Recently, Oklahoma has started requiring that all gas stations post whether they are selling gasoline mixed with ethanol.  One of the local gas stations has only posted that they may or may not have ethanol in the gasoline.  Since my husband and I have noticed a difference with our mileage, and my car isn’t made to burn ethanol, we have decided to boycott the stations owned by that franchise, or at least stop buying gas from them.

 Saturday when I went in to work, I stopped there for a fountain soda and some peanuts.  I asked the cashier if they’ve noticed a drop in the number of people buying gas now that they have to post whether they have ethanol.  She was clueless at first what I was talking about, but when I repeated what the sign on the pumps said, she said that all stations are going to have to carry an ethanol blend eventually, that they’d have to clean out their tanks, and if they couldn’t afford it, they wouldn’t be able to do business any longer.  I didn’t say anything, but that got me wondering. 

Two stroke engines cannot use ethanol.  My car is not made to burn ethanol, and the gas mileage suffers as a result.  So why would they require that all gas stations carry the “blended” gasoline with a 10% ethanol mix? 

So when I got home, I started doing some research.  I can find all sorts of information about lists of gas stations that do not have blended gasoline, and gas stations being required to post whether they have blended gasoline.  I can’t find anything about ethanol being required in all gasoline.  So where did she get this information?

 The best I can figure, she had no clue what she was talking about.  I know that the government is increasing the subsidies to ethanol production.  I know they want to increase the ethanol production.  BUT I cannot see the government requiring all gasoline contain ethanol. 

I suspect that she got the ethanol issue mixed up with the anti-knock compound that is put into gasoline.  The same compound that replaced the lead in the mid-80’s.  Unfortunately, until I can find more information, all I have is speculation.