PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Putnam: Ethanol Blend 'Not Ready for Prime Time'

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says the energy industry has moved past ethanol as the best form of alternative fuel. His remarks came after Governor Rick Scott signed a bill Friday, eliminating the law requiring most gas in Florida to include ten percent ethanol.

The repeal bill passed this year, with supporters arguing the corn-based fuel blend is hard on engines and less efficient than pure petro. Putnam had been a supporter of blended ethanol in the past, but didn’t oppose the repeal bill.

"The concern I had a year ago was resolved by the private sector in that they made the decision on their own that this was not a technology that was ready for primetime", Putnam said.

Green energy supporters say eliminating the mandate is a sign Florida isn't interested in expanding bio-fuels.

There's still a federal mandate requiring a certain amount of ethanol blended fuel be produced every year, so it’s unlikely drivers will see much of a change at the pump anytime soon. Ethanol-blended gas costs about ten percent less per gallon than pure gasoline.