What Does Ethanol Cost?

[Jambe]

As I was at the gas station filling my tank with regular (it's all unleaded) gas I read the sticker on the pump:
"May contain up to 10% ethanol"
That got me thinking what with the price of regular so low at what point is it not advantageous to add ethanol to the gas.
We know the/one reason for adding ethanol was because it was cheaper than regular. But where is the cross-over point? Ethanol doesn't drop in price the way gasoline does.
If ethanol costs $1.50/gal and gas is $1.40/gal I would expect the retailers to skip adding the ethanol.
What do you think?

 

[Marshall]

As I was at the gas station filling my tank with regular (it's all unleaded) gas I read the sticker on the pump:
"May contain up to 10% ethanol"
That got me thinking what with the price of regular so low at what point is it not advantageous to add ethanol to the gas.
We know the/one reason for adding ethanol was because it was cheaper than regular. But where is the cross-over point? Ethanol doesn't drop in price the way gasoline does.
If ethanol costs $1.50/gal and gas is $1.40/gal I would expect the retailers to skip adding the ethanol.
What do you think?

I think the ethanol is required in most cases. The ethanol lobby is strong with legislators.

 

[NSTG8R]

About $8 per quart mason jar...out here.

The stuff you're talking about has no business being in a gas tank.

 

[Dexter Henschel]

About $8 per quart mason jar...out here.

The stuff you're talking about has no business being in a gas tank.

It is really not a good fuel. I use no-lead without ethanol in my motorcycle and my yard and garden machinery. I put stabilizer in it when it will be a period of non-use. Ethanol gas is really bad for fuel systems that are not used frequently

 

[Sethodine]

I thought it was an EPA requirement? Like the "low sulfer" diesel blends.

 

[Jambe]

You are aware that at some stations you can buy E0 aren't you? So, I don't think it is a strict requirement.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

http://bfy.tw/57KI

 

[Maurtis]

You are aware that at some stations you can buy E0 aren't you? So, I don't think it is a strict requirement.

http://www.pure-gas.org/ lists stations that have ethanol free gas for sale. None near my area

 

[karl]

In Massachusetts it is a required oxigenator to replace the Federally mandated MTBE. Then there is the renewable fuels Act from 2005 gets into the picture you have lots of places that you can't buy gas without Ethanol in it.

 

[Jambe]

http://bfy.tw/57KI

Unfortunately, the answer is not found in that Google search. Closest to telling the cost of ethanol was $1.00 per gallon from 2008.

However, searching for Wholesale price of ethanol gives this:
Ethanol and Unleaded Gasoline. Average Rack Prices. As of February 2016, the rack price of ethanol was $1.46 versus $1.02 for unleaded 87–octane gasoline—a difference of 44 cents per gallon. The average ethanol rack price rose 3 cents from last month's price but was 4 cents lower than a year ago.

If I were a gas station owner I would not be putting ethanol in my gasoline deliveries--unless there is some legal requirement to do so.

BTW, tankers fill up with E0 and then add ethanol and hope it gets mixed in with the E0 as it travels down the road. So I am told.