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Positioning Statements

ETHANOL USAGE

OPEI supports the use of ethanol, renewable and bio-diesel fuels in a controlled and data driven manner that protects the millions of existing outdoor power equipment products and their users from unintended consequences or harm.

OPEI and its member companies understand the benefits of reducing our dependence on foreign sources of oil.

Increased ethanol content beyond ten percent in fuel blends has shown to be detrimental to some outdoor power equipment product performance, useful life and safe, functional operation. OPEI supports comprehensive testing in cooperation with an appropriate public institution to determine whether outdoor power equipment can be safely used above a ten percent fuel blend level.

OPEI is strongly concerned about the many differing public and private calls for state or federal action to increase ethanol content in fuels as a policy objective absent sound feasibility study. Proponents of expanded ethanol content often suggest ease of implementation. This ease of change implementation theory fails to consider the peculiar chemistry and physical properties of ethanol-gasoline mixtures and how these mixtures can dramatically affect the transportation, combustion, emissions and storage of these fuels.

OPEI believes any public policy requirement on the upward adjustment in the percentage use of ethanol in fuel blends must properly consider the interaction of these proposed fuels with the more than 300 million existing vehicles and pieces of equipment designed to run on low-level ethanol-gasoline blends.

OPEI is the major international trade association representing the manufacturers and their suppliers of consumer and commercial outdoor power equipment such as lawn mowers, garden tractors, chainsaws, generators, utility vehicles, snow throwers, tillers, trimmers, leaf blowers and other related products. OPEI cosponsors the annual, international GIE+EXPO, The Green Industry and Equipment EXPO.