The reason for this proposed law is because current law requires a certain volume of ethanol to be blended, regardless of gasoline sales volumes. The gas volumes are lower than expected, so the current law would require greater than 10% ethanol in gas.
I looked at the map. It says Haffners carries it (Nashua, Milford). Only place nearby me is Hampton or Plum Island airfields. You canāt fill up a car there since itās aviation fuel that isnāt taxed for road use.
I was surprised to see itās not mandated by law in NH. The key seems to be that there are federal subsidies that support it.
You can thank GWB II and the GOP congress.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Policy_Act_of_2005
the Act increases the amount of biofuel (usually ethanol) that must be mixed with gasoline sold in the United States to 4 billion US gallons (15,000,000 m3) by 2006, 6.1 billion US gallons (23,000,000 m3) by 2009 and 7.5 billion US gallons (28,000,000 m3) by 2012;[3] two years later, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 extended the target to 36 billion US gallons (140,000,000 m3) by 2022.
1 Like
Yeah and Nixon gave us the 55 mph speed limit too. More reason to dislodge the GOP/DFL establishment. No need to get into a listing of what nasty stuff each side has done-it hasnāt been pretty. The thing is though that this stuff is normally not written by politicians but by the hired agency staff that are not accountable to anyone and have their own personal career objectives. Especially on the rule-making implementation side of the laws. Like usual there is always an argument to make for everything, like encouraging energy self-sufficiency, but then the law of unintended consequences takes over.
How to unravel it? Starts with the top but then I always found severe budget restrictions helps to weed out all the extraneous stuff.
1 Like
Ethanol was a nice try when it was introduced, we should look for any way to keep from relying on foreign sources of fuel. But corn is not the most efficient way of making ethanol, but the strong corn lobby makes it hard to change. Switch grass, sugar cane and some others are much better, but you canāt grow them everywhere like corn. Indirectly the govt is forcing us to use ethanol in mandating that about 10% of fuel used have ethanol. The suppliers have no choice but to push E10 gas. This bill prevents that % from being increased. I like Georgeās idea of letting the consumer buy the blend they want. As long as the price / mpg made sense I would buy some ethanol fuel. But that makes sense and we are dealing with the govt. so we have no hope for that.
Ethanol free gas is illegal for over-the -road use in NH. It is available for boats (marine use), and for off road and race vehicles.
The ethanol free gas doesnāt include the 18c/gal gas tax charged for over-the-road use. The taxās purpose is allegedly to support highway maintenance and projects. Farm equipment, marine equipment, and other equipment that does not go on the roads do not affect the cost of maintaining roads, so itās allowed to use the untaxed fuel, which is also the fuel without ethanol.
1 Like
If ethanol isnāt used to increase the octane rating, what will be used? Among the reasons it is used are low cost and it is environmentally friendly. We donāt want to go back to dangerous substances like MTBE.
1 Like
How much more will gasoline cost if this freedom to choose other octane enhancers is allowed? Those enhancers will have to be qualified safe environmentally. Iām skeptical that it would work without raising the cost substantially, but Iām willing to listen to facts on the subject.
Politics is the biggest player in ethanol
and
The oil field and corn field were married politically when oil was struggling against a political storm from many fronts. With the advent of gasohol midwest corn states became bed partners with oil states and the wheels were greased with regard to oil politics. Oil and corn got the gold and we got the shaft.
Jt, youāve made a good point to which I have no ready answer. 
Rod, I consider ethanol to be 100% politics. Iām not sure there are even any 85% stations in my area. Itās legal, but thereās no demand. I donāt know personally anyone who owns a flex-fuel vehicle. The percentage of people that want it is miniscule.
It is possible that in some other countries the market may be far different, I donāt really know. But in my circles, nobody wants 85%. Or even 15%.
I dunno, I question that political analysis. Itād take more than ethanol to make Minnesota a swing state. I think Teddy Roosevelt was the last GOP candidate Minnesota ever went for. I havenāt looked though but its heavily left wing and the whole rural population is only half with the other heavy metro. Same thing with South Dakota. I think George McGovern was the last DFL they went for.
Prove it. Everything I can find shows only seven states have laws requiring it be sold in that state. NH is not one of them. The EPA mandates a certain volume (percentage) be blended with ethanol or other biofuels but it is not a law in NH. Cite a reputable resource supporting your assertionā¦
ā¦or he could simply cite the statute that makes it illegal. That might be easier.
I was thinking of asking Mountainbike to cite the statute, but I didnāt want to be argumentative.
1 Like
I know many. Almost every full size GM or Fied SUV and pickup sold here is flex fuel. Last I checked we have 1 85% ethanol fuel station in NH.
1 Like
TT, I have absolutely no intention of proving it to you.
Or of proving anything else to you, for that matter.
Alright, at least everyone knows that when you say something to refute others (2x in this instance), you have no intention of actually backing it up or even admitting it might be wrong. If thatās how you want to be perceived, no skin off my back.
For those that actually care, here are references refuting that statement-
I donāt understand why not. You seem so sure about the legal status of ethanol-free fuel in NH. Why should it be any trouble to cite the law to which youāve already repeatedly referred?
Can anyone who claims to be knowledgeable about the issue cite the relevant statute? Iāve tried, unsuccessfully, to find it online.
After discovering how often misinformation gets spread, I tend to not take legal advice from gas station attendants (unless they can cite the relevant statute) because they often misunderstand or misapply what they see and hear. You know how the grapevine works. By the time a rumor makes to our ears, it often bears no resemblance to the truth, or even to the original rumor.
I did a little Google research regarding NHās requirement of ethanol-blended fuels. I havenāt yet found anything that requires it state-wide, but I did find the following:
From the U.S. Energy Information Administration (June 16, 2016): āThe state ā¦ requires reformulated motor gasoline blended with ethanol to limit ozone formation in the populated areas of southeastern New Hampshire.ā
And from the NH Dept. of Environmental Services (2013): āIn New Hampshire, the use of RFG is part of the State Implementation Plan (SIP), the stateās written strategy to reduce ozone in the four southeastern counties of Merrimack, Hillsborough, Rockingham and Strafford counties.ā They define RFG (reformulated gas) as fuel that āconforms to pollution reduction requirements established by the EPAā¦[which] may include some level of ethanol that is an oxygenateā¦ā
āConventionalā gas is also available in NH, which NH defines as āgasoline that does not meet pollution reduction requirements.ā This conventional gas may also contain ethanol.
So it seems only four NH counties require ethanol-blended gas, or more specifically RFG, which may contain ethanol.
2 Likes
My boss recently told me there is a Florida law that requires newly purchased state-owned vehicles to be flex fuel vehicles that can handle E-85. Rather than take his word for it, Iāve been searching online for the relevant statute. Now Iām beginning to wonder if this was just a rumor too.
That could be true, though according to the USEIA, āFlorida has repealed its requirement that all motor gasoline be blended with ethanolā. I donāt know how that affects state vehicles.
I found this for NH:
āState law requires the use of a biodiesel blend in state vehicles unless the blend costs more than all-petroleum fuelā.
No mention of flex-fuel or E85.