1. THM: Ethanol is a costly and energetically inefficient fuel source.

2. Americans will see their gas bill increase by over 60 percent if we completely switch to E85 fuel.
Ethanol is more expensive than gasoline.
Price for a gallon of ethanol= $2.74
Price for a gallon of gasoline= $2.38
Currently, we use E10 fuel, making American pay around 60 extra dollars per year for fuel
Due to the low energy content of ethanol compared to gasoline(1.6 gallons of ethanol have the same energy as one gallon of gasoline), the price of fuel increases dramatically as we increase ethanol content.
Price of replacing one gallon of gasoline with ethanol= 2 dollars
If E85 fuel was used instead of gasoline, Americans would be paying over 600 more dollars per year for fuel

3. Americans will see their gas bill increase by 65 percent if we completely switch to E85 fuel.

4. If all fuel was changed to E85, the energy loss per year would be almost be equal to over 13 percent of the transportation energy in the US
Ethanol takes more energy to make than gasoline
To make 1 gallon of ethanol, it takes 35,000 Btu
To make 1 gallon of gasoline, it takes 21,000 Btu
To replace 1 gallon of gasoline, 35,000 more Btu would be used to make 1.6 gallons of ethanol
Yearly, this energy loss for E10 is small, being only 1.1 percent of the transportation energy

5. If all fuel was changed to E85, the energy loss per year would be almost be equal to over 13 percent of the transportation energy in the US
However, for E85 the number is 13.3 percent. This is a considerable amount of energy lost

6. Ethanol does not reduce CO2 emissions
19.6 pounds of CO2 are emitted when 1 gallon of gasoline is combusted
12.7 pounds of CO2 are emitted when 1 gallon of ethanol is combusted
However, to 1 gallon of gasoline=1.6 gallons of ethanol, which makes the combustion of ethanol 20.3 pounds
Numbers slightly differ due to calculation methods, but the emissions turn out to be very similar
However, do not forget the lost energy due to the production of ethanol
Natural gas the preferably used for ethanol production, which also emits CO2
In the production of ethanol, corn absorbs some CO2, counting against its emissions

7. Ethanol does not reduce CO2 emissions

8. Current laws will make motor gasoline E20 by 2022, increasing gas prices and wasting more energy due increased ethanol production.
Current motor gasoline contains 129 billion gallons of gasoline and 14.4 billion gallons of ethanol (2016)
Ethanol added to motor gasoline based on quantity, not percentage
By 2022, motor gasoline will contain 36 billion gallons of ethanol (Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007)
To remain E10, gasoline quantity must increase 2.5 times, which is unlikely
Therefore, worst case scenario is 22 percent ethanol in motor gasoline.
Flex Fuel vehicles make up 8.5 percent of all cars, which are capable of using E85 fuel

9. Questions?
Alexander: THM: Ethanol is a costly and energetically inefficient fuel source.
Ben: THM: Corn-based ethanol is far too environmentally demanding to replace all gasoline used in the U.S., and while other countries may have higher levels of success with ethanol, the U.S. will never be capable of matching those successes.
Overall THM: Ethanol cannot replace gasoline as a fuel due to its cost, inefficient energetics, and high environmental demands.

10. Sources
Corn Ethanol Production. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2017, from
Energy Use for Transportation. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2017, from
US Energy Facts Explained. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2017, from
U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2017, from
EERE: Alternative Fuels Data Center Home Page. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2017, from
How much electricity is used refine a gallon of Gasoline?-video added! (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2017, from electricity-is-used-refine-a-gallon-of-gasoline
(n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2017, from
Ethanol (E85) fuel alternative. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2017, from debate/index.htm
U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2017, from

11. Sources continued
U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2017, from
Corn fields help clean up and protect the environment. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2017, from
U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report: (2017, February 23). Retrieved October 26, 2017, from