According to AAA – more than 39-million Americans will travel an average distance of 588 miles on the road for the Thanksgiving holiday. Thanks to ethanol – the cost of that trip will be a little lower. In fact – assuming an average mileage of 22 miles per gallon – it’s estimated the average American family that travels by automobile this Thanksgiving will save more than 29-dollars on gasoline purchases because of ethanol. This estimate is based on a Center for Agricultural and Rural Development study that found ethanol reduced wholesale gasoline prices by $1.09 per gallon nationally. Looking at the bigger picture – ethanol reduced the average American household’s spending on gasoline by more than 12-hundred dollars last year – and has helped save 39.8-billion dollars annually in excess gasoline costs since 2000. That’s roughly 340-dollars per household per year.
In addition to these savings – Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen says ethanol and the Renewable Fuel Standard are helping to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil – thus creating a stronger country and stronger economy. And despite what RFS and ethanol opponents say – Dinneen says turkey prices are lower this year than the last two years. What’s more – he says ethanol production has nothing to do with the price of Thanksgiving dinner. He notes food costs are driven by energy costs.
More on Thanksgiving turkey prices and the driving forces behind food costs is available in RFA’s white paper “This Thanksgiving, Avoid Big Meat’s Baloney.” Visit www dot ethanolrfa dot org (www.ethanolrfa.org).
Source: NAFB News Service