On Wednesday, calendars flipped from May to June, marking the start of the first summer with year-round E15.
American drivers also marked two new milestones on Wednesday: Vehicles running on record high gas prices reported by the AAA at $4.67, and 30 billion miles driven on E15.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy’s CEO, says the biofuel breakthrough is a testament to the rising popularity of E15. Roughly 2,600 pumps in 31 states now offer the lower-cost blend, but Skor says that’s not all we should be focused on.
“Homegrown ethanol is not only more affordable than imported oil, but it cuts climate emissions by 46 percent,” she says. “In fact, nationwide E15 would slash carbon emissions by more than 17.62 million tons – the equivalent of taking 3.85 million cars off the road each year.”
Jon Doggett, National Corn Growers Association CEO, told Chip Flory on AgriTalk that he feels fortunate to have E15 readily available because some parts of the country aren’t able to reap biofuel benefits.
“I was at the store the other day and a guy was asking if I knew where he could buy E15 in the Washington area, and I told him I can’t,” said Doggett. “The guy said, ‘I want to be burning E15 because I understand that it’s better for my engine, it’s better for the environment, and I also understand that would be better for my pocketbook.’ Of course, I told him he has all three of those things absolutely correct.”
Doggett believes availability will improve more with year-round E15. He says removal of the summer ban will incentivize buyers and retailers to purchase blender pumps.
“We are putting a lot of corn grower dollars into those pumps,” he says. “We are going to help subsidize pumps, and the federal government is going to subsidize them as well. We’ve got a clear path forward.”
According to Growth Energy, E15 could save U.S. drivers $12.2 billion annually in fuel costs.
More on fuel costs:
Gas Prices Crush Another Record, Prices Now On Track to Top $5 Soon
Filling A Tractor Tank Daily Now Costs Some Farmers $1,000, Double What It Did a Year Ago
E98-Fueled Diesel Engines set to Run in the Field and on the Road
