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.