More evidence that the current EPA is run by unintelligent people

Fuel Fix:

The amount of ethanol and other biofuels that must be blended into the nation’s fuel supply must increase by 6 percent next year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday.

That represented a significant gain over the four percent the EPA put forward in a draft proposal in May, which had drawn protests from biofuel producers arguing the EPA was failing to keep pace with the schedule outlined by Congress when they passed a renewable fuel mandate more than a decade ago.

“The move will send a positive signal to investors,” Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, said in a statement.

Dinneen predicted the new biofuel levels will “stimulate new interest in cellulosic ethanol and other advanced biofuels” and “drive investment in infrastructure to accommodate E15 and higher ethanol blends.”

Under the mandate for 2017, 15 billion gallons of conventional corn-based ethanol would be blended into the fuel supply – compared to 14.5 billion gallons this year. In addition, 4.3 billon gallons of advanced biofuels like biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol would be added – compared to 3.6 billion gallons this year.
...

This is an absurd ruling that only benefits the few and does nothing of benefit to the environment or to consumers.  Biofuels are the product of a perceived scarcity of oil early in the Bush administration.  It is now quite clear that they are unneeded and that they are actually worse for the environment than fossil fuels.

Ethanol is harmful to small engines and wasteful since you have to run them until the fuel tank is empty to avoid them clogging up the fuel lines.  On top of their obvious deficiencies as a fuel, their use also drives up the cost of food to consumers.  There is just no justification for this requirement other than lining the pockets of some special interests.