Supporting E-15 to EPA today

What A Move to E-15 Would Mean to Indiana. 05/12/2009by Gary Truitt
The Environmental Protection Agency is taking public comments on the request to increase the amount of ethanol in the US gasoline supply. Currently about 70% of the nation’s gasoline has 10% ethanol in it. The ethanol industry has requested the EPA increase that level to 15%. Greg Noble, manager of the POET biorefining plant in Jay County, told HAT this move would bring jobs and income to Indiana, “Nationally it will produce about 135,000 new jobs and pump $24 billion into the economy. Here in Indiana the move from 10% to 15% will put $607 million into the economy and create 3,400 new jobs.” He stressed these would be “green” jobs that could not be outsourced overseas. While not impacting a car’s performance, the move to 15% will have a big impact on the corn market, “It will create a greater demand for corn.” Noble said the time is coming soon when corn growers will need that source of increased demand to keep corn prices profitable. Noble urges the ag industry to get behind this move and write a letter of support to the EPA to counter the negative publicity that is being generated against renewable energy. He said this is a test to see just how much support there is for ethanol in ag and rural Indiana. Not only will a higher ethanol blend provide jobs and growth in corn demand, it will help revitalize the ethanol industry that has been suffering during the current recession. Noble said the increased use of ethanol will also reduce the amount of imported oil the US requires, “Moving to a 15% blend of ethanol in our gasoline supply would mean the US would have to import 700 billion fewer gallons of imported gasoline a year.”