You don't have to farm to appreciate the potential of Ethanol.

 "We
displace the foreign oil that comes from a country that doesn't
like us very
much," said Mick Henderson with Commonwealth Agri-Energy.

The
Hopkinsville plant turns corn into 33 million gallons of Ethanol
each
year.

A lot of that fuel makes it to pumps in Nashville and Henderson
says
it's saving everyone money.

"Last year 2010 without ethanol in
your gas your gas would be 89-cents a
gallon more expensive," said
Henderson.

Family Farmers are also seeing benefits from the
fuel.

Kentucky farmer John Young says the feed corn he grows to produce

Ethanol is an important money maker.

"It'll buy college education.
 It'll buy braces for the kids teeth it
goes through the economy in the way
it should," said Young.

But is something that appears so good for society
still good for your car?

Don Geddes is among those who say no.

He
says his 89 Mustang became a different car when he stopped using
Ethanol.

"It's always run rough never run properly with ethanol," said
Geddes.

His mechanic at Gary's Auto Repair says there's a reason for
that.

David Smith says the hotter running Ethanol is so bad for older
cars he
gets one to two customers a week who's cattalytic converter is
shot.

He believes pre 2004 vehicles just aren't designed to run on
it.

"I personally don't use ethanol in any of my older cars," said Smith.
 
"You might save a little money putting gas that has ethanol up front but

if you have to buy a catalytic converter or an engine it get's
expensive."

Not everyone sees it that way.

Randy Jennings in
charge of the State Department that inspects fuel quality.

"It's easy for
ethanol to get the blame when it could be the fuel
itself," said
Jennings.

He says vehicles 1980 and newer are fully compatible with
Ethanol while
those from 1975 to 1980 should be suitable as
well.

Jennings says vehicles older than that weren't made for Ethanol but
they
probably already have the necessary fuel upgrades to run on
it.

It's why he believes those catalytic converter problems might simply
be
explained by time.

"The catalyst can become spent and not be
effective any longer so
equipment like that has a shelf life as well," said
Jennings.

A shelf life he says isn't shortened by the growth of
Ethanol.



Ethanol