EIA has forecast summer gasoline prices averaging about $2.50 per gallon, or 12 cents more than last year. It has not, however, directly blamed ethanol shortages.
Awesome. Because, as memory serves, this is less than what gas prices were most of last summer and I’m happy to see it not get that high again.
Does this take huuricanes and the associated price gouging into account?
Comment by tfg — March 30, 2006 @ 7:32 am
I don’t know why we are import ethanol for Brasil, we can make it right here at home from corn. We seem to have acre upon acre of corn, the crop is subsidized by the government for chrissakes. My engine is rated for E85, I’m dying to give it a try. I guess using a renewable fuel source is too complicated a concept for the US. Bring on the petrol!
Comment by Cham — March 30, 2006 @ 9:03 am
Problem with ethanol is that it’s less efficient than gasoline (take more of it to move a car the same distance), and there aren’t enough farmer’s fields to keep all our cars running.
Using ethanol is a great way to reduce North America’s dependency on oil, but it doesn’t solve the problem.
Comment by scum — March 30, 2006 @ 12:22 pm
Gas is presently $1.09/L at the pumps here, which is the highest its been since the last hurricane season. (for you crazy people, that’s about $3.56/gal in US units)
Comment by Chris M. — March 30, 2006 @ 2:29 pm
Cham:
http://healthandenergy.com/ethanol.htm
David Pimental, a leading Cornell University agricultural expert, has calculated that powering the average U.S. automobile for one year on ethanol (blended with gasoline) derived from corn would require 11 acres of farmland, the same space needed to grow a year’s supply of food for seven people. Adding up the energy costs of corn production and its conversion into ethanol, 131,000 BTUs are needed to make one gallon of ethanol. One gallon of ethanol has an energy value of only 77,000 BTUS. Thus, 70 percent more energy is required to produce ethanol than the energy that actually is in it. Every time you make one gallon of ethanol, there is a net energy loss of 54,000 BTUs.
Comment by psychophil — March 30, 2006 @ 6:55 pm