Corny Requirements

Almost no corn is grown in Montana.  The growing season is too short and the climate too dry for high yield corn production.  But in Montana, like the rest of the country, most of the fuel sold at filling stations is a blend of gasoline and corn-based ethanol, resulting from a government requirement of dubious environmental value.  It's a great benefit to the corn lobby and a special perk sought and received by Senators in corn producing states.  On the one hand the Federal Government drives up corn prices by requiring refineries mix ethanol with gasoline.  On the other hand, consumers, and the government through the Food Stamp program, are shouldering rapidly escalating food prices.

I bypassed the additive game last week when I filled up the tank of our Jeep Liberty with plain old gasoline, no ethanol added.  I paid more at the pump, not because gasoline costs more than ethanol (quite the contrary) but because the government has set up a convoluted ethanol credit program, which in essence fines oil refiners for producing gasoline without ethanol additives. Previously, the Liberty had been getting 18 to 19 miles per gallon with the standard 10 percent ethanol blend. My first ethanol free fill up resulted in 22 miles per gallon, a solid 16 to 22 percent improvement.  

The Sinclair station on Bridger Drive sells ethanol-free gas for a 6 cent per gallon premium (call it 2 percent) over what stations are charging in town for the inferior blend.   With increased mileage the net gain is around 14 to 20 percent.  I'll continue to be ethanol free until the government in its fiscal insanity drives me out of the market.