Raising Ethanol Levels in Gas Wouldn't Pay Off

Ethanol has been discredited as the answer to America's energy needs everywhere except in Washington.

Congress is stubbornly sticking by the bankrupt theory that mandating more ethanol use will lessen the nation's dependence on oil.

Continuing that policy requires ignoring the evidence that making ethanol actually consumes more energy than it produces, increases the output of greenhouse gases and competes with the world's hungry for the corn crop.

And yet Congress is not only defending its ethanol policies, it's asking to raise the ante.

Four farm state senators have introduced a measure that would require the Environmental Protection Agency to raise the ethanol mixture in gasoline to 15 percent from the current 10 percent. The change would help meet the ill-conceived federal mandate that the nation use 11 billion gallons of ethanol next year and 36 billion gallons by 2022.

Automakers lead the opposition to the proposal, and for good reason.

Ethanol is hard on engines. If the ethanol-gasoline blend is increased, automakers worry about higher warranty claims resulting from damaged or disabled engines.

Similar concerns have been raised by makers of snowmobiles, boats and other recreational vehicles as well as outdoor equipment such as lawnmowers.

Mandating increased ethanol use is not a responsible energy policy. It is nothing more than another agricultural subsidy, a payoff to the farm states.

With gasoline prices low, there's no natural market for ethanol-blended gasoline. Even if fuel prices rise, offsetting them with ethanol blends is a poor bargain if it leads to costly engine repairs.

Congress is diverting enough taxpayer money to corn growers. It should defeat the request for higher blends as a first step toward ending the ethanol boondoggle.

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