Ethanol & Automakers:  Time For a New Collaboration

Quick quiz: name a federal program or policy that costs taxpayers nothing, costs consumers nothing, provides value and regulatory relief to a heavily regulated business, provides value to the consumer in the way of  lower fuels cost, strengthens American energy security, provides new demand for American agricultural products and provides environmental and public health benefits. Give up? How about flex-fuel, also known as dual fuel, vehicle credits. I would argue that the incentive of providing credits to automakers was the most successful energy policy ever enacted by Congress, based on a cost benefit: No cost, and lots of benefit.