E15 Sales Comes to New York State

ALBANY, N.Y. — For the first time, E15, the fuel blend containing 15 percent ethanol, will be available to drivers in New York state. 

One of the first locations offering E15 in the Empire State is the Dandy Mini Mart and Travel Plaza in Nichols, where drivers recently reported purchasing the fuel blend for $3.29 per gallon — 20 cents below the price listed for regular gasoline.

"We are pleased to see that E15, the lowest-cost fuel available for standard vehicles, is finally becoming available to New York consumers," said Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). "E15 lowers greenhouse gas emissions and tailpipe pollutants linked to poor air quality and health problems. The growing availability of E15 in New York is great news for the state's motorists."  

Drivers in New York consume nearly 5.5 billion gallons of fuel every year, which already includes more than 500 million gallons of ethanol. However, a new study by economists at the University of California-Berkeley and elsewhere found the presence of ethanol in the U.S. fuel supply, including in blends such as E15, is responsible for reducing gas prices by as much as 77 cents per gallon in recent years. 

Over the last few years, the RFA has been lobbying both state and federal regulators to expand access to ethanol fuel. The organization recently threw its support behind a proposed EPA rule change that would allow year-round availability for E15 starting in 2024.

New York originally gave E15 fuel blends the green light in November 2019. It is also home to companies such as Western New York Energy, an RFA member and biorefinery that already produces 65 million gallons of ethanol each year.

"We have been producing high octane, low carbon fuels for over 16 years through the utilization of corn grown locally by farmers in New York," said Tim Winters, president and CEO of Western New York Energy. "We strive every day to do our part to clean the air and lower emissions for New York, and we are pleased to see retailers in our state beginning to recognize the environmental and economic benefits of higher ethanol blends for New York consumers."

The Renewable Fuels Association has been serving as an advocate for the ethanol industry since 1981.