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A new nationwide survey indicates Americans see the potential for ethanol to help lower gas prices at the pump, with the national average running above $4 per gallon.

The survey conducted by Morning Consult found that 72 percent of American voters support expanding the availability of E15 as a way to replace petroleum imports from Russia, and more than 80 percent support increasing domestic renewable fuel production as a way to lower record-high gas prices.

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper notes that ethanol prices have been nearly $1 per gallon lower than gasoline prices at wholesale terminals where gasoline is blended which brings down the price of the fuel sold to consumers at the pump. If E15 replaced just 30 percent of the E10 currently being sold in the United States, the nation could entirely replace the amount of gasoline supplied annually from Russian petroleum imports.

Voters also expressed support for increasing the production of flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs), which can run on fuel containing up to 85 percent ethanol (E85), with 69 percent saying it is important for the U.S. government to incentivize automakers to increase FFV output. Finally, the Morning Consult survey showed that two-thirds of voters support the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires renewable fuels to comprise an increasing share of the nation’s fuel supply each year.

Sales of E85 flex fuel in California hit a new record last year, soaring 55 percent over 2020 levels and nearly doubling since 2018, according to new data released by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Last year, California drivers purchased nearly 62.5 million gallons (mg) of E85 flex fuel, up from about 40 mg in both 2019 and 2020, and 33.8 mg in 2018, according to CARB data. The surge in California E85 sales is continuing here in the first few months of 2022, as record-high prices for regular E10 gasoline are driving greater demand. In recent weeks, E85 has typically been priced 30-50 percent below gasoline at stations across the state.

“Demand for E85 has been on the rise this year, with increases of over 20 percent from January to February, and we expect to see the same for March,” said Greg Jones, Director of Business Development at Pearson Fuels, California’s largest provider of E85. “We always want to encourage motorists to check their gas caps to see if they’re driving a flex-fuel vehicle, and we are seeing more and more Californians taking advantage of our website and mobile app to find E85 stations near them. Drivers are seeing a real difference and saving quite a bit of money. In addition to that, we’re focusing on blending our E85 with renewable naphtha, resulting in a nearly 100 percent renewable fuel that is 60 percent lower in greenhouse gas emissions compared to unleaded gasoline. We believe E85 can play an important role for decades and has the opportunity to become a low carbon fuel option for the millions of drivers who own these vehicles.”

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said it is safe to assume that California now leads the nation in consumption of low-carbon flex fuels. “During this time of record-high gas prices and heightened concerns about climate change, California drivers are seeking out options at the pump that are both more affordable and better for the environment,” Cooper said. “E85 satisfies both of those consumer demands.”

Data from the California Energy Commission show that the number of FFVs on California roadways was nearly double the amount of electric vehicles at the end of 2020.