A pending study on how higher blends of ethanol perform in conventional engines could offer a solution to the challenge of distributing greater quantities of ethanol being required by the new energy bill, according to South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture Bill Even.

Even just returned from the mid-winter meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, where higher ethanol blends was among the hot topics.

Even said he brought a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency about the new ethanol study being done by the state of Minnesota.

The research is taking an in-depth look at how ethanol blends of more than 10 percent alcohol are performing in non-flex fuel vehicles and the impact of emissions. Now, most vehicles can safely use 10 percent ethanol blends, but higher blends are recommended for use only in flex-fuel vehicles.

Even said all 50 state agriculture secretaries signed the letter to the EPA supporting the Minnesota research.

"What's going on in Minnesota is very robust work," Even said in a phone interview this week. "It's all very verifiable, quantifiable work on higher ethanol blends."

He said the results of the study are expected to be released by March 1.

Even noted that the new federal energy bill requires that 36 billion gallons of ethanol be produced by the year 2022.

"We don't have the infrastructure to get that ethanol out of the Midwest to the markets on the coasts," Even said. "One of the easiest ways to handle the pending ethanol production is to simply allow conventional vehicles to burn higher blends than E-10."

Even said other hot topics at the mid-winter meeting included the animal welfare/animal rights movement in the United States. "The U.S. Humane Society is really active at the state and local level in the livestock area. If I was a livestock producer in South Dakota, I would certainly be keeping my eye on what the humane society's up to."

Contact Steve Miller at 394-8417 or steve.miller@rapidcityjournal.com