KSFY

As oil prices climb high, some drivers are asking questions about gasoline's corn-based cousin ethanol.

As the price at the pump gets higher and higher some regular drivers are looking longingly at those low E-85 prices.

Jim Holiway says, "well, I've used ethanol for years, I think it's a good fuel."

And according to Lisa Richardson, the Executive Director of South Dakota Corn Grower's Association, it's good for our state and country.  She says, "right here, it's made in America, it's a renewable product."

Richardson says ethanol production supports local farmers, but some local drivers have concerns.

Holiway says, "if it's impacting food prices, then I'm not for it."  But Richardson says that ear of corn you buy to eat is different than ethanol corn, saying, "that's not the kind of corn that we're talking about.  We're talking about number two, standard, yellow field corn."  According to Richardson this corn is used in things like animal feed and it can still be used for that after going through the ethanol process, but drivers have other concerns.

A.J. Polous says, "I have a friend that has E-85 and, I mean, he goes through gas a little bit quicker, because it burns a little bit different."

Some drivers worry that the ethanol-based fuel might not be as efficient as regular gasoline and therefore not be worth it in the long run, but Lisa Richardson says, "if our vehicles were optimized to run on ethanol like they are in Brazil then we could compete."  She says since ethanol only covers about 10% of the fuel market, car companies don't create the optimal cars for it.  Richardson continues, saying, "simply access to the market place is what the ethanol industry needs to compete with the oil industry," which is a choice some drivers want to see.  Liz Nissen says, "I think that we need more options in fuel and it's definitely a good idea."  Especially as gassing up the tank is starting to break the bank.

Just as a reminder for drivers out there, that E-85 gas is only for cars specially made to use it.

Lisa Richardson says thanks to biotechnology innovations in the past ten years American farmers are producing exponentially more corn than they were just a decade ago.