Ethanol Future

The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced it was delaying a decision that ethanol producers are waiting for Jim Olson reports on the that and other factors that could determine the future of ethanol production in North Dakota The EPA won t decide until at least this summer if it will declare that all motor vehicles can safely use 15-percent ethanol Currently the limit is 10 alcohol in gasoline for all cars and trucks Jeff Zueger Blue Flint Ethanol GM Right now you have E-10 and that s the bulk of the gallons that are blended in Go to E-15 and you ve increased that 50 so it s very significant for the industry so we get those types of technology issues behind us Jeff Zueger is general manager at Blue Flint Ethanol near Underwood His plant is pumping out 60 million gallons of ethanol per year over it s official capacity but he thinks a favorable ruling by the EPA would be good for the industry and spur development of ethanol made from things other than corn For instance he says his plant could be converted to make ethanol from non-food organic material Jeff Zueger Blue Flint Ethanol GM A corn-based starch-based conversion facility like this could be converted over to a cellulosic-based and move into the advanced bio-fuel as opposed to the corn feed stock He considers the EPA decision crucial since ethanol s growth has been hampered by problems with E-85 - not quality or performance problems but rather more like chicken and egg problems Jeff Zueger Blue Flint Ethanol GM E-85 has had its challenges There hasn t been as many flex fuel vehicles produced and move into the market as had been anticipated It s kind of a what comes first do you get vehicles there before the fueling infrastructure is there or do you get the fueling infrastructure before the vehicles That s why Zueger hopes the EPA decides to allow an increase in ethanol at the pump to help push more growth in the fuel he says has many advantages Jeff Zueger Blue Flint Ethanol GM Economically it s very positive environmentally very positive and on a national level energy independence is one of our national objectives and it works us toward energy independence Near Underwood Jim Olson KX News