E85 Boondoggle of the Day: $55k Grant for Nebraska’s Ethanol Board
In the grand scheme of things, in the face of a federal mandate calling for U.S. production of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels per year by 2020, a $55k grant to The Cornhusker State’s Ethanol Board is a meaningless gesture. But ours is not to do or die; ours is to wonder why. According to Nebraska Farmer, “Funds will support workshops to train ethanol producers, E85 distributors and marketers for the direct marketing of E85 from producers to local retailers. The one-day workshops will be offered on multiple dates and cover EPA ethanol storage requirements, fuel tax incentives, ethanol safety and handling training, and E85 marketing and brand awareness.” The money will come from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, The Clean Fuels Development Coalition, the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition and the Clean Fuels Foundation. “Ethanol has brought much in terms of jobs and wealth to Nebraska,” says Todd Sneller, administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board. “By encouraging direct relationships between ethanol producers and their communities, drivers get a cheaper fuel for their cars and the number of E85 pumps in Nebraska increases.” I wonder how much Todd gets a year…Â