http://archive.columbiatribune.com/2006/ap...0426news008.asp Senate mandates ethanol content for most gas By JOSH FLORY of the Tribune’s staff Published Wednesday, April 26, 2006 JEFFERSON CITY - The Senate yesterday approved a mandate that ethanol be blended with most gasoline sold in Missouri, but only after some Republican senators took the opportunity to bash the measure. Carried in the Senate by Sen. John Cauthorn, R-Mexico, the bill requires gasoline sold in Missouri to be blended with 10 percent ethanol beginning in 2008. Jet fuel and premium gasoline would be exempt, and the mandate would not apply if distributors were unable to buy ethanol-blended gasoline at the same price as or less than regular gas. *Passed the house today but couldn't find any publication this early...the news is red hot off the TV! The Govenor is expected to sign the bill. Sounds like they've got some outs "if unable to buy ethanol-blended at the same price as or less than regular gas."
Our local Casey's in Warrensburg, MO already carries E10. I haven't tried it yet, I know John 1701a uses it in Minn. and notices a slight decrease in MPG but it's better for the environment so it's a push. I wonder if most of the corn that is grown locally here in MO goes toward food/feed/high fructose corn syrup or to ethanol plants? Is the corn for ethanol manufacturing plants a different variety than the food kind?????
The vast majority of corn grown in this country feeds cattle and other livestock. The nice thing about ethanol production is that the distillers' grains left over are actually a marketable cattle feed. I'm pretty sure they use different types of corn for different purposes. Seem to vaguely recall reading about that somewhere. Corn ethanol seems to be a marginal GHG reducer (still a lot of debate about it) but it is good for energy security and oil price shocks.
