• The push for voluntary E15 isn't the "panacea" needed by the ag industry, economist Dan Basse says.
  • E15 use is growing even with regulatory limits, but experts say education for consumers and retailers is needed.
  • Ethanol policy is under scrutiny as American corn growers are racing to find new markets. 

When Dan Basse went looking for higher ethanol-gasoline blends in Chicago, he had to drive about 40 miles before finally finding an E15 pump –- outside of the city in a northern suburb.

The ag economist’s search spotlights the U.S. biofuel industry’s challenge in expanding domestic use of the corn-based gasoline additive, even in the country’s premier hub for grain commodities.

“As you get into the big urban areas, people aren’t even quite sure what E15 really is,” Basse, president of AgResource Co., tells Agri-Pulse.

Ethanol producers and corn farmers are fighting to make E15 a recognizable moniker at gas stations across the Dan_Basse-AgResource-photo.pngDan Basse (AgResource photo)nation as they press federal lawmakers to pass legislation that would allow year-round sales of higher-ethanol blends, known as E15, across the country. The push can be seen as a second act for ethanol.

The Renewable Fuel Standard, the law that two decades ago created a national mandate for blending certain amounts of biofuel into the U.S. fossil-fuel supply each year, spurred a major new market for farmers and spurred economic growth across the Corn Belt. More than a third of each year’s U.S. corn harvest, the nation’s biggest crop, is used to make ethanol.

But efforts to increase year-round ethanol blends from the standard 10% up to at least 15% have faltered amid opposition from oil refiners and environmentalists. A few years ago, after President Donald Trump in his first term issued an order legalizing year-round E15, a court struck down the law and said Congress, not the executive, had to act if E15 were to be enshrined into law.


The overall issue stems from E15 not being allowed to be sold in summer months due to concerns about air quality, but the regulation is widely viewed as outdated. Both Republican and Democratic administration have issued waivers allowing summertime sales to address all types of fuel market disruptions. Unless E15 is passed by Congress in the next few weeks, a 2026 waiver is likely to be granted by the Environmental Protection Agency ahead of the heavy driving season.

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The need for full-year, nationwide E15 is described as urgent by the ag sector.  And while groups like the American Petroleum Institute, which represents large oil refiners, now support E15 under certain conditions, smaller refiners are pushing back, in part with claims that even in the top corn- and ethanol-producing state of Iowa, the 15% ethanol-gasoline mix is a “niche fuel.”

E15 is now legal in all states, after California enacted a new law last year. California is still undertaking an environmental study of the fuel blend. Nationwide, there’s also an issue of pump labels and installation of infrastructure.

But even with the challenges, Growth Energy Chief Executive Officer Emily Skor notes that 2025 saw the biggest growth ever in E15, with a 50% rise in sales, 42% increase in terminal supply and 900 new retail locations.

There are roughly 4,700 E15 sites in the U.S. out of about 150,000 gasoline stations, according to Growth Energy, the biggest ethanol trade group. Skor and other ethanol advocates say lower cost of E15 versus conventional fuel is accelerating interest.

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Voluntary E15 likely has its limits

Basse, though, says when the price difference between E15 and standard gasoline is negligible, the consumer will probably go with the latter, thinking: “Why do I buy E15 when I get fewer miles per gallon?” 

“There needs to be an explanatory retail gasoline section that rolls out with E15 so consumers, particularly in urban areas, understand what they're buying,” said Basse, adding that he always uses E15 when at his family farm in Wisconsin, where it’s easier to find than the Chicago area.

He also is a strong advocate for "mandatory E15" as opposed to the voluntary approach being pursued by ethanol lobbyists and farm-state lawmakers.

“If the corn growers really want meaningful change, why aren't we talking about mandatory E15?" asked Basse, saying doing so would give the ag economy an additional 2.4 billion to 2.6 billion bushels of corn demand it needs. "We need policy certainty and with voluntary E15 I do not think we'll provide that," he said. 

Voluntary E15 addEmily Skor SAF Congress.jpgEmily Skor (SAF North America photo)s maybe 150 million bushels the first year, eventually moving up to 300 million bushels, he said. "But that's not a panacea to get us to the golden land."

Both ethanol and motor gasoline are facing an existential crisis with the rise of electric vehicles and increased fuel efficiency that’s expected to deeply slash consumption over the next 10-20 years.

E15 is seen as a bridge to buoy domestic demand for several years until markets for new products that can be made with ethanol, such as marine and sustainable aviation fuels, are more fully developed.


After many disappointments in getting E15 passed on Capitol Hill, including twice so far just this year, farm-state lawmakers like Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, are hopeful legislation can soon pass.

If that happens, even the biggest champions for E15 say a new major challenge begins.

“Our work is not done,” Skor tells Agri-Pulse. “We're still going to have to educate retailers on why – just because it's available now – why do I want to offer this?”