy and the country's largest consumer of fuel. Last year the state guzzled nearly one-fifth of the total ethanol sold in the United States, or approximately 1 billion gallons (3.8 billion liters).
Higher consumption of ethanol could help reduce dependency on foreign oil sources and improve the state's air quality.
Via ::California adopts 10 percent ethanol blend, major boost to biofuels,
See also: ::Economic Impact Of California Climate Plan In Line With Stern Report, ::UCS: California Enacts Nation’s Toughest Global Warming Bill, ::Tesla Electric Sports Car Plugged In, ::Schwarzenegger Talks Green
Those in the west may try to green their cars, but they need better public transit. Gov. Schwarzenegger needs to approve the California High Speed Rail.
I grew up in Iowa, and for as long as I've been pumping gas there has been a 10% blend there, although it was only in the Premium gasoline, which was always 10 cents cheaper than Regular.
It would be excellent if the blended ethanol in CA was produced locally and from sustainably harvested crops - and soon-to-be of the cellulosic variety *crossing fingers*
I recently moved to Sacramento from Illinois and need E85 for our Flex Fuel Chevy Tahoe. In the last year we used about 2000 gallons of E85 fuel in our Tahoe, with great results both in performance and budget. The fuel mileage decreased from 15 mpg on gasoline to 13 mpg on E85, but the lower price combined with a state tax rebate more than made up for that. On a trip through Wisconsin, one station was selling E85 for a dollar less than unleaded! Sacramento is the state capitol, but does not have any E85 pumps while several other CA cities do. There are over 250,000 FFVs in California-we need to have the E85 fuel to put them to work decreasing pollution, please.
Thank you a lot for giving me more information.