Quote:
Originally Posted by Xist
Is there any compelling reason to not subsidize sugarcane?
Besides, which do you really prefer, high-fructose corn syrup or actual sugar?
|
There are many reasons not to subsidize sugarcane, along with most anything else. Artificially manipulating supply/demand by taking money from tax payers and re-distributing to special interest groups is inefficient, unethical, and almost always has unforeseen negative externalities.
It distorts the true cost of producing something.
... and yes, I do prefer high-fructose corn syrup to "actual sugar" for most things. I was born and raised in the US, so of course I'm going to like HFCS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee
We did? When?
|
Here...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Dave
E85 has about two-thirds the heating value of RUG. Heating value (not octane rating) is what turns the wheels. Yet E85 costs a good deal more than two-thirds of RUG, usually about 80% of the price of RUG.
...High compression engines emit more NOx than low compression engines on a "per HP-hr" basis. EPA regs forbid manufacturers from emitting too much NOx so they sell you low compression engines. So don't look for high compression E85 engines.
|
As for the cost...
Nebraska has the biggest E85 to E10 gas spread, but it too falls short of delivering more energy per dollar. Wackyfornia has only an 18% spread, when the break-even price would need to be more than 30%. In the state I currently live, E85 has only a 5% difference in price with E10.
Since E85 has only 70% of the energy content of gasoline, it needs to cost 70% or less the price of gasoline.
Quote:
Originally Posted by roosterk0031
"Ethanol Producers are required to keep all alcohol denaturing records. The Ethanol Producer may denature alcohol by adding gasoline or natural gasoline to it in amounts equal to at least 5 gallons of gasoline for each 95 gallons of alcohol. The alcohol may also be denatured by any other method common in the industry. All alcohol for in-state sale or distribution must be denatured prior to being delivered into a delivery vehicle. Splash blending is not an acceptable means for denaturing alcohol"
|
This is the part that pisses me off the most. A bottle of Everclear costs a small fortune, but a gallon of ethanol for burning in a car is relatively cheap. The gov't has no business making small quantities of alcohol cost a lot, and making large quantities unsuitable for consumption.
It's like I live in an insane as asylum and none of the patients realize they are crazy.