As of January 1, Montana became the 49th state to allow retail sales of E15, with California now remaining as the only state to prevent the sale of 15% ethanol-blended fuel.

The Montana Department of Labor & Industry last year approved updated state regulations based on the most recent National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) handbook which went into effect at the beginning of the new year.

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper urged California to follow Montana’s example.

“We are pleased to see Montana has rung in the new year by becoming the 49th state to allow the sale of lower-cost, lower-carbon E15. Big Sky Country will now be able to enjoy greater savings at the pump and cleaner skies on the horizon. Now it’s time for the very last holdout–California–to step forward and join the rest of the country in allowing consumers to access the more affordable, cleaner-burning E15 fuel option. As we explained in a recent letter to California’s Air Resources Board, the state’s refusal to approve E15 means it is subjecting its drivers to higher prices at the pump, more pollution at the tailpipe, and greater GHG emissions in the atmosphere.”