Ethanol Facts: Consumers
Using ethanol in the U.S. fuel marketplace helps lower gasoline prices by expanding gasoline supplies and reducing the need for importing expensive, high-octane, petroleum-based gasoline components or more crude oil from unstable parts of the world like the Middle East.
Visit www.ChooseEthanol.com for consumer information about ethanol, including a listing of FFVs to help consumers identify if they are driving one, and tools to help drivers find ethanol fueling locations in their neighborhood, including free downloadable apps.
FACT: Ethanol is saving consumers money at the pump.
A May 2010 report found that the average American household is saving approximately $200-400 per year on gasoline because of ethanol's inclusion in the U.S. fuel supply.
FACT: Today, ethanol is blended in nearly every gallon of unleaded gasoline sold in the U.S.
FACT: In 2010, the U.S. ethanol industry helped employ 400,677 jobs in all sectors of the economy.
In addition to one-time construction jobs, jobs at an ethanol facility include accountants, biologists, chemical engineers, chemists, compliance officers, economists, electrical engineers, electricians, grain handlers and traders, human resources, lab technicians, laborers, logistics coordinators, maintenance, marketing, mechanical engineers, office support staff, operators, plant managers, production planners, safety professionals, security, truck drivers, and more.
Source: Contribution of the Ethanol Industry to the Economy of the United States
FACT: In 2010, the U.S. ethanol industry increased household income by $36 billion, money that flows directly into the pockets of American consumers.
Source: Contribution of the Ethanol Industry to the Economy of the United States
FACT: Ethanol delivers more energy than is used to produce it.
Whether produced from corn or other biomass feedstocks, ethanol generates more energy than used during production. Plants used in ethanol production harness the power of the sun to grow. By releasing the energy stored in corn and other feedstocks, ethanol production utilizes solar energy, replacing fossil energy use. A 2004 U.S. Department of Agriculture Study of ethanol production - from the field to the vehicle - found that ethanol yields 67% more fossil energy than is used to grow and harvest the grain and process it into ethanol. The study makes note of significant energy efficiency improvements that have been made in ethanol production due to higher yielding corn varieties, technological advances in ethanol production such as the use of molecular sieves and natural gas, and improved farming practices (precision and no-till farming.) According to a University of California-Berkeley study, "Ethanol Can Contribute to Energy and Environmental Goals," the production of ethanol reduces petroleum use 95% as compared to gasoline refining.
FACT: The use of ethanol reduces harmful greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
In 2010, the production and use of 13 billion gallons of ethanol in the U.S. reduced GHG emissions by 21.9 million tons, the equivalent to removing 3.5 million cars and pickups from America's roadways. (Source: Argonne National Laboratory's GREET Model).
FACT: The facts surrounding the misnamed "food versus fuel" debate reveal there is no need to choose between using grain for feed and food or for fuel. American farmers and ethanol producers can do both, without significantly impacting retail food prices.
Several new independent studies on the role of ethanol in the 2008 food price spike confirmed that ethanol production plays a marginal role in determining food prices. In fact, U.S. ethanol production accounts for just 3% of the world grain supply. That means 97% of all the grain produced in the world is available for other uses. In the U.S., where ethanol demand for corn has grown, so too has the production of livestock feed (distillers grains) produced by ethanol biorefineries. Distillers grains are becoming a growing source of feed for both domestic and international use.
Resources:
For more consumer-based information, including tools to help drivers find ethanol fueling locations in their neighborhoods and information on flex-fuel vehicles, visit www.ChooseEthanol.com.
