Posted on: May 25, 2012 in E15, Engines, Ethanol

This was sent as a letter to the Editor of the Chicago Tribune.

To the Editor:

Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner’s May 24^th editorial, “Ethanol Leaves Consumers Stranded” exposes itself for what it is…political petroleum pandering.  How else can one explain the former Chairman of the House Science Committee ignoring overwhelming scientific evidence while shining a light on one deeply flawed, petroleum funded study?  No bias there, huh?

Don’t take my word for it.  Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) offered some tough critiques of the Coordinating Research Council (CRC) study cited by Rep. Sensenbrenner, “We believe the choice of test engines, test cycle, limited fuel selection, and failure criteria of the CRC program resulted in unreliable and incomplete data, which severely limits the utility of the study.”

The E15 testing done by the DOE is the most extensive fuel testing done to date on ethanol blends.  It consisted of 86 vehicles driven more than six million miles total.   Torn down and inspected, they showed no discernible difference in engine wear between test fuels according to DOE.  Several other tests, not funded by oil companies, have shown similar positive results with respect to drivability, emissions, and engine durability.

The CRC study, however, tested only eight used cars – some of which were under recall by NHTSA – and some failed on E0 (pure gasoline) as well as E15, suggesting problems with the used cars, not the fuel.

The delay tactics need to stop, science has spoken…Americans deserve a choice the pump.  E15 can and will deliver lower prices per gallon, greater energy independence, and more American jobs.

 
Bob Dinneen
President and CEO
The Renewable Fuels Association

« More Blog Posts