The U.S. Department of Agriculture has officially begun accepting application for $450 million in grant applications for the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). The funding, which comes the Inflation Reduction Act, will have application windows that run quarterly from July 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024. Approximately $90 million will be made available each quarter to fueling stations, stores …
New Study Shows E15 Reduces Emissions
The University of California, Riverside has just released a peer-reviewed study that shows E15 ethanol blends provide notable emissions reductions compared to California’s regular reformulated gasoline. According to the study, emissions of total hydrocarbons, non-methane hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide all showed either marginally or statistically significant reductions for E15 compared to regular California gasoline. In addition, particulate matter (PM) and …
Nebraska Governor Signs New Law to Boost E15 Sales
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed new legislation this week that contains provisions to increase consumer access to E15 fuel in the state, boost higher blend ethanol tax credits, improve the NextGen program and cut red tape for food trucks. During the signing event, Governor Pillen hosted a food truck from Norfolk at the Governor’s Residence to drive home the benefits …
Ethanol Blends Well With Summer
As summer gets underway, the Renewable Fuels Association is once again sponsoring the Ethanol Days of Summer fuel giveaway contest, and encouraging both motorists and boaters to get educated on ethanol and save money at the pump. RFA Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White says the popularity of the fuel giveaway contest has grown as the availability of higher …
Ethanol Report on E15 Summer Waiver
After waiting until the very last minute, the Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency fuel waiver to allow E15 gasoline — gasoline blended with 15% ethanol — to be sold during the summer driving season this year. A decision had to be made before April 30 so terminal operators would still be able to sell the blend after May 1. …
EPA Agrees to Allow Summer E15 This Year
After weeks of intense lobbying by ethanol supporters, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to use its existing authority to provide continued access throughout the summer months for E15, literally at the very last moment to allow continued sale of the fuel from terminals after April 30th EPA announced today that the 15% ethanol fuel blend will be exempted …
Comment Period for Eight State E15 Waiver Ends
The comment period for EPA’s proposed rule issued in response to petitions by the governors of several Midwest states to remove the 1-pound per square inch Reid vapor pressure waiver for summer conventional gasoline containing 10% ethanol ended yesterday, almost exactly one year to the day since it was requested. EPA is proposing to remove the 1-psi waiver in Illinois, …
What ChatGPT Knows About Ethanol
What does the artificial intelligence chatbot known as ChatGPT know about ethanol? I decided to chat with ChatGPT and find out. One question I asked was “Is ethanol fuel good for the environment?” ChatGPT response: Ethanol fuel can have both positive and negative impacts on the environment, depending on how it is produced and used. On the positive side, ethanol …
EPA Administrator Grilled on Summer E15
Despite repeated questioning from members of the House Agriculture Committee on the topic, EPA Administrator Michael Regan refused to say when, or if, the agency will grant emergency waivers to allow retail sales of E15 this summer. “If I give you an answer today I can guarantee you that somebody’s going to file into court and it’s going to be …
E15 Ethanol Blend Now Available in New York
Drivers in New York state now have at least one location where they can purchase E15, the low-cost, lower-carbon fuel blend containing 15 percent ethanol. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, one of the first locations offering E15 in the Empire State is the Dandy Mini Mart and Travel Plaza in Nichols, where drivers recently reported purchasing the fuel for …