USDA Secretary Urges Congress to Pass Year-Round E15

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins addressed the American Farm Bureau Federation convention for the first time Monday, hitting on key issues being discussed by the nation’s largest general farm organization this week, including the need for nationwide, year-round E15.

Rollins says President Trump is arguably the most pro-biofuels leader in history. “While the Trump administration has gone as far as we can regulatory-wise to provide EPA E15 waivers, Congress must now do its job and pass nationwide, year-round E15 legislation to continue to drive domestic crop demand, a clear win-win for farmers and consumers.”

In addition, Rollins noted that the Trump EPA has “proposed the highest and most aggressive renewable volume obligation, or RVO, proposal in history, which, once final, will ensure corn and soy and sorghum producers have a long-term certainty and a demand stream domestically that is already helping consumer prices at the pump.”

Talking about trade and increased exports, Rollins said ethanol was a big winner in 2025, with exports increasing by 11 percent, and she highlighted the importance of extending the 45Z biofuel tax credit through 2029 in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Listen to Rollins’ full remarks here:
AFBF26 USDA Secy Rollins address 29:59

AFBF, Audio, E15, Ethanol, USDA

E15 Remains Priority for American Farm Bureau

Cindy Zimmerman

At the 107th American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Anaheim, California on Sunday, AFBF President Zippy Duvall said the organization is committed to getting year-round, nationwide E15 approved this year.

In his annual address to the membership, Duvall said the entire Farm Bureau leadership group was invited to the White House last year to meet with cabinet members about their priorities. “One clear opportunity we addressed with the White House is making E15 available year-round,” he said. “This would expand the market for farmers and deliver real cost savings to consumers at the pump. A clear win-win.”

Duvall also discussed E15 with reporters at his opening press conference. “For nearly two decades, we’ve advocated for year-round E15. It’s so close, we can almost taste it. We think we’re really close to getting that done, and it makes a lot of sense to get that done,” said Duvall. “Ethanol-blended fuels save drivers money at the pump and creates the demand for our homegrown corn and sorghum and other feedstocks. It definitely is a win-win for consumers, our farmers, and it would be a win for the president and his administration if they could get that done.”

Duvall urged farmers to call their members of Congress to get E15 finally across the finish line. “And I’ve talked to the president about it. I’ve talked to everybody around him about it. It’s a no-brainer. It doesn’t cost the government anything.”

Listen to Duvall’s E15 comments during the press conference:
AFBF president Zippy Duvall - E15 comments 1:33

AFBF, Ag group, Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Gevo Announces New Leadership and Growth Planning

Cindy Zimmerman

Gevo has announced the addition of agricultural industry veteran Greg Hanselman as executive vice president, operations and engineering as the company prepares for the retirement of Chris Ryan, Gevo’s long-time chief operating officer, in June of 2026. Hanselman is expected to assume the role of chief operating officer upon Dr. Ryan’s retirement.

Hanselman comes to Gevo from previous roles in global agribusiness leadership as vice president of global engineering for Ingredion, and as senior vice president of global manufacturing for Tate & Lyle, both leading global producers of plant-based food and industrial ingredients. He also held various roles at Archer-Daniels-Midland Company.

“Greg brings decades of agriprocessing and precision fermentation experience and strong business acumen in operations, engineering, and end-to-end supply chain management,” said Dr. Paul Bloom, president of Gevo. “He has a track record of operational excellence, safety leadership, and managing complex capital projects that will benefit Gevo’s current and future growth initiatives. His experience in empowering teams to drive strategic implementation will help build value throughout our processes and production.”

biofuels, Carbon, SAF, Sustainability

Corteva and bp Launch Biofuel Feedstock Joint Venture

Cindy Zimmerman

Corteva and bp this week announced the launch of Etlas, a joint venture to produce oil from crops – including canola, mustard and sunflower – for use in the production of biofuels like sustainable (or synthetic) aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (RD).

Etlas will be using feedstock from crops grown on existing cropland, between main food cropping seasons, which can help improve soil health while providing farmers with a new revenue stream.

Etlas will harness both Corteva’s century-long expertise in seed technology to develop crops ideally suited to produce SAF and RD as well as bp’s expertise in refining and marketing fuel for the commercial transportation market. Etlas aims to produce one million metric tonnes of feedstock per year by the mid-2030s, which could produce over 800 thousand tonnes of biofuel. Initial supply is scheduled to begin in 2027 for use in co-processing at refineries as well as at dedicated biofuels plants.

Ignacio Conti, Global Business Development Director at Corteva, has been chosed to be the new Etlas Chief Executive Officer and Gaurav Sonar, vice president, Novel Feedstocks at bp will be Chair of the Board of Directors.

Agribusiness, aviation biofuels, biofuels, feedstocks, SAF

Ethanol Stakeholders Start Year With Plea for E15

Cindy Zimmerman

2026 begins the 14th year since E15 was first approved by the EPA in 2011 for use in model year 2001 and newer vehicles. For a brief moment in 2019, the fuel was approved for nationwide, year-round sales, before that action by President Trump in his first term was overturned.

But farmers and ethanol producers are not giving up and not giving in. This week a coalition of more than 70 biofuel and agricultural organizations called for the immediate passage of legislation to allow year-round nationwide sales of the American-made E15 fuel blend, containing 15 percent ethanol. Year-round E15 would benefit drivers with savings of 10 to 30 cents per gallon and improve markets for America’s farmers.

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects a record 16.8-billion-bushel corn harvest in 2025—up roughly 13 percent from 2024,” the groups wrote. “While this demonstrates the strength and productivity of America’s farmers, it also intensifies pressure on corn prices and farm incomes. Expanding E15 access is one of the most immediate and practical ways to address this imbalance. When fully scaled, year-round, nationwide E15 is poised to create new domestic demand for billions of bushels of corn and sorghum, help stabilize markets, support farmers, and deliver consumer savings at the pump.”

The letter was led by the Renewable Fuels Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, Growth Energy, and the National Corn Growers Association, and included many stakeholders including the American Coalition for Ethanol, Iowa RFA, Minnesota Bio-fuels, and Renewable Fuels Nebraska, along with state corn grower and farm bureau groups.

“With a record corn crop filling bins across America, farmers cannot afford another season of uncertainty and negative margins. Markets need consistency and predictability, which requires permanent legislative action by Congress. We respectfully urge you to act this year to pass year-round E15 legislation,” the groups wrote.

ACE, AFBF, Ag group, biofuels, corn, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Ethanol Blend Wall Crushed Again

Cindy Zimmerman

It was not long ago that the prevailing belief in this country was that ethanol could not make it past 10 percent of the nation’s gasoline. That so-called “blend wall” was officially crushed in 2016 – and now ethanol has moved the needle another percentage point, according to the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Ethanol accounted for 11.06 percent of the nation’s gasoline in October, marking the first time in history that the monthly ethanol “blend rate” has topped 11 percent. The Renewable Fuels Association said the record-high blend rate reflects the expanding use of E15 and flex fuels like E85.

The 12-month average blend rate, which reflects longer-term trends, also hit a record of 10.48 percent in October. Expanding availability of E15 appears to be the driving factor in the blend rate increase, according to RFA. In Iowa, for example, E15 accounted for roughly 25 percent of total gasoline sales in November, virtually doubling since the start of 2025. And with E15’s legal approval in California in October, RFA is working with retailers in that state to make the more affordable blend available to Golden State drivers as soon as possible.

“The new data from EIA and the Iowa Department of Revenue provide clear evidence that ethanol is continuing to gain market share in the U.S. fuel market as American drivers increasingly choose lower-cost, cleaner-burning E15 and flex fuels like E85,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “The numbers also prove that the fictitious ‘blend wall’ is nothing but an imaginary barrier created by those who oppose American-made renewable fuels produced from American-grown crops.”

In the year-end Ethanol Report podcast, Cooper noted that expanding sales of E15 in 2025 were facilitated, in part, by the Trump Administration’s timely issuance of emergency fuel waivers allowing E15 sales to continue throughout the summer months, after Congress failed to pass legislation allowing nationwide year-round sales of E15.

“We did sell a record amount of E15 in 2025, but that volume was far below what it could have been had Congress passed that legislation last December,” said Cooper. “You know, we had to rely on EPA again to issue emergency waivers in 2025 to allow retailers to continue selling E15 through the summer months. And obviously, it’s never a guarantee that we’re going to get those emergency waivers. They always come at the last minute. And they did again in 2025. It was the very end of April, just a few days before the summer gasoline season started, when we got word from EPA that they would be again issuing those emergency waivers. And those are helpful to retailers that are already selling E15 because they can continue selling that product through the summer. But it’s not helpful in bringing new retailers and new markets and new businesses into the E15 space.”

Cooper also underscored the importance of quickly finalizing EPA’s proposed 2026-27 renewable volume obligations, which include the highest-ever renewable fuel blending requirements. “The continued expansion of E15 depends, in large part, on EPA’s pending action to finalize robust RFS volumes for 2026-27 and full reallocation of any small refinery exemptions granted for 2023 and later compliance years,” Cooper said. “Indeed, EIA’s data clearly show that the average ethanol blend rate actually reversed course and fell when EPA granted SREs en masse in the 2018-19 timeframe and failed to reallocate the lost volume. Farmers, ethanol producers, and consumers simply can’t afford a repeat of the demand destruction we experienced due to SREs seven years ago.”

Based on EIA’s latest short-term energy outlook, maintaining an average blend rate of 11 percent for a full year would equate to 15 billion gallons of domestic ethanol consumption.

Cooper addresses E15, the RVO proposal, and the need to reallocate RINS from granted small refinery exemptions in the latest edition of The Ethanol Report.
Ethanol Report 12-30-25 33:32

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

California Sunsets Outdated Biodiesel Rules

Cindy Zimmerman

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) gave the biodiesel board a nice end of the year bonus by ending the “oxides of nitrogen (NOx) mitigation requirement for biodiesel blends up to B20 (20% biodiesel) in the Alternative Diesel Fuel (ADF) regulation,” which required the blending of a minimum of 55% renewable diesel with biodiesel blends over smog concerns.

Clean Fuels Alliance America welcomed the action which they first called for in 2022, after CARB data showed the regulatory triggers for lifting the restrictions had been met.

“Sunsetting the NOx requirement in the ADF regulation recognizes what the data has shown for years—that biodiesel is a proven, low-carbon fuel already effectively regulated under the LCFS,” said Jeffrey Earl, Director of State Governmental Affairs at Clean Fuels. “This decision provides regulatory clarity and reinforces biodiesel’s value as a cost-effective compliance option that benefits fuel providers, fleet operators and consumers.”

Clean Fuels will continue challenging CARB to ensure California’s clean fuels policies are grounded in sound data and recognize the reliable performance of low-carbon liquid fuels while maintaining a balanced approach that advances emissions reductions and protects fuel affordability and supply reliability.

Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance

Ethanol Report on 2025

Cindy Zimmerman

2025 marked the 20th anniversary of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and showed just how far U.S. ethanol has come – and how much more it could accomplish for the world with just a little more freedom.

Nationwide, year-round E15 spends another year in limbo, but California catches up with the rest of the country by unanimous passage of legislation finally approving sales in the state. Corn production, ethanol production, and U.S. ethanol exports are on pace to set big records in 2025. New RVOs and reallocation of small refinery waiver gallons have been proposed but yet to be approved. And what is happening with 45Z?

Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper offers us his year in review for this edition of The Ethanol Report. Happy New Year!

Ethanol Report 12-30-25 33:32

The Ethanol Report is a podcast about the latest news and information in the ethanol industry that has been sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association since 2008.

Choose an option to subscribe

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Iowa Program Awards $5 Million for Biofuels Infrastructure

Cindy Zimmerman

Iowa’s cost-share Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) this week awarded another $4,992,182 in grants for 108 applicants to add higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel to retail sites. Nearly 100 applications focused on expanding E15 availability at retail locations, while the remaining 15 grants will add B11 at select sites. 

To qualify for the program, biodiesel retailers must use the infrastructure to offer biodiesel blended fuel classified as B11 (11 percent biodiesel) or higher. During colder months, retailers can offer B5. Ethanol retailers can qualify for E15 and higher blends.

To date, the program has granted over $65 million to help fund biofuels infrastructure across Iowa, allowing retailers to add necessary equipment to their stations to offer higher blends. The program has also led to approximately $280 million of retailer investments since its inception, allowing retailers to stay on track with Iowa’s E15 Access Standard legislation. RFIB consists of voting members appointed by the Governor of the State of Iowa.

Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News

House Introduces SAF Act

Cindy Zimmerman

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House introduced legislation last week aimed at strengthening the sustainable aviation fuel industry, creating economic opportunities for farmers, and reducing transportation emissions.

Representatives Mike Flood (R-NE), Sharice Davids (D-KS), Tracey Mann (R-KS), and Troy Carter (D-LA) introduced the Securing America’s Fuels (SAF) Act, H.R. 6518, bipartisan legislation that would restore the full value of the tax credit and extend the entire 45Z tax credit through 2033.

“The SAF Act ensures that clean fuel production incentives are strong and long-term so businesses, farmers, and innovators can plan for the future with confidence,” said Rep. Davids, who co-chairs the Congressional Sustainable Aviation Caucus (CSAC). “The bipartisan support shows the incredible potential we have to build a healthier, stronger, and more prosperous future for generations to come.”

The bipartisan legislation is endorsed by major industry and agricultural groups, including National Corn Growers Association, SAF Coalition, Airlines for America, Kansas Farm Bureau, Renew Kansas, Kansas Corn, Kansas Soybean Association, Greater New Orleans Inc., Nebraska Corn Growers Association, Nebraska Soybean Association, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Twelve, Darling Ingredients, Louisiana Farm Bureau Foundation, Advanced Biofuels Association, Global Business Travel Association, and American Sugarcane League.

advanced biofuels, aviation biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, SAF