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Yeah I live in Nebraska where e10-e85 (we have blender pumps here) is widely available. I work in an automotive store, and I hear all kinds of crazy stuff about ethanol. People parroting what their great uncle told them from the early 80's (I think they called it gasahol back then). Crazy stuff.
Stuff that is just plain wrong: like we're going to run out of corn or something (go tour a ethanol plant...they sell feedstock from the "left over" that very nearly equals their input [remember they only need the starches + enzymes are added to convert that to alchohol]). Plus most of the newer e-plants are starting to remove the corn-oil at the same time (not sure what the yield is), that gets used as bio-diesel.
Truth is, for 90+% of people, they don't lose enough mileage to hardly notice, and those of us that do notice save enough at the pump to make it worth while. Ethanol might not be the ultimate solution to our fuel use, hydrogen and electric cars are, but it sure helps right now with the existing infastructure.
I think e-15 or e20 will be mandated by most mid-western states in the next few years. Only down side is that all those tax breaks and substities never actually make it to the end user. e-15 should be something like 26 cents cheaper/gallon then 87, but its usally around 10 cents different here.
I honestly can't see an excuse NOT to use ethanol blended fuel.
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