> Most gasoline in the US is shipped via pipeline.
True.
> Distribution of ethanol in the US doesn't extend much beyond the midwest
> (where it's
> grown)
Not so much. Don't know about the east, but it is seen a lot on the west.
See below...
>because it can't be shipped via the existing pipe network
That's true, as it corodes the pipeline.
>and the existing truck fleet is inadequate to handle the volume which is
>only a fraction of that for gasoline.
Not so. Virtuall all ethanol is shipped out of the plants in railcars. There
is somewhat a shortage there, in that the railroads won't increase the fleet
of expensive cars for a commodity that they feel is not viable in the long
term. All new cars are privately owned.
I certainly wouldn't invest my hard earned money in ethanol. Although it is
required as an additive in high smog areas, to replace MBTE, and the new
bill just signed "requires" its use, it isn't much of a deal without tax
credits. A good friend is a trader in ethanol, and part of his job is to
identify what to deal in when the ethanol bubble bursts. A local design and
build firm had 60 plants on the boards last month, now there are 30.
Bill Pearce
==============================================
List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
|