Ethanol, C2H5OH, moonshine, corn liquor. What does it neutralize it into? Unless that is known it is nothing more than snake oil.
Conspiracy theory, any change is an evil change. Couple of decades ago there was a change in water supply here in AZ. The PH levels were slightly different than the old water supply. Every water leak, every water heater that went out, all blamed on the new water supply. Never mind the water heater was already 12 years old and the anode was dissolved 7 years before.
And what about MTBE?
As for the true fuel site, I have yet to see good data to back it. Someone claims pure gas and they are on the list. I am sure that some places the data is good. But in places where oxygenated fuel is required by law I don't see how the sites could be accurate.
For my stuff that sits forever, namely my boat that goes out a couple times a year. I run AV-gas. It is an older engine, designed for leaded gas. The octane is a total waste on this engine. But that AV-gas is a great picking fuel. Let it sit for a year (sometimes several years) and it still starts and runs on it.
I've also experienced stale pump gas stick valves a few times. I can think of 3 incidents off the top of my head. it was always destructive to the engine. It was always a vehicle that was parked (abandoned) for many years and got the engine running on whatever old fuel was in the tank that was always skunky. But that skunk gas can't always be blamed on ethanol, regular gas goes bad when left for too long as well.
