Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Diversify America's Energy Supply
I. A Thirty-Five Billion Gallon
Renewable Fuel Standard by 2017
The U.S. government believes in scientists' abil-
ity to invent technology that will help the nation
reduce its oil dependency and protect our envi-
ronment. Increasing renewable and alternative
fuels used in automobiles from 3 percent in 2006
to at least 15 percent in 2017 can give drivers a
built-in defense against supply disruption and
rising gasoline prices. Furthermore, the U.S.
government supports research and development
into new alternative vehicle called Flexible-fuel
vehicles (White House Office of the Press Sec-
retary, 2007b).
The President's proposal is to increase the sup-
ply of renewable and alternative fuels by setting
a mandatory fuels standard to require 35 billion
gallons of renewable and other alternative fuels
in 2017. This increased fuel standard generates a
huge incentive for private investment into alterna-
tive fuels. This will encourage improvement of
crop yields, optimization of crops and cellulosic
materials, and cost reduction in the production
of cellulosic ethanol and other alternative fuels
(Green Car Congress, 2007).
What is a Flexible-Fuel Vehicle?
II. Reforming and Modernizing
Corporate Average Fuel Economy
(CAFE) Standards for Cars and
Extending the Current Light Truck Rule.
A flexible-fuel vehicle, also called an FFV or
dual-fuel vehicle, is specially designed to run on
gasoline mixed with varying levels of ethanol.
At present, FFVs feature specially-designed
components that let a vehicle use a mixture of
gasoline and ethanol that can vary from 0 percent
ethanol up to 85 percent of ethanol (E85). In the
United State, over 6 million flexible-fuel vehicles
are currently on the road in almost all 50 states.
These vehicles are available in a range of models,
including sedans, pick-up trucks, and minivans
(Wikipedia, 2008b).
The President's proposal is to reform and mod-
ernize fuel economy standards to improve cars
energy efficiency. The government suggests that
the result of this plan will reduce projected annual
gasoline use by up to 8.5 billion gallons in 2017
(Green Car Congress, 2007).
Adoption and Market
Current Ethanol Fuel Market
President Bush's 20 in 10 Initiative
The demands of an international market for
crop-based fuels are rapidly growing. Most na-
tions have realized that renewable and alternative
fuels provide many benefits to both the environ-
ment and economy. Many countries such as The
United State, Brazil, China and the European
Union, expect to reduce their petroleum import
and consumption, especially for transportation
(Osava, 2007).
Brazil produces ethanol from sugar cane and
provides around 22 percent of the ethanol used
nationwide, which includes a hundred percent of
“Twenty in Ten” is the challenging goal of cutting
U.S. consumption of gasoline by 20 percent in
the next 10 years through improved vehicle fuel
economy and increased use of alternative fuels,
thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions
and increasing energy security. To reach the goal
of the Twenty in Ten Initiative, President Bush
proposed the following:
