Re: Mix-I-Go Concentrate Gasoline and Ethanol Treatment
Terry,
You mean "non-attainment areas". (I know you know the following, but I'll go through it again for everyone else). EPA requires the use of an oxygenate in areas not meeting the ozone ambient standard as one of a State's options to come back into "attainment". Ethanol became widely used after MTBE was banned. This is one reason for ethanol and pertains to only those MSA's and other planning jurisdictions affected (i.e. not meeting the ambient standard). In addition, each State has a "State Implementation Plan", which is required by EPA to show how the State will comply with Federal air regulations. This is another reason for ethanol and pertains to the entire State, but it is up to the State to determine if ethanol will be required in "attainment" areas and which areas are affected. Finally, there is the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which requires the use of a certain amount of renewable (read ethanol) fuel by 2020. This is to lower our dependence on foreign oil, and obviously is another reason why we see E10 (and potentially E15).
There are still areas that can sell non-ethanol fuel, and these fall into the cracks of the three regulatory programs mentioned above. However, I believe that the availability of non-ethanol fuel will diminish in the near future.
Paul
You mean "non-attainment areas". (I know you know the following, but I'll go through it again for everyone else). EPA requires the use of an oxygenate in areas not meeting the ozone ambient standard as one of a State's options to come back into "attainment". Ethanol became widely used after MTBE was banned. This is one reason for ethanol and pertains to only those MSA's and other planning jurisdictions affected (i.e. not meeting the ambient standard). In addition, each State has a "State Implementation Plan", which is required by EPA to show how the State will comply with Federal air regulations. This is another reason for ethanol and pertains to the entire State, but it is up to the State to determine if ethanol will be required in "attainment" areas and which areas are affected. Finally, there is the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which requires the use of a certain amount of renewable (read ethanol) fuel by 2020. This is to lower our dependence on foreign oil, and obviously is another reason why we see E10 (and potentially E15).
There are still areas that can sell non-ethanol fuel, and these fall into the cracks of the three regulatory programs mentioned above. However, I believe that the availability of non-ethanol fuel will diminish in the near future.
Paul
Comment