Better ethanol availability makes sense in Nebraska

The car had a 2.9 liter, four cylinder engine and unfortunately got only 13 to 21 miles per gallon, but it was flex-fuel, burning gasoline, kerosene or ethanol -- farmers were even encouraged to brew their own fuel.

Today's vehicles have a lot better mileage than the 1908 Ford Model T, specifications listed above, but rarely burn as much alcohol as they are able to, thanks to misconceptions about ethanol and unavailability of E85 and flex-fuel pumps.

The idea of farmers brewing their own fuel was derailed by Prohibition, but it's ironic that ethanol fuel, at least at a blend higher than 10 percent, is difficult to buy in Nebraska, which at 1.8 billion gallons, is the second leading state in ethanol production.

Yes, some engines don't do well on ethanol, and mileage is not as good as straight gasoline, but anything which reduces the amount of oil we import from the Middle East is worth what little sacrifice it involves.

USDA Rural Development Nebraska State Director Maxine Moul joined the Nebraska Ethanol Baord, Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Energy Office in York at the Aurora Cooperative to persuade gasoline retailers to help the Obama Administration reach its goal of establishing 10,000 more flexible fuel pumps in the next five years, as well as produce 36 billion gallons of biofuel per year by 2022.

While nearly all retail gasoline stations dispense an E10 blend, flexible fuel or ethanol blender pumps can dispense E15, E30 and E85 as well.

There are nearly 100,000 flex fuel vehicles in Nebraska, and ethanol sales have increased 45-55 percent in the last year in stations that have installed flex fuel pumps in the state, according to the Nebraska Corn Board.

Retailers can receive a 25 percent grant up to $500,000 and a 75 percent guaranteed loan up to $25 million. The Nebraska Corn board offers a $5,000 per station flexible fuel pump installation grant, and the Nebraska Corn Board offers a $5,000 per station flexible fuel pump installation grant and the Nebraska Energy Office offers 2.5 percent interest rate loans.

More information on USDA Rural Development's Rural Energy for America Program is avialble at www.rurdeve.usda.gov/ne/Energy_energy_home.htm or by contacting Deb Yocum at (402) 437-5554, debra.yocum@ne.usda.gov

Most of us wouldn't go to the trouble of setting up a still to keep our modern-day "Tin Lizzy" on the road, but given the choice and the chance, we would tank up with ethanol.