Worldwide Ethanol Production Soars

According to the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance, worldwide ethanol production is expected to reach 22.6 billion gallons in 2010. This is approximately 1 million barrels per day that can replace over 370 million barrels of oil!

Ethanol is a biofuel derived from eventual fermentation and distillation of plant matter into a usable fuel. Current blending is 10% ethanol and 90% petroleum and the EPA will soon decide whether ethanol blends can reach 15% to increase domestic levels of ethanol usage. Flexible-fuel vehicles (FFV) can have E85, which blends 85% ethanol with 15% gasoline, and heavy-duty vehicles can use E95, which blends 95% ethanol with 5% gasoline. Colorado has 85 E85 stations all over the state!

Even E10 fuel can reduce carbon monoxide emissions from older vehicles up to 25% and decrease hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides and nitrous oxides emissions from vehicles (DOE). Greater domestic usage of ethanol, like other types of biofuels, will increase jobs and energy security. The Renewable Fuels Association's Ethanol Industry Outlook 2009 Report showed that the ethanol industry in 2008 added $65 billion to GDP and helped create more than 494,000 jobs!