We The People/Wisconsin Series: Gas Prices And Ethanol

MADISON, Wis. -- Gas price frustration is spilling over from the pump into Campaign 2006. Gubernatorial candidates Gov. Jim Doyle and U.S. Rep. Mark Green have stressed looking for alternative fuels.

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But neither have advocated what Kenosha's Marrcus Mollenarro is doing.

"I wanted to do something," said Mollenarro. "I was not going to put up with it no more. I just couldn't do it."

After seeing President George W. Bush talk about E-85 in an energy speech, Mollenarro went to his computer and searched the Internet for more information. He found a Tennessee company selling stills.

He bought one. The price tag was $1,300.

Mollenarro is now brewing his own ethanol on property he owns with his storage company business in southeastern Wisconsin.

In a 150-gallon tank, he mixed 50 pounds of wheat, crack corn and enzymes. The concoction ferments and is heated before steam funnels into the still. In an hour, two gallons of ethanol collect in red gasoline jug.

By mixing ethanol with a small amount of gasoline, Mollenarro hopes to run the homemade fuel in an E-85 flex-fuel vehicle. He said he's still fine-tuning the process before giving it a try.

Flex-fuel cars are being produced in small but rapidly growing numbers and could soon be a realistic option for many drivers.

And more gas stations are offering the alternative fuel, E-85.

"They'll sell what cars run on," said Bob Bartlett of the Wisconsin Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association. "And as more cars run on E-85, we'll have more E-85 pumps."

Bartlett believes there is a future for ethanol.

"It will grow," Bartlett said. "Most experts, though, think the real bonanza is down the road, not when we're turning high-grade corn or food into fuel, but we're turning waste into fuel."

Mollenarro is hoping to grow and use sunflowers as fuel. Before he drives using fuel from his chemistry experiment, Mollenarro wants to buy an octane meter to test the quality of his brew. After that, he'll buy a small fleet of E-85 cars that can be used at his business.

For now, the project is fueling his peace of mind.

"It's a lot of fun," Mollenarro said. "This is the first time I've ever done anything like this."

He said the still isn't his style of work, but he said, "Darn if I ain't going to figure out how to do it, because I am not going to pay these outrageous prices for gasoline."

Now, when he drives by the gas stations and sees $3.00 per gallon of gasoline, he smiles.

Both candidates, Doyle and Green, said they are interested in producing more ethanol.

Doyle supports a bill that died in the state Legislature to require all gasoline have at least 10 percent ethanol. Under Doyle's watch, the state has given out $7 million in grants for ethanol production. There are now four ethanol plants operating in the state. When Doyle came into office, there weren't any.

Doyle also suspended the minimum markup law on gasoline after a Monroe ethanol gas station complained it was being investigated by the state for selling E-85 too cheaply.

Green also supports the suspension of the minimum markup law on ethanol blends. In addition, Green voted for an energy bill that requires production increases to 7.5 billion gallons of ethanol by 2012.

He also wants to look closer at requiring 10 percent ethanol in all fuel. But, Green adds, before investing in ethanol, the state should get an independent analysis to find out what effects it might have on air quality.