Originally Posted By: ARB1977
Are they making it mandatory?
Yes. From the Spokesman article linked in the 1st post:
"The dispute over E15 is the latest flashpoint in a long-standing battle over the Renewable Fuel Standard, approved by Congress in 2005 and amended in 2007. The law requires refiners to blend increasing amounts of ethanol into gasoline each year as a way to decrease reliance on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a 16.5 billion-gallon production requirement for ethanol and other gasoline alternatives this year, up from 15.2 billion gallons last year. By 2022, the law calls for more than double that amount."
Here's more out-of-control social planning by our gooberment, mandating that we get less and less energy for our dollar when we buy fuel. Since E85 has been a complete flop on the market, the EPA has decided to force ethanol on us by mandating that its percentage be increased in all gasoline. So if they require E15 now to consume the mandated production of ethanol, will we be up to E30 by the time we get to 2022, and the mandated production is doubled? Isn't it nice how the gooberment is mandating that certain production requirements of a given product be attained? Shades of the old USSR and their five-year plans. Apparently we're going to get the ethanol whether we want it or not.
In the current political situation, is there any difference between the EPA proposing a rule or just imposing it? Congress is divided and weak, and cannot or will not stop them. The EPA can just go through the motions of proposing a rule and soliciting public comments, but since there is no oversight or public accountability, they'll just say the public is all for it, and go ahead with the rules. Unelected bureaucrats are now running our economy.
