A CLEANER BURNING FUEL

Ethanol is the cleanest, most affordable high-octane fuel on the market. It provides a superior octane boost without the carcinogens associated with other fuel additives.

MORE OCTANE FOR MORE POWER

High-octane fuels like ethanol enhance engine performance by delivering more horsepower and speed. Most vehicles require a minimum octane rating of 87. Ethanol, with an octane rating of 113, helps meet that in modern cars. Ethanol isa cleaner, renewable, and cost-effective alternative to toxic chemicals like lead and MTBE. As a result, ethanol is now blended into 98 percent of motor fuels in the U.S., providing a safe and efficient boost to fuel performance.

MORE OCTANE FOR GREATER EFFICIENCY

Turbocharging forces more fuel and air into a smaller volume, increasing pressure but potentially causing low-octane fuels to ignite prematurely, reducing efficiency and damaging the engine. High-octane fuels, like ethanol, are essential for high-compression, turbocharged, or supercharged engines, ensuring proper ignition timing and delivering more power. Future U.S. fuel efficiency standards may require higher-compression engines, necessitating higher-octane fuels, which ethanol can provide at a lower cost.

Download the Engine Performance Fact Sheet

The post Engine Performance 101: Unlocking the Power of E15 appeared first on Growth Energy.

With high inflation and volatile gas prices, American drivers are increasingly relying on the fuel savings offered by E15 (UNL88), a fuel containing 15 percent American ethanol. Compared to standard 10 percent blends (E10), E15 saved American drivers an average savings of up to 30¢ per gallon — all while increasing U.S. energy security and supporting economic growth across rural America.

Unfortunately, these cost savings could vanish from many markets as early as May 1 of this year due to outdated federal restrictions on summer sales of higher ethanol blends.

For the last seven years, American drivers have uninterrupted access to E15 year-round based on actions taken by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In January 2025, President Trump issued an executive order (EO) declaring a national emergency over energy, which, in Section 2(b) of the EO, orders EPA to “consider issuing emergency fuel waivers to allow the year-round sale of E15 gasoline to meet any projected temporary shortfalls in the supply of gasoline across the Nation.”

The post Year-Round E15 FAQ appeared first on Growth Energy.

Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)

ASK: Reallocate each and every gallon for 2023 and 2024, and any future compliance years.
ASK: Limit the number of refiners who can demonstrate “disproportionate economic hardship” in complying with the
Renewable Fuel Standard

The post SREs under the Renewable Fuel Standard appeared first on Growth Energy.

In 1990, Congress specified that fuel with 10% ethanol (E10) could be sold year-round to encourage the use of ethanol-blended fuels, which save consumers money and burn cleaner than fuels without ethanol. However, the waiver Congress granted for E10 predated the introduction of higher ethanol blends like E15. E15 has an even lower Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) than E10, meaning it has lower evaporative emissions than standard E10 fuel. This means that despite having lower emissions than E10, E15 cannot be sold in most states during the summer months, except temporarily through emergency waivers.

Growth Energy’s Ask
Enact legislation to permanently allow year-round sales of E15  (S.593/H.R. 1346, Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act).

As a result of emergency waivers and other EPA regulatory action from 2019-2025, consumers saved upwards of 30 cents per gallon by choosing E15, with some locations offering E15 for over $1 per gallon less than E10.

Passing legislation to allow E15 to be sold year-round would increase availability and save consumers money. If we made E15 the standard fuel in the U.S., we could save $20 billion+ in fuel costs each year.

BIOFUEL BLENDS

• Nationwide adoption of E15 would save consumers $20.6 billion in annual fuel costs, put an additional $36.3 billion in income into the pockets of American families, and generate $66.3 billion for the U.S. GDP.
• Nationwide adoption of E15 will result in an increase in corn demand of about 2.3 billion bushels per year.
• E15 and higher biofuel blends have lower evaporative emissions than standard vehicle fuels.
• Higher biofuel blends are better for air quality, reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants harmful to human health, like carbon monoxide.
• Ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 46% compared to gasoline.
• If the United States transitioned from E10 to E15 nationwide, greenhouse gas emissions would fall by 17.62 million tons per year, the equivalent of removing 3.85 million vehicles from the road.

Regulatory &
Legal Milestones

• 1990 Congress imposes RVP limits but grants an RVP waiver for E10
• 2009 E15 waiver filed with EPA
• 2011 EPA approves E15 for 2001 and newer cars
• 2019 EPA extends the RVP waiver to include E15
• 2019 AFPM challenges EPA rule
• 2021 D.C. Circuit ruling reverses EPA’s waiver extension for E15
• 2022-25 EPA allows year-round E15 on an emergency basis
• 2025 State E10 RVP waiver opt-outs take effect in eight Midwestern states.

The post Ensure Year-Round Sales of E15 appeared first on Growth Energy.

E15 is a Win for American Drivers

Year-round E15 sales would:

• Provide all Americans access to an average fuel savings of up to $.30 per gallon
• Increase corn demand by 2.4 billion bushels
• Support more than 188,000 new full-time jobs

Congress must pass the E15 fix to lower prices, strengthen the economy, and give drivers the options they deserve.

The post Year Round E15: More Savings at the Pump, Growth for America’s Economy appeared first on Growth Energy.

Learn more about bioethanol’s role in reducing emissions, creating jobs, lowering costs, fostering energy independence, and enhancing engine performance.

The post Biofuels: Fast Facts appeared first on Growth Energy.