IOWA, USA — Due to a temporary change in E15 regulations, the Iowa Corn Growers Association believes 2022 will yield record E-15 sales in the state this year.
Typically, E15 sales are restricted in the summer due to the Clean Air Act. That changed this year, after President Biden called on the EPA to issue a one-year emergency waiver.
Rod Pierce has been growing corn in Iowa for nearly 50 years, and says the expansion has great potential for farmers like him.
"E15 is a more environmentally-friendly fuel," Pierce said. "And it's grown right here in Iowa. So we feel it's going to help us, it's going to help the occupants of Iowa to get cheaper gas."
On top of the expansion, Pierce says the state's biofuels bill is also promising, with the potential of 60 million gallons of extra ethanol production.
"And this equates to approximately 21 million bushel of corn. So in Iowa, that would have a big effect for anyone selling corn," Pierce said.
The state's fuel sales for 2022 won't be released until April of 2023. But here's how previous years stack up:
2019: 48,959,301 gallons
2020: 60,588,142 gallons
2021: 86,937,253 gallons