Another blow to ethanol burning cars....

It seems a large percentage of the Iowa Corn Crop is drowning. Oh, No... How will we ever get everyone convinced that ethanol is a green fuel you can rely on; when it is at the mercy of mothernature. Crop failures could equal less fuel, less food & even less whiskey. I guess we had better rethink that one..

reply to post by HippieontheHill


there is more than one source for ethanol
'cellulosic" ethanol i believe it is called is the same fuel and it is available from decomposing plant matter-wood chips etc.
it is so good the Corvette race team uses it all over...
clean burning easy to find foriegn independent fuel and the cars are so frighteningly fast
not a blow to ethanol, a set back to corn made ethanol... go to corvetteracing dot com to check it out. in fact much of the fuel advances no have been sharpened and created in racing as of late thanks to the 24 hours of LeMans, and the american series of relation (American LeMans Series or ALMS) and the 24 hr endurance races in Japan
racing is good and new tech to keep it interesting is better.

reply to post by fiorano


Interesting. I have also heard of a burnable form of ethanol, made solely by bacteria digesting organic materials, such a as switch grass, sugar cane wastes and alage. I bet Exxon, wants that kept quite.

reply to post by fiorano


don't give me that 'in a few years' nonsense.


the current situation is different and the exisiting array of factories will not be converted anytime soon, it's obvious just by looking at the number of facilities:

from www.abovetopsecret.com...

Abengoa Bioenergy Corp. York, NE Corn/milo 55
Colwich, KS 25

Portales, NM 30
Ravenna, NE 88
Aberdeen Energy* Mina, SD Corn 100
Absolute Energy, LLC* St. Ansgar, IA Corn 100
ACE Ethanol, LLC Stanley, WI Corn 41
Adkins Energy, LLC* Lena, IL Corn 40
Advanced Bioenergy Fairmont, NE Corn 100
AGP* Hastings, NE Corn 52
Agri-Energy, LLC* Luverne, MN Corn 21
Al-Corn Clean Fuel* Claremont, MN Corn 35 15
Amaizing Energy, LLC* Denison, IA Corn 48
Atlantic, IA Corn 110
Archer Daniels Midland Decatur, IL Corn 1,070 550
Cedar Rapids, IA Corn
Clinton, IA Corn
Columbus, NE Corn
Marshall, MN Corn
Peoria, IL Corn
Wallhalla, ND Corn/barley
Arkalon Energy, LLC Liberal, KS Corn 110
Aventine Renewable Energy, LLC Pekin, IL Corn 207 226
Aurora, NE Corn
Mt. Vernon, IN Corn
Badger State Ethanol, LLC* Monroe, WI Corn 48
Big River Resources, LLC* West Burlington, IA Corn 52
BioEnergy International Clearfield, PA Corn 110
BioFuel Energy - Pioneer Trail Energy, LLC Wood River, NE Corn 115
BioFuel Energy - Buffalo Lake Energy, LLC Fairmont, MN Corn 115
BioFuel International Clearfield, PA Corn 110
Blue Flint Ethanol Underwood, ND Corn 50
Bonanza Energy, LLC Garden City, KS Corn/milo 55
Bushmills Ethanol, Inc.* Atwater, MN Corn 40
Calgren Pixley, CA Corn 55
Cardinal Ethanol Harrisville, IN Corn 100
Cargill, Inc. Blair, NE Corn 85
Eddyville, IA Corn 35
Cascade Grain Clatskanie, OR Corn 108
Castle Rock Renewable Fuels, LLC Necedah, WI Corn 50
Center Ethanol Company Sauget, IL Corn 54
Central Indiana Ethanol, LLC Marion, IN Corn 40
Central MN Ethanol Coop* Little Falls, MN Corn 21.5
Chief Ethanol Hastings, NE Corn 62
Chippewa Valley Ethanol Co.* Benson, MN Corn 45
Cilion Ethanol Keyes, CA Corn 50
Commonwealth Agri-Energy, LLC* Hopkinsville, KY Corn 33
Corn, LP* Goldfield, IA Corn 50
Cornhusker Energy Lexington, LLC Lexington, NE Corn 40
Corn Plus, LLP* Winnebago, MN Corn 44
Coshoctan Ethanol, OH Coshoctan, OH Corn 60
Dakota Ethanol, LLC* Wentworth, SD Corn 50
DENCO, LLC Morris, MN Corn 21.5
Didion Ethanol Cambria, WI Corn 40
E Energy Adams, LLC Adams, NE Corn 50
E Caruso (Goodland Energy Center) Goodland, KS Corn 20
East Kansas Agri-Energy, LLC* Garnett, KS Corn 35
Elkhorn Valley Ethanol, LLC Norfolk, NE Corn 40
ESE Alcohol Inc. Leoti, KS Seed corn 1.5
Ethanol Grain Processors, LLC Obion, TN Corn 100
First United Ethanol, LLC (FUEL) Mitchell Co., GA Corn 100
Front Range Energy, LLC Windsor, CO Corn 40
Gateway Ethanol Pratt, KS Corn 55
Glacial Lakes Energy, LLC* Watertown, SD Corn 100
Global Ethanol/Midwest Grain Processors Lakota, IA Corn 95
Riga, MI Corn 57
Golden Cheese Company of California* Corona, CA Cheese whey 5
Golden Grain Energy, LLC* Mason City, IA Corn 110 50
Golden Triangle Energy, LLC* Craig, MO Corn 20
Grain Processing Corp. Muscatine, IA Corn 20
Granite Falls Energy, LLC* Granite Falls, MN Corn 52
Greater Ohio Ethanol, LLC Lima, OH Corn 54
Green Plains Renewable Energy Shenandoah, IA Corn 50
Superior, IA Corn 50
Hawkeye Renewables, LLC Iowa Falls, IA Corn 105
Fairbank, IA Corn 115
Menlo, IA Corn 100
Shell Rock, IA Corn 110
Heartland Corn Products* Winthrop, MN Corn 100
Heartland Grain Fuels, LP* Aberdeen, SD Corn 9
Huron, SD Corn 12 18
Heron Lake BioEnergy, LLC Heron Lake, MN Corn 50
Holt County Ethanol O'Neill, NE Corn 100
Homeland Energy New Hampton, IA Corn 100
Husker Ag, LLC* Plainview, NE Corn 26.5
Idaho Ethanol Processing Caldwell, ID Potato Waste 4
Illinois River Energy, LLC Rochelle, IL Corn 50
Indiana Bio-Energy Bluffton, IN Corn 101
Iroquois Bio-Energy Company, LLC Rensselaer, IN Corn 40
KAAPA Ethanol, LLC* Minden, NE Corn 40
Kansas Ethanol, LLC Lyons, KS Corn 55
KL Process Design Group Upton, WY Wood waste 1.5
Land O' Lakes* Melrose, MN Cheese whey 2.6
Levelland/Hockley County Ethanol, LLC Levelland, TX Corn 40
Lifeline Foods, LLC St. Joseph, MO Corn 40
Lincolnland Agri-Energy, LLC* Palestine, IL Corn 48
Lincolnway Energy, LLC* Nevada, IA Corn 50
Little Sioux Corn Processors, LP* Marcus, IA Corn 52
Marquis Energy, LLC Hennepin, IL Corn 100
Marysville Ethanol, LLC Marysville, MI Corn 50
Merrick & Company Golden, CO Waste beer 3
MGP Ingredients, Inc. Pekin, IL Corn/wheat starch 78
Atchison, KS
Mid America Agri Products/Wheatland Madrid, NE Corn 44
Mid America Agri Products/Horizon Cambridge, NE Corn 44
Mid-Missouri Energy, Inc.* Malta Bend, MO Corn 45
Midwest Renewable Energy, LLC Sutherland, NE Corn 25
Minnesota Energy* Buffalo Lake, MN Corn 18
NEDAK Ethanol Atkinson, NE Corn 44
New Energy Corp. South Bend, IN Corn 102
Nexsun Ethanol LLC Ulysses, KS Corn 40
North Country Ethanol, LLC* Rosholt, SD Corn 20
Northeast Biofuels Volney, NY Corn 114
Northwest Renewable, LLC Longview, WA Corn 55
Otter Tail Ag Enterprises Fergus Falls, MN Corn 57.5
Pacific Ethanol Madera, CA Corn 40
Boardman, OR Corn 40
Burley, ID Corn 50
Stockton, CA Corn 50
Panda Ethanol Hereford, TX Corn/milo 115
Parallel Products Louisville, KY Beverage waste 5.4
R. Cucamonga, CA
Patriot Renewable Fuels, LLC Annawan, IL Corn 100
Penford Products Cedar Rapids, IA Corn 45
Phoenix Biofuels Goshen, CA Corn 25
Pinal Energy, LLC Maricopa, AZ Corn 55
Pine Lake Corn Processors, LLC* Steamboat Rock, IA Corn 20
Platinum Ethanol, LLC* Arthur, IA Corn 110
Plymouth Ethanol, LLC* Merrill, IA Corn 50
POET Sioux Falls, SD 1331 195
Alexandria, IN Corn
Ashton, IA Corn
Big Stone, SD Corn
Bingham Lake, MN Corn
Caro, MI Corn
Chancellor, SD Corn
Coon Rapids, IA Corn
Corning, IA Corn
Emmetsburg, IA Corn
Fostoria, OH Corn #
Glenville, MN Corn
Gowrie, IA Corn
Groton, SD Corn
Hanlontown, IA Corn
Hudson, SD Corn
Jewell, IA Corn
Laddonia, MO Corn
Lake Crystal, MN Corn
Leipsic, OH Corn
Macon, MO Corn
Marion, OH Corn #
Mitchell, SD Corn
North Manchester, IN Corn #
Portland, IN Corn
Preston, MN Corn
Scotland, SD Corn
Prairie Horizon Agri-Energy, LLC Phillipsburg, KS Corn 40
Quad-County Corn Processors* Galva, IA Corn 27
Range Fuels Soperton, GA Wood waste 20
Red Trail Energy, LLC Richardton, ND Corn 50
Redfield Energy, LLC * Redfield, SD Corn 50
Reeve Agri-Energy Garden City, KS Corn/milo 12
Renew Energy Jefferson Junction, WI Corn 130
Show Me Ethanol Carrollton, MO Corn 55
Siouxland Energy & Livestock Coop* Sioux Center, IA Corn 60
Siouxland Ethanol, LLC Jackson, NE Corn 50
Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, LLC * Council Bluffs, IA Corn 110
Sterling Ethanol, LLC Sterling, CO Corn 42
Tate & Lyle Loudon, TN Corn 67 38
Ft. Dodge, IA Corn 105
The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC Albion, MI Corn 55
The Andersons Clymers Ethanol, LLC Clymers, IN Corn 110
The Andersons Marathon Ethanol, LLC Greenville, OH Corn 110
Tharaldson Ethanol Casselton, ND Corn 110
Trenton Agri Products, LLC Trenton, NE Corn 40
United Ethanol Milton, WI Corn 52
United WI Grain Producers, LLC* Friesland, WI Corn 49
Utica Energy, LLC Oshkosh, WI Corn 48
VeraSun Energy Corporation Aurora, SD Corn 1,090 550
Ft. Dodge, IA Corn
Albion, NE Corn
Charles City, IA Corn
Linden, IN Corn
Welcome, MN Corn #
Hartely, IA Corn #
Bloomingburg, OH Corn
Albert City, IA Corn
Woodbury, MI Corn
Hankinson, ND Corn #
Central City , NE Corn
Ord, NE Corn
Dyersville, IA Corn #
Janesville, MN Corn #
Marion, SD Corn
Verenium Jennings, LA Sugar Cane bagasse 1.5
Western New York Energy, LLC Shelby, NY Corn 50
Western Plains Energy, LLC* Campus, KS Corn 45
Western Wisconsin Renewable Energy, LLC* Boyceville, WI Corn 40
White Energy Hereford, TX Corn/Milo 100
Russell, KS Milo/wheat starch 48
Plainview, TX Corn 100
Wind Gap Farms Baconton, GA Brewery waste 0.4
Renova Energy Torrington, WY Corn 5
Xethanol BioFuels, LLC Blairstown, IA Corn 5
Yuma Ethanol Yuma, CO Corn 40

Total Current Capacity at

160 ethanol biorefineries 9,245.4
Total Under Construction (45)/Expansions (7) 4,518
Total Capacity 13,763.4

better viewed at

www.ethanolrfa.org...

nearly all of them process CORN

ie. while you were writing your disinfo, a few tons of food literally went down the drain, heading for the exhaust.

as for 'good'

zfacts.com...

it contains less energy, being partially oxidated, therefore decreasing mileage considerably.

Good for Whom ?

may i ask..

it is so good the Corvette race team uses it all over...

sure, what's a snake oil peddler without enthusiastic reviews and solid PR ploys?


[edit on 2008.6.21 by Long Lance]

it is n't so much PR
but it is a test of different fuels
yes the ethanol makes more power, but it provides less economy, ofcourse it burns cleaner as any alcohol and it is renewably and easily sourced rather than pumping liquid dinosaurs.
i think it is a pretty neat idea and a good second or new fuel source.
i have used E85 in cars before and you'd be hard pressed to note the difference, and it was a little cheaper offsetting the small drop in 'economy' which really doesn't matter as the money is at least going back to the good US of A in this case..

if you merely 'test' a new fuel, do you build 100 factories around the nation and guarantee subsidies until the cows come home, OR do you build a handful prototypical test communities, which will then accumulate statistical data to compare, so you can finally make a sound decision based on fact?

of course the first option is always preferred and when the inevitable crash with reality comes, fueling racecars and playing to peoples' fears is the way to apply a bandaid in the struggle of public perception, isn't it?.

biofuels as of now are harmful any way you look at it, even the GHG comparison reveals this, and the greenhouse fear is BS all by itself. lies havse short legs i presume and the odd contradiction or inconsistency is bound to reveal it from time to time.

Remember this: If cars are converted to running on purely ethanol, EVERYONE CAN MAKE THEIR OWN FUEL.

People did it in the 20s and 30s. It was made by something called a "still", and was called "moonshine", albeit was for a different purpose.

Not many people have enough money to dig a hole deep in the ground, and process what comes out of it into fuel to run a car.

Just about everyone can afford some propane (for heat), some copper tubing, corn, wheat, potatoes, GRASS CLIPPINGS, etc. (basically, anything that yeast can eat).

THAT is the reason they want ethanol to fail. Not because it will "use all our food", but that people will be able to create their OWN fuel.

conversely, growing oil seeds does the same for diesel engines, which appear to be more useful for things like trucking, operating machinery and so on. it's a niche market and noone said you should ditch your efforts, i just don't see the point of forcibly introducing it into a mass market, which is bound to lead to ridiculous inefficiency. what do these facilities have to do with your homebrewn ethanol anyway?

the idea of making your own fuel, as romantic as it sounds is a bit unrealistic, because a car capable of running on E10 might not digest E100 and conversion for the capability does not force you into using it. if MBTE or similar additives can be replaced by using E05, i'm more or less ok with it, but nothing can mask the resulting strain on the world's food supply.

you might say it'll be worth it, which remains to be seen. until then you've got to make sure that your distillery is efficient and feedstock plenty. i severely doubt that it'll come for free, btw, so, in a nutshell, anyone can make their own fuel but not everyone, because there isn't enough feedstock.