NuStar Energy fire: What is ethanol anyway?

CROCKETT, Calif. (KGO) -- The fire at the NuStar Energy facility in Crockett on Tuesday burned thousands of gallons of the fuel additive called ethanol.

Ethanol is a type of alcohol produced from grains like corn and soybeans.

It burns cleaner than regular gasoline and produces less pollution.

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The fuel in your car is normally 90 percent petroleum and ten percent ethanol.

Dr. Severin Borenstein at UC Berkeley's Energy Institute says California burns through about four million gallons of ethanol per day, so losing even several hundred thousand gallons shouldn't have a big impact on gas prices.

However, that could change if the entire storage facility has to be shut down for a week or more.

See more stories and videos about the NuStar Energy fire here.