How is ethanol made?

Right now, ethanol is made from the same corn that’s grown to feed livestock. However, a new form of ethanol, called “cellulosic ethanol” is in the works. It’ll allow ethanol to be made more efficiently, and from a much wider variety of plants and biowaste, so ethanol production won’t have to displace acreage currently used to grow food.

Will it really help reduce our dependence upon foreign oil?

Yes — somewhat. And we suppose every bit helps. But, it’s hard to imagine E85 being a substitute for all the oil we’re currently importing.

In fact, using the entire US corn crop to make ethanol would only replace about ten percent of our oil needs today.

Corn-based E85 is a drop in the barrel. But, if cellulosic ethanol and other ethanol advances are successful, the reduction in imports could be more significant. And when combined with other substitutes for petroleum, it could be part of an energy-independence solution.

Is there enough ethanol to go around?

Not yet. The US barely has enough processing plants to make the ethanol it needs now. But more are being built– quickly, too.

Is it taking away land that could be used to grow food?

Yes– but only in that it uses “industrial” corn that would otherwise go towards feeding cows.

Do I save money using E85?

No. In fact, it costs a little more. Here’s why. There’s less energy in a gallon of E85. A gallon of E85 gets you 27% less mileage than a gallon of old-fashioned gas. So, if you’re used to getting 25 miles per gallon on regular gasoline, you’ll only get a bit over 18 mpg on a gallon of E85. And, since the price for E85 is, roughly speaking, about the same as a regular gallon of gas, you get to pay, what? Thirty-seven percent more to travel the same distance!

Then why would I want to use E85?

Two reasons: reducing energy dependence and cleaning up the environment.

Since ethanol is manufactured within the US, it helps reduce — at least a little — our dependence on oil.

How much ethanol helps the environment is up for debate. First, it takes a fair bit of old-fashioned crude oil to grow the corn to make the ethanol. (Of course, the same is true of regular gasoline. It takes oil to pump, ship and refine crude oil into gasoline.) Second, you don’t get as much energy per gallon of fuel when E85 is compared to regular gas. So even though it’s cleaner, you burn more of it to go the same distance.

Finally, while E85 emits fewer nitrous oxide emissions per mile, it does introduce a new category of pollutants, called aceta-aldehydes, which contribute to ozone problems. While most scientists agree that ethanol reduces the overall pollution to the environment, it’s not without its own drawbacks.