E15 (15% Blended Gasoline)
In 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allowed a blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline, known as E15, to be sold in the U.S. Sales were limited to the summertime and restricted to certain vehicles. The decision was met with controversy at the time, and taxpayer and consumer concerns continue today.
- E15 REQUIRES SPECIAL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS OFTEN PAID FOR BY TAXPAYERS AND CONSUMERS.
Higher blends of ethanol are more corrosive than traditional gasoline, requiring special fuel pumps and newer underground storage tanks. Federal taxpayers have spent billions of dollars on biofuel infrastructure subsidies, and gas stations are likely to pass remaining infrastructure costs on to consumers.
- THE USE OF E15 DISPLACES LAND AND RESOURCES FROM FOOD PRODUCTION, DRIVING HIGHER CONSUMER COSTS.
Currently 33% of U.S. corn is diverted to biofuel production. Increasing ethanol production diverts more corn away from the marketplace, raising prices at the grocery store—not just for corn and corn products, but also for animal products that rely on corn as a feedstock, as well as other crops grown on competing farmland.
- E15 USE IN COMBUSTION ENGINES RESULTS IN LOWER GAS MILEAGE FOR MOTORISTS.
Ethanol has lower energy content than gasoline. Using higher ethanol blends—like shifting from E10 to E15—reduces fuel mileage, meaning motorists must fill up more often. Higher blends of ethanol are also not suitable for boats, motorcycles, and other small engines, exposing consumers to costly repairs and voided warranties.
- E15 WORSENS AIR, SOIL, AND WATER QUALITY, EVEN COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL GASOLINE.
Independent experts warn that corn ethanol can increase harmful emissions, even compared to traditional gasoline. Increased demand for ethanol has also driven producers to convert millions of acres of sensitive land into input-intensive corn production, leading to a loss of soil nutrients, increased erosion, and more pollution in groundwater and drinking water.
- E15 PROMOTES SPECIAL INTERESTS, NOT AMERICAN ENERGY INDEPENDENCE.
Efforts to expand consumption of E15 are just the latest chapter in a decades-long campaign to manipulate federal policy in favor of corn ethanol. Once promoted as a temporary bridge to next-generation biofuels derived from crop waste or perennial grasses, corn ethanol has instead become a legacy fuel that owes its market position to taxpayer subsidies and federal mandates.
