Demand for E15 fuel year-round is being shown by data released in Minnesota, but the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) said that the figures underscore the need for EPA to scale back the broad use of the small refiner exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
The Minnesota data did not show a “plummet” in E15 sales volumes in June, RFA noted, the first month of the summer driving season when E15 sales were prevented before the EPA action to makes sales of the fuel okay year-round. Sales of E15 jumped from 3.66 million gallons in June 2018 to 6.30 million gallons in June 2019, according to the data. There was also an 18-percent rise in the number of fueling stations in Minnesota that sold E15, RFA noted.
“The data from Minnesota confirm that the market is already reacting positively to the elimination of the unnecessary and ridiculous summertime restriction on E15,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper.
But, the data also show that EPA’s “unrestrained” use of SREs is having an impact. “In recent months, E15 sales volumes per station have been slightly below year-ago levels due to weakened RFS requirements and lower prices for the RFS compliance credits known as RINs,” RFA noted.