What about 15% blends? Does it really cost drivers at the pump? If so, how much? While ethanol does, in fact ,have a lower energy density than gasoline (thereby shortening each trip you make), the arguments surrounding the fuel are often rife with misinformation from both sides.

It doesn't have to be so complicated. Controversy aside, there is one calculation that can bring everyone together to support ethanol. The calculation is so simple that you can do it on the back of a napkin. What if I told you that simply blending ethanol into motor gasoline saved the United States $50 billion in 2012? That represents the equivalent amount of crude oil displaced by ethanol. Don't believe me? Here's how it works from the first corn kernel to the last dollar.

Where does ethanol come from?
As you can imagine, most of the country's capacity is centered in Corn Country. There are also facilities as far west as Oregon and as far east as Fulton, N.Y.