Rep. Frank Cooke published a commentary promoting the increased use of E15 fuel. As with most issues, there are two sides and the commentary that was published only focused on one side, and the numbers cited were a little misleading.
While it is true that E15 fuel is 20 to 25 cents cheaper per gallon, this statement fails to account for the lower energy content of ethanol, which contributes to reduced fuel economy for any vehicle using it. In addition, the increased use of corn in E15 has contributed to the increase in corn prices and food prices in general (though it is very popular politically in corn-producing states to expand corn usage) and the impact on climate change has been overstated due to the increased energy to produce an acre of corn, not to mention the fertilizer, water and other impacts for the lower energy yield of ethanol.
My final concern, and the reason I am writing, is E15 is simply bad for engines since ethanol much more readily attracts water/moisture and contributes to negative impacts on engines and various seals within. My particular concern regards small engines like motorcycles, ATVs, lawn mowers, etc. (which I own) that simply cannot use E15 at all. At minimum, it voids the vehicle warranty and, at worst, it destroys those small engines over time.
The American Motorcyclist Association officially discourages the extension of E15 use because of its negative impact on motorcyclists and small engines. I respectfully ask the representative to look beyond the lobbyists in the corn/farming/ethanol producer communities and please look out for the majority of the citizens of Delaware. Thank you.
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