[Vision2020] E85

[Ted Moffett]

All-

According to this source, E85 is sold at the Stinker Station in Lewiston,
but not in Moscow:

http://www.stinker.com/locations.html

The U of I has engineering research ongoing using biofuels, so they might
know where a local source for gas/ethanol blends could be found:

http://www.today.uidaho.edu/details.aspx?id=3791

The University of Idaho team's two-stroke Rotax DI engine, powered by fuel
that is 90 percent gas and 10 percent ethanol, racked up an impressive
19.6miles-per-gallon on the 100-mile course at Michigan Tech's
Keweenaw Research
Center.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethanol has been in gasoline for years already, here in Moscow at gas
stations, at low percentages.  It's advertised right at the pump.  It is
mandated in Spokane during the winter (unless they're adding something else
as an oxygenate). It has been added to address air quality as an
"oxygenate."  The percentage can vary from 5% on up (read links
below), though the higher perentage blends of ethanol/gas are rare in the
US, in part because so few people drive vehicles that can use the higher
percentage blends.  The corn based ethanol industry is to a large extent a
way to support US farmers and agriculture, with subsidies.  It is not the
most efficient form of biofuel.  Brazil has massive sugar cane based
ethanol, which is more efficient.

Regarding oil profits being extended into the next millennium, even wildly
optimistic estimates of recognized oil reserves and undiscovered oil
exploitation predict no more than 100-150 years before the end of oil,
given projected consumption trends even with conservation, biofuels and
other alternative energy added to the mix.  Hopefully this will never
happen, given that the crisis of fossil fuel emissions inducing global
warming will force a change in behavior so that much of the oil remains in
the ground.  This hope is most likely in vain.

http://www.nwicc.cc.ia.us/pages/continuing/business/ethanol/Module4.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_ethanol_fuel_mixtures

Ted Moffett

On 7/26/07, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:

>  What I understand is that there are two types of ethanol on the
> "market".  Ethanol 30 and Ethanol 80 (sometimes referred to as "Ethanol
> 85").  I further understand that the oil industry strongly supports Ethanol
> 30 as the "adoption" of Ethanol 30 would not cut into the oil industry's
> bottom line (and would extend their profits into the next millennium) as
> much as Ethanol 80 would.
>
>
>
> Seeya round town, Moscow.
>
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>
> "We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college
> students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."
>
> - Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)
>  ------------------------------
>
> *From:* vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:
> vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] *On Behalf Of *Dan Carscallen
> *Sent:* Thursday, July 26, 2007 6:52 AM
> *To:* vision2020 at moscow.com
> *Subject:* [Vision2020] E85
>
>
>
> I just read a letter to the editor in the Trib that says the Stinker
> Station at the top of Thain Grade is selling E85 ethanol blend (85% ethanol,
> 15% gasoline).  Doing some research, I see that E85 has an octane rating of
> 105.  The feller also claims in his letter that it's $0.35 cheaper than
> regular gasoline.  I've read in other places that, even though they don't
> quite get the fuel mileage out of the E85, they still come out ahead
> dollar-wise due to the price difference.
>
>
>
> Anyone know if there's any available here in town?  I'd like to try it out
> in my dirt bike or ATV.  Not sure if it will work in my rigs since they
> aren't "flex-fuel" engines.  It probably won't work in them, but in my
> KTM525, 105 octane would go a long ways toward preventing detonation.
>
>
>
> DC
>
>
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