Ethanol futures rose above $3 for the first time since 2011 amid demand from refineries and blenders before U.S. gasoline use rises with warmer weather. Distillers are facing delays transporting the ethanol they produce to markets after winter storms slowed deliveries and competition for rail cars forced ethanol plants to slow production . A 2007 U.S. law requires the biofuel, mostly made from corn, to be blended into gasoline, so higher ethanol costs can boost prices at the pump. Inventories last week were down 10 percent from a year earlier, according to government data. “We’re moving into the driving season, and refineries want more ethanol than they’re able to get,” Chris Wilson , an analyst at Atten Babler Risk Management LLC in Galena, Illinois , said in a telephone interview. “Also, logistics continue to be a big component.” Denatured ethanol for April delivery gained 7.3 cents, or 2.5 percent, […]