I kind of feel indifferent in regards to ethanol. I came from a state where ethanol was widely discouraged and moved to a state where it is widely encouraged. I admit that I need more knowledge to base an opinion on the alternative fuel. On one hand, I really like the idea that it moves us away from our reliance on fossil fuels, but on the other hand, I don’t like the idea that we have to use fossil fuels to create it.
Recently I came upon some facts on ethanol that were interesting and would like to share them with you. Granted, this info did come from the Iowa Corn Org.

American ethanol adds 400,000 jobs, $53.3 billion to the GDP, and $15.9 billion in federal, state and local taxes. In Iowa alone, the industry has added 50,000 new jobs and accounts for $13 billion of Iowa’s GDP.

Each barrel of domestic ethanol displaces 1.2 barrels of imported petroleum.

While the U.S. imports 65% of it’s petroleum needs, domestic ethanol now reduces oil imports by 128,000 barrels each day.

Producing ethanol requires less water than gasoline by a 3 – to – 1 margin.

Ethanol contains 230% more energy than it takes to produce it.

One bushel of corn can produce 2.8 gallons of ethanol, with one-third returning as DDGs to feed livestock, about 17 pounds. Soon the oil will be extracted as an additional by-product of ethanol.

More and more blender pumps are popping up across the country. It blends gas and E85 to make a variety of mid-range blends such as 15, 20, 30, or 85 percent. According to this fact sheet, blender pumps with higher blend options are important to ethanol’s future.