By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued final targets for the amount of ethanol to be blended into gasoline in 2017, relying on expanded voluntary sales of E15 (gas that contains 15% ethanol) in order to meet the targets. The EPA is required to set ethanol targets under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a law designed to reduce the nation’s dependency on foreign oil.
Ethanol produced from corn has been the primary fuel used to meet the RFS mandates. However, ethanol can cause metal corrosion and dissolve certain plastics and rubbers in automobiles produced before 2001 that were not constructed with ethanol-resistant materials, especially when the ethanol is in higher concentrations, such as E15. SEMA is hopeful that 2017 will provide an opportunity to reform the RFS in ways that protect the industry and the enthusiast community from E15.
For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.