Poll Shows E15 Support Despite Being Pulled From CR

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The celebration by ethanol interests that E15 would finally be allowed nationwide, year-round was short-lived this week as the continuing resolution unveiled on Tuesday was pulled after receiving backlash for additional policy and funding provisions. But the fuel remains highly popular among voters, according to a recent survey.

Recent nationwide polling conducted by Morning Consult for the Renewable Fuels Association shows that 69 percent of registered voters support increasing the availability of E15 (gasoline with 15 percent ethanol) to help lower fuel prices and support energy independence. Looking only at voters who expressed an opinion, more than four out of five (83 percent) support expanded access to E15.

Voters were specifically asked if they would support legislation to permanently allow E15 to be sold year-round and nationwide, like the language included in the continuing resolution bill released Tuesday by House leadership. Of those respondents with an opinion, 81 percent support adoption of the legislation.

The E15 provision was pulled from the re-crafted CR announced Thursday afternoon.

E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Funding Bill Includes Year-Round, Nationwide E15

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The continuing resolution to fund the government into next year contains a provision that may finally succeed in making E15 available year-round in every state, something the ethanol industry has been working toward since it was first approved by the EPA in 2011.

“We are very pleased to see that the long-awaited fix allowing year-round E15 is included in this package,” said Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “This language would finally remove an outdated, red-tape regulatory barrier, and we remain hopeful that the continuing resolution will move swiftly through Congress and to the president’s desk for signature. Allowing year-round sales of E15 will benefit farmers, fuel retailers, and—most importantly—consumers seeking lower-cost, cleaner fuel options at the pump.”

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings said, “Legislation to ensure year-round availability of E15 in the U.S. has been at the top of our to-do list for a very long time. We are enormously grateful to our champions in Congress who persistently worked to include this provision in the year-end package. We are deeply grateful to the senators and representatives who fought tirelessly to make this happen.”

The measure also includes a provision for certain small refineries that submitted petitions for small refinery exemptions in 2016, 2017, and 2018 that would allow them to have their credits returned and would be eligible for future compliance years, similar to wording in the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act proposed in Congress. That bill was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE).

“This will once and for all solidify President Trump’s pledge to allow the sale of year-round E15—giving America’s producers and consumers the certainty they deserve,” said Fischer. “This will put an end to years of patchwork regulations and finally make nationwide year-round E15 a reality.”

ACE, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Sen. Grassley Advocated for E15 in CR

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The continuing resolution to be considered by Congress this week to keep the government operating is said to include a provision allowing the sale of E15 year-round, nationwide. Sen. Chuck Grassley told reporters Tuesday that he did not know if it was included, but he provided input to House Speaker Mike Johnson over the weekend regarding the importance of E15.

“I intervened with a phone call to Johnson on that subject Saturday and it happens that he was with the president at the football game, so he couldn’t talk right then, so he said ‘I’ll call you back.’ He never called back, but in the mean time I texted to him why we need E15 year round,” said Grassley. “For the last five years on an annual basis EPA has given the summer waiver. It was bipartisan in the house between the Nebraska congressman and the Minnesota congresswoman and then it was bipartisan in the Senate. For all those reasons, it should be included.”

Listen to Grassley’s comments.

Grassley on E15 in CR 1:31

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House Speaker Says CR Will Have Aid for Farmers

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During a press conference Tuesday morning, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said the continuing resolution (CR) to be considered this week in Congress will have funding in it for struggling farmers and ranchers.

“We can’t do all of it right now but I think what you’ll see reflected in this final package is 10 billion, to start with,” said Johnson. “So help is on the way and I’ve talked in the last 24-48 hours to a number of the leaders in the community who say they are greatly relieved by that.”

“I think this is an important step for Congress,” Johnson added. “I think the people involved understand that and it sends a signal to lenders and creditors that Congress will not abandon our food producers.”

The text of the CR had yet to be released but Johnson said he had hoped for it to be a “very simple, very clean” stop gap funding measure to get us into next year, until the hurricanes hit and they had to include a disaster package. Another addition to the CR is reported to be a provision allowing the sale of 15% ethanol fuel (E15) year-round nationwide.

Listen to Rep. Mike Johnson’s comments on the CR Tuesday morning.

House Speaker press conference 5:49

Audio, corn, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, politics

Angie Craig Elected House Ag Ranking Member

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Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) was elected Tuesday to serve as Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture, replacing David Scott of Georgia.

“I just won my D+1 district by nearly 14 points because my farmers and rural constituents know that I’ll meet them where they’re at, I’ll listen to their concerns and I’ll work with whoever I can to improve their lives,” said Craig in a statement. “My focus will be on improving people’s lives – not scoring political points. We can lower food and energy costs for consumers. We can strengthen the farm safety net and open the doors of opportunity to new and beginning farmers. And we can ensure that nutrition assistance programs are available for the Americans who need them.”

Agriculture groups were quick to praise Rep. Craig. “Rep. Craig has been a close ally of farmers in general and fierce advocate of corn growers in particular. We are thrilled by this development and look forward to working with her in the year ahead as we advance legislation important to our growers,” said National Corn Growers Association president Kenneth Hartman.

Rep. Craig has been a strong advocate for ethanol and has been consistently working toward year-round E15 nationwide by promoting legislation such as the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, farm bill, politics

Opening Supreme Court Brief Filed on SRE Case

Cindy Zimmerman

On Monday, the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy filed their opening brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case Environmental Protection Agency v. Calumet Shreveport Refining. The case seeks to overturn an opinion from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit regarding the proper venue for adjudicating the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) denials of several petitions for small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

In their brief, RFA and Growth Energy argue that the Fifth Circuit had erred and that challenges to those SRE petition denials should be adjudicated solely in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit because EPA’s SRE policy is “nationally applicable” and “based on a determination of nationwide scope or effect.” In support, the organizations argue in their brief that EPA “prescribed general standards” for adjudicating SRE petitions irrespective of their location that, when applied, “inherently affect . . . obligations for all” obligated refineries and renewable fuels producers “throughout the country.”

“EPA’s actions in response to these SRE petitions reflect quintessentially national concerns that are well within EPA’s authority to protect,” said RFA and Growth Energy in a statement. “Oil industry interests should not be allowed to upend Congress’s carefully crafted judicial review process, which ensures national uniformity for the RFS program and avoids inconsistent legal precedents, forum shopping, and market uncertainty for biofuels.”

The case stems from EPA denials of SRE petitions in 2022 that were challenged by the refineries. All regional circuit courts except the Fifth Circuit concluded that only the D.C. Circuit was the proper venue to hear the challenges, and they dismissed or transferred the challenges to the D.C. Circuit. By contrast, the Fifth Circuit held that venue in that court was proper, and in a divided 2-1 panel opinion, vacated EPA’s denials for the refineries that brought challenges in that court.

In May 2024, RFA and Growth Energy jointly petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the Fifth Circuit opinion. The U.S. EPA also petitioned the Supreme Court as well. On October 21, the Supreme Court granted EPA’s petition, and RFA and Growth Energy submitted their opening brief as a respondent in support of EPA.

EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Ethanol Groups Provide 45Z Tax Credit Input

Cindy Zimmerman

In response to a request from the House Ways and Means Committee, ethanol groups last week provided input on the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit, which was authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act and is scheduled to go into effect next year.

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper told the committee that, with the right implementation, 45Z could could create important new market opportunities for farmers, lower fuel prices for consumers, enhance energy security, and reduce emissions.

RFA called on the committee to consider extending the existing suite of biofuel tax credits—including the second-generation biofuel producer credit—while guidance is developed for 45Z and as potential modifications are debated in 2025. In addition, a more streamlined approach for registering for 45Z and securing IRS approval would help ensure biofuel producers are immediately ready when final rules are promulgated.

RFA also urged the committee to ensure that any modifications to 45Z take a broad approach to climate-smart agriculture practices and not adopt ‘bundling’ provisions that require farmers to adopt multiple CSA practices simultaneously.

Finally, RFA suggested changes in the 45Z program’s treatment of sustainable aviation fuel “in order to truly stimulate investment in, and expansion of, SAF production.” To sustain and promote new investment in SAF, the base value of the 45Z credit for aviation fuels must be enhanced to improve the economics of SAF production and send the right market signal to SAF financers.

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings shared similar suggestions for the committee, including extending the 45Z tax credit beyond its current sunset in 2027. “The three-year lifespan is insufficient for biofuel producers and farmers to fully realize the benefits of adopting new technologies and climate-smart agricultural practices. ACE recommends a total lifespan of 7 to 10 years to provide the certainty necessary for long-term investment and innovation.”

ACE also highlighted a need to address guidance delays and modifications, as seen in the 40B SAF Tax Credit. “For example, the “all-or-none” bundling requirement for agricultural practices was impractical and undervalued individual ag practice contributions to carbon intensity (CI) reductions. ACE advocates for regular updates to 45Z guidance based on the best available science and empirical data from the ACE-led Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) projects.”

ACE advocates for the inclusion of emerging practices and feedstocks in the guidance and uges Treasury and USDA to routinely update eligibility criteria to reflect advancements in agricultural technologies and practices.

The USDA is reportedly ready to issue its technical guidelines for climate-smart agriculture crops used for biofuel feedstocks under the 45Z tax credit, and the Biden U.S. Treasury department confirmed last week that preliminary 45Z guidance will be issued before the new administration takes over.

ACE, aviation biofuels, Carbon, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Over 500 Stations In MN Now Offer Unleaded 88

Cindy Zimmerman

Minnesota now has over 500 stations that offer Unleaded 88, also known as E15 or 15% ethanol-blended fuel, according to the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.

“Surpassing 500 stations offering Unleaded 88 is a major milestone and signifies that Unleaded 88, a gasoline fuel blend containing 15 percent ethanol, is quickly becoming the ‘new normal’ fuel in Minnesota,” said executive director Brian Werner.

The official total is actually 503, more than any other state in the country, and stations continue to be added at a rapid pace. Brands that currently offer Unleaded 88 in Minnesota include Amoco, ARCO, Bobby & Steve’s, Casey’s, Cenex, Freeborn County Co-Op, Holiday, Hy-Vee, Kwik Trip, Little Dukes, Love’s, Marathon, Minnoco and Speedway.

Minnesota’s road to this historic milestone in stations began back in 2013 when only a handful of stations in the state offered Unleaded 88. Since then, the number of stations selling Unleaded 88 has steadily increased each year due to a combination of infrastructure funding from the federal and state governments, support from Minnesota’s ethanol industry, industry stakeholders, and fuel marketing efforts by MN Bio-Fuels and Minnesota Corn.

This year alone, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture awarded $3 million in infrastructure grants to 16 retailers while another $3.37 million has been made available in grant funding for stations interested in offering Unleaded 88. Applications for that round of funding closed at the end of October. On the federal side, the USDA awarded $17.5 million in 2024 to stations in the state to make the necessary upgrades to offer Unleaded 88.

E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Summit Carbon Wins Permits in MN and ND

Cindy Zimmerman

Summit Carbon Solutions announced permits granted in Minnesota and North Dakota on Thursday.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) granted a permit for the company’s 28-mile pipeline route through Otter Tail and Wilkin Counties. In North Dakota, the company received three Class VI sequestration permits from the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC), marking a critical step forward in the Midwest Carbon Express project.

With today’s approval of both the sequestration permits and the Minnesota pipeline permit, along with recent major milestones including the North Dakota pipeline permit and the Iowa permit, Summit Carbon Solutions is making significant progress toward project completion. With the South Dakota PUC application also submitted, Summit Carbon Solutions is on track to begin construction in early 2026 and operations in 2027.

Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Executive Director Monte Shaw calls the approval another win for farmers and ethanol demand across the multi-state map. “The momentum is rolling, and the train will not stop until ultra-low carbon ethanol becomes achievable for producers who are desperately in need of big opportunities to drive corn demand. Project approval is now on track, full steam towards South Dakota. We need regulators there to get onboard, otherwise Midwest farmers will be left at the station as other states, such as Nebraska, roll toward new markets like sustainable aviation fuel.”

The permits allow Summit Carbon Solutions to permanently store more than 350 million metric tons of CO₂ in geologic formations more than a mile underground. This process ensures long-term safety while decarbonizing 57 ethanol plants across five states. Combined with the project’s pipeline infrastructure, the sequestration sites in North Dakota will enable farmers and ethanol producers to access new markets for low-carbon fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and green fuels, while supporting the broader goals of energy and economic sustainability.

aviation biofuels, biofuels, Carbon, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News

USGC and Partners Do Ethanol Testing in Taiwan

Cindy Zimmerman

USGC photo

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) recently collaborated with partners in Taiwan on a test drive of motorcycles fueled by 100 percent bioethanol (E100) and E10 gasoline to prove its viability as a sustainable energy source in the transportation sector.

The collaboration with Chinese Petroleum Corp Taiwan (CPC), the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and Yamaha, marks the first major initiative following the signing of an MOU earlier this year to raise awareness and acceptance of ethanol gasoline among Taiwan society.

Officers from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Ministry of the Environment, Taoyuan city government and representatives from vehicle industry, academia and research, professional motorcycle riders and media reporters also attended the event to witness vehicles’ stability and compatibility by using E100 and E10 gasoline.

“The excitement from both public and private sector stakeholders was clear to see and their eagerness to invest time and resources into ethanol shows the Council and U.S. producers are certainly on the right track to increasing global biofuel use,” said Michael Lu, USGC director in Taiwan.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, International, USGC