10% Ethanol Blend Mandated in Oregon Beginning Tuesday

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - A new law goes into effect tomorrow in Oregon requiring gasoline retailers to pump a ten-percent ethanol blend. The E10 standard kicks in on January 15 for these counties in northwest Oregon: Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington, and Yamhill.

A second group of counties will be rolled in by April 15th: Benton, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Lincoln, and Linn Counties. And the rest of the state must meet the standards by September 16, including Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, and Wheeler Counties.

Gas stations in the Portland area already pump a ten-percent ethanol blend during the winter months, so some motorists won't notice a difference. "Gasoline blended with ethanol performs in much the same way that regular gasoline does," says Earl Baker, AAA Oregon Approved Auto Repair Coordinator.

"It can be very difficult if not impossible to detect the difference in engine performance when comparing an ethanol blend to regular gas."

Baker says there are some changes you should be aware of. "Ethanol is a solvent. It can help clean combustion chambers, and scour your fuel delivery systems, fuel tanks, fuel lines and fuel injectors." Baker adds that ethanol also attracts water, unlike regular gasoline which repels it, and that could potentially cause problems. He says, "Over time, E10 will break loose any deposits of dirt or water currently suspended in your fuel tank.

This could potentially cause fuel filter clogging, and the possibility of fuel injector issues." Baker adds that ethanol can also cause corrosion and attack certain gaskets and rubber parts in a car engine. But Baker says these issues shouldn't impact many motorists.

"E10 will still have all of the properties of regular unleaded fuel as additives will continue to prevent engine valve recession. People have been filling up with E10 in the Portland area during the winter months and it has not caused major problems."

You may notice changes in your gas mileage when you fill up your tank with an ethanol blend. Some studies have shown that fuel economy may decrease slightly by one to four miles per gallon, but there are many variables that impact your mileage, including tire pressure, car condition, use of heater or air conditioner, etc.

Auto makers in the U.S. approve the use of fuels containing up to ten percent ethanol, and some recommend it because it burns cleanly. Ethanol can actually make regular gasoline burn more smoothly and slightly cooler because it raises the octane rating of regular gas.

The new fuel standards do help reduce tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Fuel containing up to ten-percent ethanol has been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce carbon monoxide emissions by up to 30-percent.

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~Christina August 2, 2010 12:26 pm (Pacific time)

Ahh...and I've now encountered the "most people wont have these problems with their engines portion". I guess I'm not one of those most...my fuel filter is clogged (engine running too lean on gas) hmmm...wonder why. Mechanic says he's seeing a lot of Fuel Filter/Pump/etc problems with the new Ethanol in the gas...not only did it decrease the mileage, but now it's causing problems in the engine. Lovely!

kegeta August 20, 2009 10:42 am (Pacific time)

water issues alcohal obsorbs water then the fuel in the bottom of your fuel tank is no longer 10 percent.alcohol will hold an equil amount of water by volume witch is why they use it to remove moisture or water from fuel tanks the problem is it also removes water right from the air .the northwest is a very humid country so your going to have plenty of water contaminated fuel . running water though an engine not a big problem in small amounts but running water though the fuel system is not good.fuel tanks, fuel pumps ,fuel lines,fuel injection systems, carborated systems ,water corrsion is unavoidable on the medal componants and the alcohol breaks down diaphrams in carbs and fuel pumps and any rubber or tygon line in time . these fuel lines are rated for a certain amount of alcohol say 15 % but once water has contaminated your fuel tank it bonds with the water molicule and seperates from the fuel now you have 50% or better in the bottom your tank and that is what is what causes the damage to you fuel system. your computer cannot compensate and your carborated units no longer have any adjustment because of EPA regulations .the best fuel we have at the pumps is 92 octane once fuel is contamined with moisture the octane drops to 70 this is very hard on older engine because of preignition.if fuel is so good ask a pilot if he will run it in his airplane.

Kerry H January 2, 2009 2:54 pm (Pacific time)

I don't car what the article says. I have a reasonably high compression engine, and it sure knows the difference. I get 4 mpg less than normal, my exhaust smells funny, and I notice the power difference (less, not more). There is no good spin on this as far as I'm concerned.

Willy December 20, 2008 7:37 pm (Pacific time)

Don't move to Idaho to escape the ethanol plague. Our legislators are just as corrupt as yours. Need to find a non-agricultural state with clear headed politicians.

Evan October 15, 2008 11:47 pm (Pacific time)

Have a Mercedes 300ce and it hates this stuff. Developed a hesitation in acceleration when cold, definitely a safety issue for me when pulling out. My mileage has dropped from consistent 24fwy to 21fwy. Thanks guys. Less emissions per gallon but fewer miles. Sounds like some real sound science. Consumers really had the wool pulled over their eyes on this one. I make it a point to complain about ethanol every time I go to the pump, suggest everyone else do the same.

Dale June 27, 2008 1:35 pm (Pacific time)

I have a 2007 Hybrid Camry with 15,000 miles. Fior the first 14,000 of those miles I averaged btween 34.4 and 37.6 MPG. Since the mandated fuel change in Florida, My milage has decreased to between 28 and 30 MPG. Driving habits are the same. When I research studies about this they calim that my milage could actually increase with the 10% ethanol blend, but should not decrease by more than 3%. Unfortunately thaes studies are done by the Ethanol folks, not independent researchers. I contacted Toyota and claim to have had many complaints like mine and they can't fix the problem.

Jason June 18, 2008 10:17 pm (Pacific time)

I am a boat mechanic by trade and I can tell you almost every boat that has come into our shop that has been sitting for more than a month has at least 1 to 2 gallons of water in the fuel from sitting. These are boat mostly with less than 20 hours total run time and the tanks are filled and the boat is park on a trailer.One thing they all have in common...E10 fuel.Just be careful of letting this fuel sit for very long.

reuters June 10, 2008 7:09 pm (Pacific time)

Ethanol has less energy per unit than gasoline. That is why it provides less mileage per gallon. All fule is not equal.

adele stiller June 4, 2008 9:20 am (Pacific time)

I moved up from CA and my mileage dropped from 30 to a consistent 20mpg ! I am driving to WA from Portland to fill up!

PAUL PIERCE May 30, 2008 4:26 am (Pacific time)

I GET 26 MILES TO THE GALLON ON REG GAS. I PUT REG GAS WITH 10% ETHANOL NOW I GET 23 MILES TO THE GALLON. THATS ABOUT 10% LESS FUEL ECONOMY FOR THE SAME PRICE AT THE PUMP. WHERE IS THE SAVIINGS? WHY USE ETHANOL?

Kerry April 15, 2008 5:29 pm (Pacific time)

This green campaign is getting way out of hand! Leave it to the politicians to pass a law with out knowing potential issues. Just like no research on the mercury filled fluorescent bulbs we have to start using starting next year. The poloticians can make haphazard laws that drastically effect people and get away with it. Who will pay for the engines that this blend will ruin? If it were a company the do gooder government would have them in front of judge and jury saying how they take advantage of the so called common people. Oh well, what can you really do? Our liberties are slowly being taken away?

tlok April 14, 2008 4:28 pm (Pacific time)

My performance BMW model was engineered for the highest octane that was sold here in 2004. Oregon's winter fuel (now the current fuel) causes my car to occasionally stutter when the engine is sort-of warm, after it has been turned off for a little while. The dealer and owners of other cars like mine say it is the lower-octane fuel we are being forced to buy. Why can't I buy what my car requires? Maybe I should cross the Columbia and refuel in Washington.

Brian April 14, 2008 2:31 pm (Pacific time)

My gas millage has been cut in half!!!!

Dan April 3, 2008 8:37 am (Pacific time)

Good job Oregon! You have figured out a way to tax us more so you can have more money for a state that doesn't require half the revenue it uses. E10 and E85 will always net you a loss in MPG.

T. February 26, 2008 3:10 pm (Pacific time)

Can anyone cite an actual study that proves E10 reduces the miles-per-gallon rate? Are there any experts out that who can verify this?

Allan January 28, 2008 7:44 am (Pacific time)

"Your mileage may decrease slightly by 1 to 4 miles per gallon". I can verify that here in Portland. My MPG has gone by exactly 11% since the ethanol blend began. So I must ask, what exactly is the point of a 10% ethanol blend if we end up using 11% more fuel with the blend? I am now spending more money at the pump AND burning more fuel!

N/A January 15, 2008 8:47 am (Pacific time)

Another reason why this state is one that I don't want to be in anymore. "But Baker says these issues shouldn't impact many motorists", "People have been filling up with E10 in the Portland area during the winter months and it has not caused major problems" and "You may notice changes in your gas mileage when you fill up your tank with an ethanol blend. Some studies have shown that fuel economy may decrease slightly by one to four miles per gallon". Shouldn't impact MANY motorists!!!, that means it will impact SOME motorists, way to go law makers. Filling up in the winter and there hasn't been MAJOR problems, but there has been MINOR ones then...and that was when it was only ran for 3-4 months, now it'll be year round and those MINOR problems will turn into MAJOR ones. What about those people that already get low mileage, now because of this stupid law, they will always get lower mileage, that has the potential to corrode your fuel system. Another thing, since this law goes into effect today, one would assume that gas prices should drop, almost dramatically, since it is a cheaper fuel to produce, but it won't because people will be using more, which in turn the law makers, idiots they may be, have deep pockets and want all the money they can get.

Dean Billing January 14, 2008 10:45 pm (Pacific time)

It is much worse than this puff piece talks about. The law, HB 2210 has no exceptions, all gas will be E10. No other state in the country has such a broad law, except Hawaii, and after two years of problems in the marine industry and Public Safety they changed the law to exempt premium unleaded like all other states with mandatory E10 laws. Fire season is coming and Oregon will be the only state in the Union that will require its fire fighters to go into the field with only E10 available. And by the way, the law says that the whole state must be converted by tomorrow. Read the law. What happened? Want more info about this law: http://www.stopeio.com

Paul January 14, 2008 7:51 pm (Pacific time)

So this may very well decrease our gas millage and thus, resulting in the purchasing of more gasoline. Brilliant!

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