Biofuels safe for modern vehicles

Biofuels safe for modern vehicles
Virginia Farm Bureau - Richmond,VA,USA
RICHMOND—As interest in switching to fuel mixtures like ethanol and biodiesel increases among Virginians, so do questions about performance and availability. ...
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RICHMOND—As interest in switching to fuel mixtures like ethanol and biodiesel
increases among Virginians, so do questions about performance and availability.
The good news is most consumers should have no trouble using a biofuel blend.
“All automobile manufacturers say a blend of biofuels is fine for modern
vehicles,” said Andrew Smith, senior assistant director of governmental
relations for the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. “However, ethanol and
biodiesel are natural engine cleaners, and so drivers may have to replace their
fuel filters after beginning to use a blend. It’s cleaning the gunk out of your
engine.”

The National Corn Growers Association has published a pamphlet to
address many concerns about the growing use of ethanol. It can be found online
at www.ncga.com/ethanol/pdfs/ethanolFacts11292005.pdf.

A common misconception is that, as petroleum companies begin adding ethanol to their fuel mixtures, consumer prices will rise because there’s not a large domestic supply of ethanol. Smith said that’s not a major concern now, and the Virginia General
Assembly has taken steps to boost biofuel supplies at the request of farmers.

“That’s why Farm Bureau pushed for new legislation in the General
Assembly this year,” Smith said. “This legislation creates a biofuels incentive
program. It will help attract large-scale biofuel production to Virginia by
offering a 10-cents-per-gallon producer credit from the state for every gallon
of ethanol or biodiesel produced on a minimum production level of 10 million
gallons a year.”

How soon can Virginians expect to see more biofuels at local gas stations? It will take a while, Smith said. But truckers on Interstate 81 already are using biodiesel made from Virginia soybeans and manufactured in New Kent County.

Virginia farmers support the move toward more ethanol and biodiesel fuels for obvious reasons, Smith said.

"It’s going to create an even bigger market for their crops, like barley, corn, soybeans and potentially even wood-based products down the road. That will help our growers, because it will increase demand.”

Contact Smith at 804-290-1021 or Norm Hyde, VFBF video
producer, at 804-290-1146.