EPA raises minimum share of ethanol in gasoline

Gasoline marketers will have to put a bit more ethanol in their product after the first of the year, to keep up with the Renewable Fuels Standard set by Congress. The Environmental Protection Agency said in a press release yesterday that gasoline must contain 10.21 percent ethanol "to ensure that at least 11.1 billion gallons of renewable fuels be blended into transportation gasoline." Under the 2007 energy bill, that target will gradually increase to 36 billion gallons in 2022. The current minimum is 7.76 percent, but marketers typically sell a blend with 10 percent ethanol.