Oregon May Limit Corn Ethanol - 4/20/09

The Oregon legislature is joining the anti-ethanol fight by considering five bills that would limit the corn based product in the state.

This has partially come from complaints of lower gas mileage to additional wear on engines and the impact on food prices.

Law in Oregon permits boaters, antique car owners and pilots to buy ethanol free gas, but stations selling the ethanol free gas are hard to find.

The Oregon State Marine Board lists precautions boaters should take when using a blend of 10 percent ethanol gas or E-10.  Problems from ethanol dissolving the inside of certain boat fuel tanks to ethanol absorbing water are some of the concerns.

Ms. Walker of Eugene, Oregon co-sponsored a bill that would do away with the 10 percent blend requirement.  She said ethanol blended gas caused her Prius’s gas mileage to fall from 42 MPG to 36 MPG.  She and many other lawmakers voted for the blend requirement in 2007 but said, “I do not like what’s happened.”

Other states like Oklahoma and Alabama have gas stations that are marketing mottoes like “No Corn in Our Gas” and “No Ethanol in Our Gas.”  Gas stations in Florida are advertising that their ethanol free gas gives 2.25 more miles per gallon over ethanol blends.  The Texas Governor has tried to push for lower federal requirements for blending ethanol with gas with no success stating ethanol is causing feed prices to increase. 

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