The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 201
and it's a typical incorrect criticism of ethanol, is that it requires more energy to
produce a gallon of ethanol than the energy it produces. This is often referred
to as EROEI (energy returned on energy invested). The notion that ethanol is
negative EROEI is incorrect. The study conducted by Ted Pimentel and Tad
Patzek is pretty much the originator of the negative EROEI theory. That study
has been discredited several times over by subsequent studies conducted by
the U.S. government's labs and by universities - including the university that
hosted Patzek (UC Berkeley).
The subsequent studies actually showed that gasoline and other petroleum oil
products are EROEI negative. If you have a real interest in learning more about
this you can find an hour-long video online of a C-SPAN debate of Pimentel/Patzek vs. Bruce Dale and John Sheehan.
The question in my mind is whether you know you are wrong and just posting
the information for some unknown purpose, or do you not know you are incorrect.
So, because I'm not sure what motivated your post I'll respond as if I'm talking
to other readers who are seeking truthful information, and you can just follow
along.
All sources of energy have been highly subsidized by the government; this is
true whether we are discussing nuclear, hydroelectric, thermal, solar, bio, or
fossil. But the single largest recipient of governmental subsidies has been for
petroleum oil-related products. There are subsidies that were granted to the
petroleum industry a century ago that have never been retired, and remember
that the petroleum industry is a very, very profitable industry. If all subsidies and
allowances granted to the oil industry were removed today, and the oil industry
had to pay for U.S. military protection for defense of the oil fields and worldwide
shipping, gasoline could cost $15 to $20 per gallon. To single out ethanol is an
unfair and wrong criticism.
Moreover, while there had been an at-the-pump government subsidy of ethanol,
that subsidy was discontinued nearly two years ago. Yet, E85 without the subsidy is still less expensive at the pump than E10 or non-ethanol gasoline.
To say that ethanol left in the fuel system of an idle engine is junk within 6
months may be true, but it's also true of gasoline - perhaps more so. It's not
helpful to debate which is worse, the point is that you should not leave fuel in
the fuel system of an engine that sits idle for 6 months. If you do so you can
