EPA Announced Quotas for Blending Renewable Fuels

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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Environmental Protection Agency released an announcement regarding federal agency quotas for renewable fuels that must be blended into gasoline in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The announcement underscores the reality of an ever changing and expanding fuel marketplace, with ethanol increasing to 10.10 percent in the general fuel market in 2016.

Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) said “Today’s EPA announcement is regrettable as the likely introduction of midlevel ethanol fuels for which our products are not designed, built or warranted will increase, and yet not providing any consumer education on the use of fuels containing more than 10 percent ethanol. Additionally, a mandated fuel of greater than 10 percent ethanol ignores the fueling requirements of the 400 million legacy engine products in use today including boats, snowmobiles, outdoor power equipment, UTVs and autos.”

According to most engine manufacturers, fuels containing greater than ten percent ethanol can damage or destroy outdoor power equipment, including lawn mowers, chain saws, generators, utility vehicles and other small engine equipment such as motorcycle, snow mobile and boat engines. Fuels containing more than 10 percent may void product warranties, and by Federal law, it is illegal to use higher ethanol fuel blends, specifically E15, in outdoor power equipment.