Issues and Findings

Abstract

Gasohol is a mixture of one part ethanol (commonly known as grain alcohol " or beverage alcohol) and nine parts unleaded gasoline. The ethanol can be produced from several types of plant material using technology that is currently available, and in most cases gasohol can be substituted for gasoline with only minor changes in mileage and performance. Another type of gasohol can be produced with one part methanol (" wood alcohol " or methyl alcohol) and nineteen parts gasoline. Although a consideration of this fuel is not included here, methanol fuel will be included in the later report on Energy from Biological Processes. This memorandum addresses the major technical, economic, environmental and social factors related to gasohol production and use. It also contains a summary of the current federal gasohol programs and policies but does not include an analysis of policy options. The most important points developed in this report are summarized below as brief discussions of crucial questions. o WILL USING GASOHOL SAVE GASOLINE? The amount of premium fuels (oil and natural gas) displaced by ethanol depends critically on the boiler fuel used at the ethanol distillery and the way the ethanol is used in gasohol. The distillery producing most of the fuel ethanol today uses natural gas as a boiler fuel and the ethanol is used to produce a high octane gasohol. Because local conditions enable this distillery to be particularly energy efficient, the use of gasohol made this way currently saves 1/3 gallon of gasoline and natural gas energy