Ethanol is an alcohol fuel made from plant material. As such, it is a renewable energy source. Ethanol can be produced from such plant based products as corn, sugar cane and a variety of grasses. Using ethanol as a source of energy is far more environmentally friendly than using oil, as it dramatically reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Ethanol blends are labeled with a number to indicate the percentage of ethanol by volume contained in the product. Most gasoline sold in the United States contains about 10% ethanol content. Ethanol use helps to reduce the reliance on non-renewable sources of energy such as oil. However, ethanol contains less energy compared to the same amount of gasoline. This results in lower fuel economy.
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