A recent decision by the Biden administration to extend access to higher blends of ethanol through the summer month will begin today, resulting in cost savings for Americans at the gas pump.
“Driving with E15 not only saves you money when you fill your vehicle, but is a cleaner option for the environment,” said North Dakota Corn Growers Association (NDCGA) President Rob Hanson. “From the corn plant storing carbon and releasing oxygen all season to less tailpipe emissions coming from your car.”
Biden’s action came after a 2021 court decision – resulting from oil industry efforts to limit the growth of higher ethanol blends – was set to end full-market access fuel with a 15% ethanol blend this summer.
Ethanol has been priced at least 80 cents less per gallon than unblended gasoline at wholesale throughout the spring, and drivers currently save up to 20 cents or more per gallon where E15 is available. E15 is lower in carbon, tailpipe and evaporative emissions.
Drivers can find retail fuel locations offering E15, often marketed as Unleaded 88, and compare prices using www.getbiofuel.com or download the GasBuddy app on their phones and select “unleaded88”.
The NDCGA is also anticipating the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)’s announcement on Friday, June 3, regarding ethanol blending volumes hoping that the Biden administration will raise ethanol blending mandates for 2021 above what it proposed in December to correspond with actual consumption levels in the country. U.S. consumption of ethanol has surpassed the low threshold set in December, another indication that drivers are demanding more biofuels. The directives for the years 2020-2022 are being set retroactively because of disruptions caused by the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“American consumers are increasingly looking for relief from 40-year high inflation that continues to erode the family budget. Using higher blends of ethanol is an easy part of the equation in stretching their dollar and giving drivers more for their money,” said North Dakota Corn Growers Association Executive Director Brenda Elmer. “And homegrown ethanol is not only a better value than imported oil, but it also cuts climate emissions by 46 percent. It’s really a win-win.”
The North Dakota Corn Growers Association advocates for the more than 13,000 corn growers in the state, and has since 1987. NDCGA is the farmer-led membership organization focusing on policy that impacts North Dakota corn producers. The NDCGA board of directors consists of 14 growers from 7 districts along with 2 at-large directors and 3 industry representatives. Become a member today at ndcorngrowers.org.
