Mr. Sneller might want to check his math. 

The pump price of E85 doesn’t account for the decreased energy content of ethanol when compared with gasoline.  According to the AAA, the real price of E85 when adjusted for MPG/Btu was $2.846 – 20.7 cents more than the price of regular gasoline.

Moreover, the daily retail price data reported by AAA illustrates that the E85 MPG/Btu adjusted price has been higher than retail gasoline prices since at least August, 2007.  Nebraskans are losing money at the pump and being sold a bill of goods by the Ethanol Board.

The original public comment period was to end on May 21, 2009, and will now end on July 20, 2009.

The current limit on the amount of ethanol that can be blended into a gallon of gasoline is at 10 volume percent ethanol (E10) for conventional (non flex-fuel) vehicles.

Growth Energy and 54 ethanol manufacturers submitted the E15 waiver application on March 6, 2009. The statutory provision calls for EPA to make a decision within 270 days of receipt, which is December 1, 2009. EPA said the comment period extension will not change this timeframe.

Food Prices: Myths vs. Reality
New York Times
May 16, 2009

Special Report: Energy Future of Biofuels Expected to Remain Bright
By ANDRÉS CALA
New York Times
May 19, 2009

Brazil hopes to team up with China in biofuel-media
Reuters
May 18, 2009

Ethanol rebellion building in Congress
By Dan Looker
Agriculture Online
May 16, 2009

Increasing ethanol production
Denver Post
May 16, 2009

Hot air or real science in EPA’s ethanol report?
SalemNews.net
May 16, 2009

Pro/con: Ending ethanol subsidies will slash food prices
By Andrew P. Morriss
Duluth News Tribune
May 16, 2009

No: Ethanol preferable to untested wind, solar
Duluth News Tribune

EPA seeks more comment on ethanol blend rate
Reuters
May 15, 2009

Ethanol bankruptcy filing a blow to biofuels industry
By Brett Clanton
Houston Chronicle
May 11, 2009

Ethanol plants are losing steam
By Spencer Hunt
Columbus Dispatch - Columbus,OH,USA
May 12, 2009

EDITORIAL: Ethanol subsidies
Hutchinson Leader - Hutchinson,MN,USA
May 12, 2009

Goodlatte wants increased ethanol blend proposal rejected
by Julie Harker
Brownfield - Jefferson City,MO,USA
May 11, 2009

Washington, DC: Today Congressman Bob Goodlatte was joined by many other Members of Congress in sending a letter to President Barack Obama, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson urging them not to approve the current request submitted to EPA to increase the ethanol blend in gasoline. Raising the ethanol blend above 10% could result in serious economic consequences that could negatively affect already struggling American consumers.

“Raising the ethanol blend requirement could decrease automobiles’ fuel economy while at the same time increasing food costs for all Americans,” said Congressman Goodlatte. “These are real consequences that must be addressed, especially given this tough economic time. Before EPA makes a decision on increasing the ethanol blend, they should examine how an increase in the blend requirement will affect fuel economy of vehicles and already rising food costs.”

Since ethanol has lower energy content per gallon more fuel is required to travel the same distance, which will mean drivers will have to fill their gas tanks more frequently. In fact, the Department of Energy (DOE) has begun assessing the use of ethanol blends and their effects on vehicle performance. In their recent report, the DOE tested 13 different vehicles with ethanol blends up to 20% and, on average, fuel economy of the vehicles decreased by over 7 percent.

Additionally, the letter calls on EPA to examine how an increase in the ethanol blend will affect other aspects of our economy, such as food prices. Ethanol is a major driver of corn prices. Last year we saw the price of corn reach record highs resulting in increased costs for consumers and livestock producers. As a result of the record corn prices, food prices increased as farmers shifted land from these commodities to plant corn. Increasing the ethanol blend will only further exacerbate this problem.

Goodlatte continued, “While I am a strong supporter of renewable fuels, increasing the ethanol blend will have unintended consequences for many Americans.”

Associated Press — BILLINGS, MONT. — April 22, 2009 — A Montana biodiesel company, which has received more than $1.6 million in grants and loans from the state and a regional economic development corporation, owes farmers in Montana and North Dakota $1.2 million for crops grown last year.

Sustainable Systems LLC and a parent company agreed Wednesday to sign a consent agreement allowing the Montana Department of Agriculture to sell crops, seed and processed cooking oil held at several Montana locations and distribute a $113,000 surety bond to pay part of what is owed to Montana producers.

“We plan to work through this in an orderly process that maximizes the value of assets for the benefit of growers. Our first priority is to get producers paid,” Director Ron de Yong of the Montana Department of Agriculture said in a statement Wednesday.

A separate process is occurring in North Dakota. The state Public Service Commission will consider a motion next week to ask a judge to declare the company insolvent and to appoint the commission as a trustee, Licensing Director Sue Richter said Wednesday.

“Once we get further along in the process, the commission will publish a notice for anybody that may be a claimant to file claims,” she said.

Richter said a list so far indicates about a dozen North Dakotans may have claims, but that could change.

An official with Sustainable Systems did not immediately return a phone message Wednesday seeking comment.

The company contracted for oilseed in 2008 at rates far greater than current values and was unable to obtain bank loans to pay for seed and remain operational, according to the annual report Sustainable Systems’ parent company, New York-based Greenshift Corp., filed on April 16.

According to the company’s records, Sustainable Systems owes 54 safflower growers in the two states a total of $1.2 million for delivered crops.

In addition, the company signed 2008 contracts with about three dozen other safflower and sunflower growers who have not delivered the seed. The company has agreed to work separately on contract issues with those growers, Agriculture Department officials said.

Last month, the company voluntarily relinquished its license to purchase agricultural commodities and has cooperated with the investigation and planned liquidation to pay growers.

“The voluntary cooperation should speed up the process of getting money to growers and allowing future development of the bio-products industry in Montana,” de Yong said.

The company’s Culbertson oilseed processing plant has been in existence since 1956, and produced safflower cooking oil most recently under the Montola brand. At full production, 19 employees crushed and refined oil from crops. The plant now sits idle.

State officials said Sustainable Systems has not repaid about $124,000 in Growth Through Agriculture Loans dating back to 2002. All loans were deferred in 2006 and will be due in 2011.

In 2005, the company received a $760,000 loan for working capital through the Great Northern Development Corp., a regional development corporation in northeastern Montana. Sustainable Systems also received a $50,000 Growth Through Agriculture grant for engineering at the Culbertson plant that went through the GNDC.

In 2006, Montana awarded Sustainable Systems a $700,000 Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development grant. The terms of the grant, used for training and grower outreach, were satisfied, said Nancy Guccione, manager of the WIRED Program through the state Commerce Department.

DTN writer Todd Neeley reported yesterday  “The future of U.S. corn-based ethanol could hang in the balance as the California Air Resources Board prepares to consider a proposed low-carbon-fuel standard during a public hearing Thursday in Sacramento.

“For the past year ethanol industry officials have criticized the proposed regulations for penalizing corn-based ethanol for indirect-land-use changes when calculating ethanol’s carbon score, while not making the same calculations for other fuels.

“The regulation could lead the way for other states and countries to adopt similar laws that could hurt ethanol’s market.”

The DTN article stated that, “California would consider corn-based ethanol to be a greenhouse gas emissions contributor if the regulations are approved.”

The article explained that, “James Hrubovcak, deputy chief economist for USDA, said Monday some of the models being considered by CARB would effectively eliminate the state from using any ethanol from the Midwest to help reduce California auto emissions, though some ethanol from California could be used.

“That could be a major blow to ethanol marketers, considering California represents close to 12 percent of all U.S. gasoline sales.

“Eleven Northeast states are ready to adopt the California standard, Hrubovcak said, which could shrink the U.S. ethanol market by about 30 percent.

“‘If they move down that path, that’s a big market that corn-based ethanol could potentially lose,’ Hrubovcak said.”

“But what I find distressing is that this Administration is opposed to looking for oil offshore, but the President bows to the Saudi King, the president is friends with Venezuela whose biggest impact on us is that they sell us a lot of oil, and I just think that there is a shallowness about how they analyze things.”

Newt Gingrich on the Today Show

The Biofuel Bubble
By John Carey
Business Week
April 16, 2009

EPA considers raising ethanol content of gasoline
by The Oregonian
April 16, 2009

Drowning in ethanol
Apr 16, 2009
USA Today

D1 Oils, BP seek partner to fund fuel crop venture
Apr 17, 2009
Reuters

IATA to use 10 percent biofuels by 2017
Biofuels Magazine
April 17, 2009

Buyer sought for Jefferson ethanol plant
The Business Journal of Milwaukee
April 17, 2009

Perdue: Ethanol, environment play role in poultry profitability
By Deborah Gates
April 17, 2009
Daily News

New grant to help in push for biofuels
April 16, 2009
Montgomery Adviser

Texas farm Bureau Launches Statewide Grocery Price Watch
April 17, 2009
Waco News KWTX

Blogs

Ethanol Plants Idle, Workers Wait as VeraSun Buyout Drags Out
By Kirsten Korosec
April 16th, 2009

Court Ruling Clears Way for Increased Ethanol Use in California
Farm Futures
April 17, 2009

Norfolk Southern Wins Ethanol Depot Ruling
Transport Topics
April 17, 2009

Ethanol from Wood Chips in Alabama
April 15, 2009
NYT
By Clifford Krauss

CBO report: ethanol’s role in increased food prices
By Erin Voegele
Ethanol Producer Magazine
April 15, 2009

The bright future of ethanol
Apr. 15, 2009
By John M. Urbanchuk
Philadelphia Inquirer

Midwestern Ethanol Industrial Processes Use Much Less Water Than That Used In Western Plants
ScienceDaily
Apr. 15, 2009

Anna Autrey: Biofuels are the answer
April 14, 2009
Gainsville Sun

U.S. will approve higher ethanol blend: group
Apr 14, 2009
Reuters
By Ayesha Rascoe

CRFA: Canada on target to meet 2010 ethanol mandate
By Hope Deutscher
April 14, 2009
Ethanol Producer Magazine

Water used for corn ethanol shows potential for waste
By John Timmer
April 14, 2009
ARS Technica

Blogs

Ethanol Report On Global Biofuels Policy
Cindy Zimmerman
April 14th, 2009
Domestic Fuel

Biofuels contributing to CO2 increase
15 April 2009
Low Carbon Economy

Report warns biofuels could produce twice as much carbon as fossil fuels
James Murray
BusinessGreen,
April 15, 2009