Poet Bioprocessing turns 40 million bushels of corn into 130 million gallons of ethanol each year. President Joe Biden toured the facility and says he wants to see more.
“All the corn in the silos is from farmers within 60 miles of here. Knowing you have a buyer gives farmers something they don’t often have-- peace of mind. Certitude about where their product can be sold at a fair price.”
As part of his visit to Iowa, he announced a plan to make E-15 available year-round.
“The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to issue an emergency waiver to allow E-15, gasoline that uses more ethanol from homegrown crops, to be sold from across the United States this summer in order to increase fuel supply.”
E-15 is currently only offered at 2300 gas stations across the country, so USDA will also be investing in infrastructure.
“I’m committed, to do whatever I can to help. Even if it’s an extra two in the pocket when they fill up, it makes a difference in people’s lives, and even though E-15 is only available a few 1000 pumps today, we’re investing more than $100 million to build biofuel infrastructure for the future. Things like blender pumps, gas pumps that can handle higher plant biomass and diesel fuel.”
Biden also says the move will help address the price hikes caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine.
“It reduces our reliance on foreign oil. It gives you a choice at the pump. When you have a choice, you have competition when you have competition, you have better prices.”
The administration is also planning to expand the market for sustainable aviation fuels with their new “Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge” to increase production to at least 3 billion gallons per year by 2030.
Related:
Biofuel groups say that E-15 fuel can help fix might gas prices
E-15 sales reached record levels in 2021
Growth Energy on the value of year-round E-15 sales