The Renewable Fuels Association has opened registration for the 32nd annual National Ethanol Conference, taking place in Las Vegas February 15–17 with the theme “The Next Wave” to explore the strong future direction of the U.S. ethanol industry. “Ethanol is riding a powerful wave of momentum, from booming export markets and strong RFS volumes to growing opportunities for higher blends …
RFA Files Challenge to Small Refinery Exemptions
The Renewable Fuels Association has filed petitions in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging two rounds of small refinery exemptions (SREs) granted by the Environmental Protection Agency last month. On August 3, EPA granted SREs for the 2023 and 2024 RFS compliance years totaling 160 million RINs. Then on August 31, EPA granted 29 more SREs …
Governor Signs California E15 Bill
Over the weekend, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new legislation to help Californians access lower-cost E15 fuel, 15% ethanol blended, an option that can diversify the state’s fuel supply. The Governor signed Senate Bill 795, the “E15 Clean-up Act,” into law following the legislature’s unanimous passage of the bill on August 31. The bill removes a regulatory barrier to implementing …
Farm Bill with E15 Reported Out of Senate Ag Committee
The Senate Agriculture Committee met Wednesday for the first time in over a month to re-vote on the Agriculture Act of 2026 – the farm bill, including E15 – and pass it along party lines by a vote of 12 to 11. Republicans prevailed on the vote this time with the presence of both Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. …
CARB Gets E15 Comments Ahead of Hearing
Ethanol stakeholders provided comments this week to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) ahead of a public hearing next week to consider proposed amendments to the state’s reformulated gasoline regulations to support the voluntary sale of gasoline containing up to 15 percent ethanol. Comments from the Renewable Fuels Association urge CARB to move quickly to finalize proposed regulations allowing the …
RFA Providing E15 Education for California Retailers
The Renewable Fuels Association was in San Diego, California this week at the annual conference of the California Fuels and Convenience Alliance (CFCA) talking with retailers about the details of selling E15, now that a technicality in last year’s legislation to allow the lower cost fuel has been fixed. RFA has been front-and-center at the CFCA trade show with an …
Study Says Gas Prices Would be Higher Without Ethanol
Nationwide regular gasoline prices over Labor Day weekend 2026 set a new holiday record and crossed $4 per gallon for the first time on Labor Day, but they would be higher if not for ethanol, according to a new study just completed for the Renewable Fuels Association. Prepared by George Hoekstra, a 35-year veteran of the petroleum refining industry, the …
Ethanol Exports Still on Track for Record Year
Ethanol exports were lower in July but remain on target to score another record year. According to the Renewable Fuels Association’s latest Trade Monitor, U.S. ethanol exports were down three percent in July, but the total for the year through July is 1.41 billion gallons, running 13% ahead of the same period last year. Canada remained the leading destination for …
Ethanol Report from the 2026 Farm Progress Show
The 2026 Farm Progress Show kicked off September 1 in Boone, Iowa with breaking news for the ethanol industry. On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced new small refinery exemptions for the 2025 compliance year, along with a plan to reallocate the lost volume. And second, breaking in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, California lawmakers passed a fix to …
Ethanol’s Share of U.S. Gasoline is Record High
With gas prices averaging over $4 a gallon, millions of Americans expected to hit the highways this Labor Day weekend, and many of them will be choosing less expensive, higher ethanol blends where they are available. According to U.S. Energy Information Administration data reviewed by the Renewable Fuels Association, the average ethanol content of gasoline sold in the U.S. surpassed …