The benefits of biobutanol are similar to the benefits of ethanol. It can be produced domestically from a variety of homegrown feedstocks while creating U.S. jobs. Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced because carbon dioxide captured when the feedstock crops are grown balances carbon dioxide released when biobutanol is burned. The following are additional potential benefits of biobutanol:
It is easily blended with gasoline for use in today's gasoline-powered vehicles. Under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations, biobutanol can be blended as an oxygenate with gasoline in concentrations up to 11.5 percent by volume. Biobutanol proponents claim that gasoline-powered vehicles can be fueled with biobutanol as an alternative fuel (blends of 85 percent or more biobutanol with gasoline) with minor or no vehicle modifications, although testing of this claim has been limited.
Its energy density is only 10 to 20% lower than gasoline's.
It is compatible with the current gasoline distribution infrastructure and would not require new or modified pipelines, blending facilities, storage tanks, or retail station pumps.
It is compatible with ethanol blending and can improve the blending of ethanol with gasoline.
It can be produced using existing ethanol production facilities with relatively minor modifications.