October 1, 2008- Prompted by concerns over a global food crisis, Ontario is moving away from a plan to boost the ethanol content in gasoline and looking instead to alternative fuel supplies.
The province's energy minister says the government will maintain its ethanol target at five per cent in 2010 – not raise it to 10 per cent as promised in the run-up to the 2003 election.
George Smitherman says he's looking at several new technologies to reduce the carbon footprint of vehicles by 10 per cent by 2020.
He notes several new technologies have emerged since the government first looked at ethanol five years ago – making options like the electric car a real possibility.
Smitherman says current investments in ethanol will still stand since those are needed to meet the five per cent goal.
Premier Dalton McGuinty had warned in July that the boost to ethanol may not come to pass because of its dubious environmental benefits and an increase in food prices.
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