RFA Continues Push for E15 in California

Gov. Gavin Newsom has until October 12 to sign a bill passed by the California state legislature allowing E15 sales.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is continuing its push for broader uses of E15. With a bumper corn crop on the horizon, the industry group has its sights set on California, where drivers use more than a billion gallons of ethanol annually.

“California, as I think most people know, has been 10% ethanol for two decades now, and it’s important to note that they are the second-largest state as far as gasoline consumption, and consumes over a billion-and-a-half gallons of ethanol each year,” explained Robert White, RFA Senior Vice President of Industry Relations & Market Development. “When we look at the opportunity and market opportunity for ethanol to move from 10% to 15%, it’s a huge market. In fact, almost 267 million bushels of corn, or 800 million gallons of ethanol. In fact, last week, a hauler of ethanol said, ‘When can I move another 2 million gallons a day?’”

White said boosting California’s blend to 15 percent would also help utilize more of this year’s large corn harvest.

“When we’re looking at the corn crop we have in the field, or coming out of the field as we speak, and the state of the ethanol industry, and how much we’re looking for another market or market expansion — California is a perfect example of something that’s right in front of us, and we’re just trying to get it to the finish line,” White said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has until October 12 to sign a bill passed by the state legislature that would allow E15 sales in the state.

Currently, California is the only U.S. State that does not permit the sale of E15 during at least some parts of the year. So far, the EPA has approved eight states for year-round sales of the biofuel.

Related Stories
Updated Dicamba information is the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV’s agri-legal expert Roger McEowen with the Washburn School of Law.
In part six of his blog series,"Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” farm legal expert Roger McEowen tackles issue #2, foreign ownership of ag land.
In part five of his blog series, “Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” Roger McEowen tackles issue number three, California’s Prop 12 pork regulations.
In this behind-the-scenes look at the newest episode of Where the Food Comes From, “Simple as Corn, Part 1,” written by show producer and script supervisor Donna Sanders, follow the crew during their time filming in Sun Prairie and Coloma, Wisconsin.
As we start the new year, let’s take a look at some of the legislative items from 2023 affecting agriculture that will continue to play out in the political area for months to come.
Shaun Haney, host of Rural Radio Channel 147’s Real Ag Radio, joined us Friday on Market Day Report with an update on the important vote involving the use of ag machinery in Canada.
In today’s production update, Total Acre Farming’s David Hula has an enlightening conversation with Jeremy Rountree about a new, industry-disrupting product from Brandt Fungicide.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders spoke with RFD-TV’s own Susan Alexander this Monday morning on the Market Day Report to explain Arkansas’s recently passed giving lawmakers greater authority to sanction foreign ag-land ownership within the state.
The meaning of a “double-fraction” clause and the impact on future oil and gas conveyances—that is the topic of today’s blog post by RFD-TV Agril-Legal expert Roger McEowen.

Agriculture Shows
From soil to harvest. Top Crop is an all-new series about four of the best farmers in the world—Dan Luepkes, of Oregan, Illinois; Cory Atley, of Cedarville, Ohio; Shelby Fite, of Jackson Center, Ohio; Russell Hedrick, of Hickory, North Carolina—reveals what it takes for them to make a profitable crop. It all starts with good soil, patience, and a strong planter setup.
Champions of Rural America is a half-hour dive into the legislative priorities for Rural America. Join us as we interview members of the Congressional Western Caucus to learn about efforts in Washington to preserve agriculture and tackles the most important topics in the ag industry on Champions of Rural America!
Featuring members of Congress, federal and state officials, ag and food leaders, farmers, and roundtable panelists for debates and discussions.
The goal of “Where the Food Comes From” is as simple as its name implies — host Chip Carter takes you along on the journey of where our food comes from — and we don’t just mean to the supermarket (though that’s part of the big picture!). But beyond where it comes from, how it gets there, and all the links in the chain that make that happen.
Join markets specialist Scott Shellady, better known as the Cow Guy, as he covers the market-close, breaking down headlines that drive the commodities and equities markets with commentary from respected industry heavyweights.