Geoff Cooper, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), spoke with Intern Karleigh Erramouspe about the current market dynamics for U.S. ethanol, revealing record-setting export levels and highlighting a major new opportunity in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Legislative Roadblocks for E15
Cooper began by outlining the core function of the RFA: representing U.S. ethanol producers, who convert corn and grain sorghum into ethanol, and giving the industry a unified voice across the country.
The biggest hurdle for expanding domestic E15 sales (a blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline) remains legislative uncertainty. Currently, roughly 70% of the country cannot sell E15 year-round without a last-minute emergency waiver from the EPA.
“Really the biggest hurdle currently for nationwide year-round sales of E15 is we still don’t have legislation that allows the fuel to be sold year-round,” Cooper said.
This lack of certainty creates a massive disincentive for retailers to invest in the necessary infrastructure.
“If we don’t know whether we can sell this fuel year-round, you know, 365 days a year, we’re not going to make the investment in the infrastructure… to offer this product, if we can’t sell it every day of the year,” he explained, summarizing the retailer’s dilemma.
To solve this, Cooper stressed the urgent need for Congress to pass legislation allowing year-round E15 sales before the end of the year.
Record Exports and Trade Success
In stark contrast to the domestic regulatory hurdles, the ethanol industry is celebrating unprecedented success in the global marketplace.
“We’re actually seeing record exports in the ethanol industry. We’re expecting that this year about 2.4 billion gallons of ethanol will be exported, that will be an all-time record,” Cooper revealed.
This record volume means approximately 13% or 14% of total U.S. production is being exported.
Cooper noted that the industry has not seen adverse effects from recent tariff and trade disputes. In fact, ethanol has been front and center in the U.S. government’s trade negotiations. He specifically highlighted a recent success:
“The showpiece of that is is the trade deal that was done with the U.K. [United Kingdom]. The United Kingdom deal included a nice provision for ethanol that really expands our access to that market.”
A Huge Opportunity in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
The most exciting development for the industry is the emergence of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which promises to open an entirely new sector for corn-based ethanol.
Cooper detailed how ethanol is now being used as the foundational component for cleaner jet fuel.
“One of the things we’re we’re very focused on in the industry today is taking ethanol and using it as the building block for sustainable aviation fuel,” he said.
He proudly pointed to a significant milestone: the first-ever sustainable aviation fuel facility using ethanol as its feedstock was built in Soperton, Georgia, and has recently reached commercial-scale production.
“We think that’s a great sign and and and points to a bright future for the use of ethanol in the aviation sector,” Cooper concluded, noting that this is not a market the industry has previously played in, making it a “potentially a huge market opportunity” for ethanol producers and corn growers.
