Biological Evidence 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 1-10 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be 5 production from corn. Due to the 1992 Clean Air Act Amendment that mandated the reduction of carbon monoxide emissions, MTBE was widely used as an oxygenate additive. By 2006, the use of MTBE in gasoline had been banned in nearly 20 states. Suppliers were concerned about potential lawsuits and a 2005 court ruling denying legal protection for MTBE. The fall from favor of MTBE opened a new market for its primary alternative, ethanol. At that time, corn prices were around $2 per bushel. Farmers saw a new market and increased production. This shift in demand occurred amid rising oil prices. The rapid growth in ethanol consumption in the 21st century was driven by federal legislation aimed at reducing petroleum consumption and enhancing energy security. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required the use of 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2012, and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 raised this standard to 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel per year by 2022. Within this demand, 21 billion gallons had to be advanced biofuels, which are renewable fuels that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50%. 2.2 Ethanol fuel production capacity and output in the United States The United States is currently the world's largest producer and consumer of automotive ethanol gasoline. The use of ethanol fuel in the United States has a history spanning several decades, gradually gaining popularity since the 1970s. Ethanol fuel has a significant market share in the United States, with 50 states already utilizing ethanol gasoline for vehicles (Figure 3). The application of ethanol fuel in the United States is also very diverse, primarily used in the transportation sector, including automobiles, trucks, and public transportation. Additionally, ethanol fuel can find applications in power generation, heating, and other fields (Xu and Fang, 2007). Figure 3 Ethanol fuel concept (Photo by Bing) In 2010, the ethanol production in the United States reached 13.2 billion gallons (49.95 billion liters), accounting for 57.5% of the global production. Brazil was the second-largest producer with 6.92 billion gallons (26.19 billion liters). Together, the United States and Brazil contributed to 88% of the world's total ethanol production, which amounted to 22.95 billion gallons (86.85 billion liters). As of December 2010, the ethanol production industry in the United States consisted of 204 operational plants in 29 states, with nine additional plants under construction or expansion, adding a capacity of 560 million gallons. This brought the total installed capacity in the United States to 14.6 billion gallons (55.25 billion liters). By the end of 2010, over 90% of all gasoline sold in the United States was blended with ethanol. The current ethanol fuel production and consumption in the United States have been steadily increasing year by year. In 2017, there were 211 corn-based ethanol biorefineries in operation and six under construction in the United States, spread across 28 states, with a total production capacity of 16.2 billion gallons. Since the early 1980s when the United States began promoting the use of ethanol fuel, production and consumption have steadily increased. In 2017, records were set with 15.8 billion gallons of ethanol fuel, 4.14 million tons of animal feed, and 3.6 billion pounds of distillers' oil (source: http://www.las.hitech.cas.cn/cygs/201810/t20181015_453076.htm).
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