Ethanol cuts oil dependence

Kansas City Star | Ethanol cuts oil dependence:
by Bob Dineen -- Oct 2, 2005
"As part of a broad strategy to shift to renewable fuels, expanding the production of domestically produced ethanol has numerous local, regional and national benefits. As a high-quality, high-octane fuel, gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol reduces the need for imported oil. Burning ethanol produces fewer pollutants, including toxins and carbon dioxide. And in some areas, particularly with the high price of gasoline, sales of lower-priced E-85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, cannot keep up with demand.
It may surprise some that ethanol plants are not only operating, but new ones are being built, outside of the traditional Midwestern corn belt. There are plants in Tennessee, Colorado, California, New Mexico, Texas, Kentucky, Wyoming and Washington. And efforts are under way to build facilities in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey"