My work brought me to a large POL storage plant this past week and I was shocked to hear that its not an if on us being forced to use 15% ethanol fuel, its a when and the when appears to be approaching very soon, 2014 to be exact. The guy I was speaking with made it very clear that huge organizations are lobbying against it , mostly from the recreational angle but that the Govt just doesnt care. Everything 2 Cycle that we use in our day to day lives will be flat screwed! I have been saying for a while, theres no way they can do it, well guess what......they are doing it.

I was also amuzed by his explanation of how much more dangerous ethanol is to store and handle in comparison to the 1.5 million gallons of ptroleum products that they store. And even better yet was his explanation of how ethanol reduces the Carbon Monoxide from our exhaust, but in turn emits 4 more toxic chemicals that are way worse than Carbon Monoxide in our environment. They also have run comprehensive test on the 15% ethanol fuel and that performance from an economic perspective is about 27% less than with regular unleaded fuel! Genius I tell you, the idea that Iowa imported more corn than it grew in an attempt to make ethanol is also genius. Man WTF is wrong with our Govt?????????

STUPE

Brought to you by a continuing big govt subsidy. Feel sorry for those folks starving overseas that would like to have the grain for human consumption rather than to deliver on some politician's agenda.

First of all, I hate enthanol.
that being said why wont a two cycle engine run on it ??

I understand it is lowerBTU's, a waste of good corn ,but why will a t-stroke not run ??

This is the jist of it

http://www.lcbamarketing.com/ethanol_gasohol_2_cycle_problems.htm

Yes, the corn growers of America are getting rich. Just shows how lobbyists are running the country.

10% Etanol and 10% poorer vehicle mileage. Where's the math to support this?

Ethanol is one of the biggest scams out there!

I cant even imagine the economic reprocussions on the sales and ownership of lawnmowers,chainsaws,weed whackers, all kinds of small engines, to include our OUTBOARDS, etc......

Maybe that is the end game, a sick backasswards way of 'stimulating' the economy, gotta replace all those things every few years.....

Cub,
Your title is correct that 15% ethanol is coming, but your conclusions are not accurate.....

Show us one single city, state or federal law "forcing" or mandating 15% ethanol use in any 2-cycle engine.
It is simply an optional blend, being allowed to be sold, but its' use is specifically restricted and will be clearly labeled for no introduction in 2 cycle and other engines not designed for it.

Yes, 10% ethanol use has been mandated by Congress, the EPA and by state goverments, but 15% ethanol use has not been mandated in 2014 nor any date by anyone or forced on us to use as you say.

Repost from 2 weeks ago.

House Committee action on bill to require EPA to seek independent scientific analysis on the effects of 15 percent ethanol Take Action!
Urge your Representative to support today!
On February 7, 2012, the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology will vote on H.R. 3199, introduced by Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) on October 14, 2011. This bill would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to seek independent scientific analysis on the effects of 15 percent ethanol blend (E15) gasoline.
"The EPA's decision to allow E15 into the marketplace will impact every American who owns a car, lawnmower or boat," Sensenbrenner said. Automakers insist that using E15 will void warranties, lower fuel efficiency and cause premature engine failure. In off-road engines, the effects can even be dangerous for users.
"There are serious concerns that the EPA used only one Department of Energy test and rushed E15's introduction into the marketplace," Sensenbrenner said. "This test was limited in scope and ignored a plethora of evidence � albeit inconvenient evidence for the EPA � that shows E15 gasoline has a negative effect on engines."
The new E15 gasoline formulation may appear at a fueling station near you and you need to be careful where you use this new fuel blend. That is because the EPA, in October 2010, approved E15 for use in model year 2007 and newer light duty vehicles (cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles). In January 2011, it added model year 2001-2006 light duty vehicles to the approved list.

As long as we have a Republican congress, this will not be forced on us IMO. Also, still know of stations selling ethanol free gas. Don't think that will necessarily go away.

The subsidy went away on 01-01-2012. Corn growers do not get a penny for growing corn for ethonol production.

Corn-based ethanol is a controversial fuel in its own right, and a longstanding federal subsidy for blending the biofuel with gasoline has been an additional source of consternation over the last 30 years. According to The Detroit News, Congress has wrapped up its work for 2011 without extending the incentive, a move that's drawn praise from environmental groups and taxpayer advocates.

Hand-in-hand with the discontinuation of the tax subsidy, an import tariff on ethanol imported from Brazil has also been cancelled, which opens the tap for a source of ethanol that doesn't have the reputation of being a dirty diversion of a food crop that corn-based ethanol carries. That means that while the blenders' tax credit is no more, the 2007 legislation calling for a significant increase in the use of renewable fuels is likely not going anywhere if the abundant ethanol produced from Brazil's sugarcane economy can be used instead.

The corn lobby is naturally not thrilled with the news, but it has put on a brave face. Tom Buis of Growth Energy, a group that supports and fosters the cause of domestic ethanol production, tells the DetNews, "without the tax credit, the ethanol industry will survive; it will continue to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, create jobs, and strengthen our economy." That statement isn't exactly at odds with the actions of Congress, since there's now about $6 billion per year that could be plowed into further renewable fuel research and development that would ensure corn ethanol is indeed a stepping stone fuel, as it was sold in the first place.

Oct 2010: EPA is under a rural-state-promoted congressional mandate to increase ethanol use. Congress required fuel refiners to blend 36 billion gallons of biofuels, mostly ethanol, into auto fuel by 2022 and the EPA says it can't be done without allowing at least an E-15 blend. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said Wednesday's action was "the first of a number of actions that are needed from federal, state and industry toward commercialization of E-15 gasoline blends."

Use in motor vehicles newer than 2001 approved Jan 2011, against lobbying by the auto industry. E-15 is not approved for use in off road motors (lawnmowers, boat motors etc. at this point. But it sure could do a number on your tow vehicle. Note stations have to request e-15 as it is not broadly distributed now (of course e-10 wasn't in the beginning either, now you can't hardly find non-ethanol mix).

Feb 2012: the growth of E-15 still faces challenges: many states have not changed their laws to allow the higher ethanol blend and the program is voluntary. Buis told HAT it will really depend on fuel makers to choose whether to increase the blend or not, �Now it is up to the retailers and individual fuel companies to register for approval to sell E-15. With ethanol selling an average of 76 cents a gallon cheaper than gasoline and $4 a gallon gasoline on the horizon, we�d encourage all Americans to ask their local filling station how soon they will see more-affordable E15.�

Likely at some point the RFA (renweable Fuels Association, aka: We don't give a flip about what it does to your motors) will push to put it in all motors 'cause they sure aren't lisening to the manufacturers of motor vehicle engines