RFA’s Cooper Calls for Year-Round E15, Highlights Record Ethanol Production at 31st Annual National Ethanol Conference

February 26, 2026

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(Renewable Fuels Association) Speaking to attendees at the 31st annual National Ethanol Conference in Orlando, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper celebrated a record-breaking year for the U.S. ethanol industry while urging Congress and the Trump administration to fully unleash American ethanol to boost the farm economy, reduce consumer fuel prices, and strengthen domestic energy security.

Framing the industry’s current moment through the story of college football underdog Fernando Mendoza, Cooper compared ethanol’s untapped potential to the quarterback’s improbable rise to a national championship and Heisman Trophy. Mendoza’s journey—from overlooked recruit to national champion at Indiana University—underscored the theme of the conference: America’s ethanol industry is poised for even greater success if given the opportunity to compete on a level playing field.

“We saw glimpses of our industry’s potential last year, and 2025 was another good year for the U.S. ethanol industry,” Cooper said. “But we could have done so much more, if simply given the opportunity. More to lower fuel prices for consumers. More to reduce reliance on imported petroleum. More to clean up the air and reduce emissions. And more to create jobs and boost the farm economy.”

That opportunity, RFA emphasized, begins with eliminating outdated federal regulations that restrict E15 sales during the summer driving season. Despite bipartisan support and a broad coalition agreement that included the American Petroleum Institute, legislative efforts to secure permanent, nationwide year-round E15 sales narrowly failed in late 2024 and again in early 2026. And instead of adopting year-round E15, the House formed the E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council” to continue working on the issue.

House lawmakers serving on the council had pledged legislative action on year-round E15 by today, but as of this morning, no bill had been introduced. Cooper called on members of Congress to act swiftly, stressing that year-round E15 would lower fuel costs, strengthen U.S. energy security, and provide critical economic relief to farmers and working families. Cooper noted that a small handful of mid-sized refining companies is holding up progress on E15 and reform of the RFS program’s small refinery exemption (SRE) program. He said lawmakers are finding out “that there is simply no way to appease mid-sized refiners who continue to game the RFS system with SREs. Those refiners either want to maintain the status quo, or they want to blow up the RFS entirely—neither of those options is acceptable to the majority of liquid fuel and agriculture stakeholders.”

“Our message to the Council—and to every member of Congress—is clear: Year-round, nationwide E15 is an urgent priority for America’s farmers, energy sector, and working families—and it can't wait any longer. Unleash E15! Let’s get it done,” Cooper said.

The urgency comes amid record industry performance. In 2025, U.S. ethanol producers manufactured a record 16.4 billion gallons of renewable fuel. Domestic consumption reached 14.3 billion gallons—the highest level in six years—while exports surged to an all-time high of 2.2 billion gallons, representing one out of every eight gallons produced. The industry supported 317,000 jobs, generated $28 billion in income, and contributed more than $50 billion to U.S. GDP.

While federal E15 legislation remains stalled, the industry achieved a breakthrough in California, the final state to approve E15 as a motor fuel. Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation legalizing E15 sales, though implementation is temporarily delayed by regulatory certification requirements involving vapor recovery equipment.

Cooper expressed optimism regarding proposed RFS volume obligations for 2026 and 2027 under EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. The proposed rule includes the highest-ever renewable volume targets and maintains the 15-billion-gallon conventional biofuel requirement. RFA urged full reallocation of SREs to preserve the integrity of the RFS program.

According to Cooper, the industry is also closely monitoring implementation of the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit, which could spur renewed investment and innovation—provided final modeling and regulatory details offer clarity and fairness for ethanol producers.

Looking ahead, RFA highlighted expanding global export opportunities and emerging markets in maritime and sustainable aviation fuel, emphasizing ethanol’s potential to reduce emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sectors. “Ethanol is well-positioned as a broadly available, low-cost, low-carbon, and scalable alternative fuel for these markets,” Cooper said. “Expanding ethanol into these supply chains would provide new demand for our industry, generate new revenue streams for farmers, bolster rural economies, and strengthen American energy leadership.”

Concluding the address, Cooper called on policymakers to “fully unleash ethanol” and unlock the full potential of American biofuels—just as Mendoza’s hidden talents, overlooked potential, and relentless determination were finally unleashed during Indiana’s historic perfect season.

Click here for Cooper’s remarks as prepared, and here for his presentation. READ MORE

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Excerpt from AgroLatam: The Feb. 25 deadline for the special congressional committee to move legislation to the House floor passed without action. While members continue drafting a proposal, details remain scarce. Industry observers say the stakes extend far beyond the fuel pump, directly affecting corn demand, commodity prices, and rural economic stability.

...

For corn growers and co-ops across the Midwest, year-round E15 is widely viewed as a demand driver capable of stabilizing yields-to-price ratios and supporting commodity markets amid broader uncertainty in global supply chains.

The E15 Rural Energy Council, composed of 20 legislators, faces a narrow political margin in the House, where leadership must weigh consensus versus unanimous support. Petroleum stakeholders are pressing for inclusion of reforms to the Renewable Fuel Standard's small-refinery exemption (SRE) program, a long-standing flashpoint between refiners and biofuel producers.

Industry representatives acknowledge the legislative path is complicated. Attaching E15 provisions to must-pass legislation remains the preferred strategy, although similar efforts failed in late 2024 when language was removed from an appropriations package at the last minute. With limited legislative vehicles on the calendar, prospects appear uncertain.

In the absence of federal action, several Midwestern states - including Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin - have secured Clean Air Act waivers to allow year-round E15 sales. Kansas could follow if Congress fails to act.

However, reliance on temporary summertime emergency waivers from the Environmental Protection Agency is viewed as an unstable solution. Retailers and fuel marketers warn that annual emergency declarations create regulatory uncertainty across the supply chain, complicating infrastructure investment and long-term planning.

RFS volumes offer cautious optimism READ MORE

Excerpt from DTN Progressive Farmer:

So far, little information has come out about the process.

"I do expect we're going to see a product soon," said Will Hupman, vice president of downstream policy for the American Petroleum Institute.

"I think we may see something as soon as this week, I know something's being drafted right now. The goalposts have moved on this a lot as they sort of talk with various stakeholders and they're trying to satisfy everyone."

Considering the council is working toward a consensus to include petroleum interests and small-refinery exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard, Hupman said the council made up of 20 members of Congress is faced with a difficult task.

"And I think sort of the real question here, if you keep in mind that there's a one-vote margin in the House or two-vote margin in the House is, are we seeking something that has unanimous support or are we seeking something that has consensus support?" he said during a panel discussion.

"I think that's an important distinction because I don't think unanimous support can't exist and will never exist."

...

There has been some discussion in recent months that if Congress decides not to act on E15 legislation, more states will seek special Clean Air Act waivers to be allowed to sell E15 year-round in their states.

So far Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin have received waivers, while Kansas may be next in line.

On Tuesday, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said if Congress does not pass E15 legislation, she may take the same action.

LEGISLATIVE HOPES

Troy Bredenkamp, senior vice president of government and public affairs for the Renewable Fuels Association, said the hope of the industry is to see an E15 bill attached to must-pass legislation, even after that approach failed in December 2024 when E15 was yanked out of an appropriations bill at the last minute.

"I can tell you from our perspective, we do not want to see a floor vote," Bredenkamp said.

"I mean, we all know E15 was never necessarily meant to be a standalone package. This was always meant to be a drop in onto a must-pass piece of legislation. We've never done a whip count on an entire U.S. House of Representatives. It's a very risky strategy, but if that's the road we have to go down, that's the road we will go down."

Looking at the legislative calendar for the current session, Bredenkamp said the chances to attach E15 to another must-pass bill seem slim.

"I don't see any new vehicles coming anytime soon," he said.

VIABILITY OF SUMMER WAIVERS

Doug Kantor, general counsel for the National Association of Convenience Stores, said although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Trump administration is likely to continue to grant temporary waivers of summertime E15 bans, that isn't a long-term solution.

"If we don't get legislation done, we're going to see some of the same exact dynamics as last year, right?" he said.

"That begins to raise all of these problems where some of our folks may get fed up with certain things. We've been surviving on summertime E15 on emergency waivers for what, five years now? At some point, some EPA is going to say, 'how is it an emergency every single year?' I mean, look, we've written them letters every year and said, it's an emergency. You've got to waive it so we can keep selling it. Sometime that becomes untenable."

RFS PROPOSAL TO OMB

The ethanol industry received good news on Wednesday (February 25, 2026), as EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Aaron Szabo announced during the conference that the final RFS volumes rule has been sent to the Office of Management and Budget for review.

He said the agency expects the final rule to be released by the end of March.

...

Hupman said although the council's work on E15 continues to be "opaque," it is expected that a final bill could be like the "Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act" drafted by the ethanol industry.

"In terms of the overall impact, again, without seeing it, this is some expectation, but my expectations are that the council is going to land in a pretty similar place to our original design," Hupman said.

"Our sort of prognosis is that this council's gonna put together a product, it's gonna be legislation, they're gonna put it on the speaker's desk and say either all of us or most of us have signed off on this, but we don't yet know what happens." READ MORE

Excerpt from Brownfield Ag News: He (EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Aaron Szabo) says the issue of small refinery exemptions slowed the process.

“Unfortunately, that added more complexity and work for our team, so this final rule is coming out later than we initially planned. We have not delayed this rule for any reason or by any request, this is really hard.” READ MORE; includes AUDIO

Excerpt from Ethanol Producer Magazine:

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Feb. 24 announced she will consider petitioning the U.S. EPA to allow year-round sales of E15 within her state in the absence of Congressional action to allow year-round sales of E15 on a nationwide basis.

Kelly would not be the first governor to file such a petition with the EPA. The governors of several Midwestern states in April 2022 filed petitions with the EPA requesting that the agency remove the 1-psi Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver for summer gasoline-ethanol blended fuels, which would effectively allow E15 to be sold year-round within their states.

The EPA in February 2024 issued a final rule allowing E15 to be sold year-round in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin beginning with the summer 2025 driving season. The agency in February 2025 confirmed plans to uphold the rulemaking but said it would consider requests from individual states to delay implementation if the rulemaking by one year. Later that month, the EPA approved requests filed by Ohio and South Dakota seeking a one-year delay.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in October 2025 filed a subsequent petition with the EPA asking to reverse course and reinstate the 1-psi volatility waiver within the state. The EPA in February 2026 approved his request. The Midwest E15 Rule, however, remains in effect in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

In a statement released on Feb. 24, Kelly urged Congress to take action on E15 legislation and stressed that authorization of year-round E15 sales would boost demand for Kansas corn and grain sorghum while lowering gas prices for Kansans.

“While I have resisted opting out of the EPA waiver for the State of Kansas in favor of following the nationwide emergency waiver for the years of 2022 through 2025, the reliance on the granting of this emergency waiver continues to cause stress on our fuel retailers and agricultural industry,” Kelly said.

“Congress can eliminate this patchwork of regulatory relief by implementing a nation-wide solution to this issue and providing regulatory certainty for industry and lower gas prices for Americans,” she continued. “Failure to do so will continue to harm demand for Kansas corn and grain sorghum at a time when supplies are at record levels and prices are depressed.

“Further delay of a national solution to this issue by Congress will cause me to give strong consideration to submitting a request to join the eight other states who have received EPA approval to sell E15 year-round,” Kelly added. “The deadline to submit this waiver request is April 1, 2026.” READ MORE

Tags

Wisconsin White House waiver Transportation Fuels Policy--State Transportation Fuels Policy tax policy tax credits South Dakota small refinery exemption (SRE) renewable volume obligation (RVO) Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS and RFS2) Regulations-State Regulations-Federal one pound waiver Ohio Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Nebraska Missouri Minnesota Midwest markets/sales market forces Legislation-State Legislation-Federal Kansas Iowa Indiana import/export fuel prices ethanol/bioethanol EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) energy security E15 defossilization Clean Air Act (CAA) California BioRefineries/Renewable Fuel Production 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit

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