The conclusions don’t match the data, says an independent researcher commissioned by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) to critique a federal report released last year by the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) concerning the impact higher percentages of ethanol in gasoline have on automobiles and small engines. Ethanol proponents have seized on the small, preliminary study  that showed automobiles fared generally well under higher percentage gas-ethanol blends as a reason to raise the ethanol content of motor fuel from 10% to 15%. This week an ethanol trade group filed a formal request with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking to expedite a rule-making process that could have higher blend E15 gasoline at retail as soon as nine months from now.

According to environmental researcher Dr. Ron Sahu, the DOE ethanol study executive summary “does not accurately summarize the scope, results (or) uncertainties associated with the testing. Since most policy-makers will focus on the executive summary, this could result in misinformed policies based on misleading conclusions.”

The DOE report released last fall was covered extensively on powerETblog and in Power Equipment Trade magazine’s January-February issue, and documents the effects of

Industry officials say the results of a federal study prepared by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the U.S. Dept. of Energy that looked at the effect ethanol blended gasoline as high as E15 and E20 has on small engines is inconclusive at best, leaves many questions unanswered and is primarily an indicator that much more research on higher ethanol blends in small engines is required.

“You can’t begin to approach the complexity of the small engine industry with the scope of this study,” says Kris Kiser, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute vice president of government affairs. “In our opinion, the study downplayed the challenges, and we’re very concerned with how they interpreted the data and wrote it up.”

GIE+EXPO

Yet another year closer to becoming one of those 20-year Louisville show visitors, I’m still finding neat things to do and see at GIE+EXPO, and this year was especially interesting with the economic turmoil occurring in financial markets and the increasing use of ethanol in gasoline that’s going to have a big impact on lawn and garden power equipment.

Thursday’s weather was beautiful, the kind of late October Mid-South fall day—sunny, in the 60s with a light breeze—that show organizers had in mind when the event was moved from the heat and humidity of late July several years ago.

Water-damaged carb, possibly from ethanol blended fuel

Ethanol is gasoline has become a fact of American life, with 10% ethanol blends at just about every station around. While 10% ethanol is a mixture that’s been approved by all automakers and just about all small engine manufacturers, the anecdotal evidence out there shows there are problems in small engines—especially older units. Want to confuse yourself? Just Google up “Small Engines Ethanol,” and the results will show that for every source claiming ethanol blends—even at 10%—are just fine (Renewable Fuels Assn., Minnesota Corn Growers, etc.), there’s another source, generally a local newspaper article, talking with dealers and small engine technicians who say they are seeing engine problems caused by ethanol. For example, here’s a recent article from the Green Bay Press Gazette that was included in the latest Outdoor Power Equipment & Engine Service Assn. “OPE-In-The-Know Newsletter”:

Power Equipment Trade GIE+EXPO Dealers Choice Awards voters now have two more ways to win: The first two years of the Dealers Choice Awards, PET gave away a cash prize, and this year we’re adding to our vote-buying assets with two additional give-aways: a set of PulseTech battery chargers. Dealers vote for their favorite new products on GIE+EXPO’s first two days, PET tabulates the vote overnight and announces dealer-selected winners in five categories at noon on GIE+EXPO’s final day, Saturday October 25 at Booth 800, immediately following the Trucks of Industry Giveaway winner announcement. On the two days of voting, we’ll draw a battery charger winner from each day’s ballots, then put all ballots into a $100 cash drawing. The winners are announced on Saturday. Look for official PET GIE+EXPO Dealers Choice Awards ballots at PET Booth 11157, just inside the door at The Dealer Experience, and at the Dealer Club lounge area.