April 11, 2023
BY Renewable Fuels Association
It comes as no surprise that the lowest-cost fuel in California is also the state’s fastest-growing liquid fuel, the Renewable Fuels Association said Tuesday at an event in Sacramento spotlighting the importance of the lower-carbon E85 Flex Fuel blend, which hit a record 103.5 million gallons sold in the state in 2022.
“Gas prices are on the rise again in California, and drivers are seeking out options at the pump that are both more affordable and better for the environment; E85 definitely checks both of those boxes,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “American-made E85 is a low-carbon, low-cost liquid fuel that is growing in popularity and availability. The fuel substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline and helps insulate our nation’s fuel supply from the whims of the OPEC cartel and Russia. The record sales volume for E85 in 2022 clearly shows that, when the blend is made available and effectively promoted, FFV drivers will absolutely respond.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
RFA was joined at the busy suburban station by Propel Fuels, which provides E85 at many locations in the area. “Propel launched E85 in the Sacramento region in 2007,” said Rob Elam, Propel Fuels CEO. “It's been an incredible journey to see E85 go from zero gallons sold to over 100 million gallons in 2022. It's now the fastest-growing fuel in California. We expect to see exponential growth as Propel expands its E85 wholesale offering across the west coast and beyond.”
This week’s gas price update from the Energy Information Administration shows that prices for regular gasoline averaged $4.68 per gallon in California last week, up more than $0.50 per gallon since the beginning of the year.
Advertisement
Advertisement
E85 typically sells for 25 to 40 percent less in California. At the location where the Tuesday news conference was held, lower-carbon E85 sold for $2.99 per gallon, compared to $4.69 for regular unleaded. The blend is now available at more than 340 locations across the state, and more than 1.2 million vehicles on the road in California are flex-fuel.
The European Commission on July 18 announced its investigation into biodiesel imports from China is now complete and did not confirm the existence of fraud. The commission will take action, however, to address some systemic weaknesses it identified.
Kintetsu World Express Inc. has signed an additional agreement with Hong Kong, China-based Cathay Pacific Airways for the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The agreement expands a three-year partnership between the two companies.
On July 18, U.S. EPA announced a reduction in force (RIF) as the agency continues its comprehensive restructuring efforts. With organizational improvements, EPA is delivering $748.8 million in savings.
Broco Energy on July 17 announced a new partnership with the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) to deliver and transition Massport's fuel tanks to renewable diesel across its various facilities.
Shell Aviation, Accenture, and Amex GBT on July 10 announced Avelia is in the process of evolving to an industry solution with independent data hosting and a multi-supplier model helping users access the GHG benefits of SAF.