OPEI Sponsors Ethanol Webinar for National Association of Agricultural Educators

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute sponsored an ethanol Webinar Sept. 29 for members of the National Association of Agricultural Educators as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. The webinar, “Ethanol at the Pump: How Will it Revolutionize the Industry?” focused on the challenge of transitioning existing engines to use more ethanol.

The goal of the webinar was to educate and inform participants about ethanol and mid-level ethanol blends. Kris Kiser, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s vice president of public affairs, spoke about the concerns that members of his organization have towards self-directed ethanol blender pumps. One major concern is that consumers may not realize it’s currently illegal to use fuel containing more than 10 percent ethanol in standard engines, he said. The institute would like pumps to be labels more clearly to help consumers understand they will void engine warranties if they use higher ethanol blends in anything other than a flex-fuel vehicle.

Kiser emphasized that the institute is not anti-ethanol. However, they do want an open, honest and educated environment during a transition to new fuels. “Manufacturers can design an engine to run on nearly anything,” he said. What Outdoor Power Equipment Institute wants is a fully informed public that understands how new fuel blends may impact their engines, Kiser added.

Joan Glickman, U.S. DOE’s team lead for biofuels infrastructure, said the E10 market is expected to be saturated at approximately 14 billion gallons. The current renewable fuels standard mandates the use of 36 billion gallons by 2022. Glickman spoke of DOE’s strategy for expanding ethanol use by increasing the use of E85 and determining the feasibility of using intermediate ethanol blends in conventional vehicles.

The Renewable Fuels Association’s Director of Research Geoff Cooper also presented during the webinar. According to Cooper, ethanol benefits the public by reducing gasoline prices, oil imports and greenhouse gas emissions. It also creates jobs and economic activity. He predicts that the industry will continue to expand in the future, including commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol production, and it will continue to gain in efficiency.