What are we asking for?

Growth Energy and 54 ethanol producers are asking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve the use of ethanol blended with gasoline up to 15 percent. By increasing the blend of ethanol in our gasoline just five percent, we will help boost our ailing economy by creating American jobs, increasing our energy independence, enhancing our car performance, and greening our environment.

Why did Growth Energy submit the waiver to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

• The science overwhelmingly supports the use of E15. In fact, the science supporting a shift to E15 is even stronger than the science supporting our initial shift to E10 back in the 1970s. Learn more about supporting science.
• We recognize the need for green-collar job creation, increased energy independence, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions immediately. The Obama Administration agrees that job creation is a top priority, and with E15, we can create 136,000 new jobs according to recent studies. Learn more about jobs that could be created in your state.
• Reducing our dependence on foreign sources of energy is critical. Based on 2007 U.S. gasoline consumption, increasing the blend level from E10 to E15 will avoid the importation of another 7 billion gallons of gasoline.
• E15 is better for the environment because ethanol offers a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional gasoline. The latest research from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows that ethanol produced from corn can reduce GHG emissions by as much as 59 percent relative to gasoline.
• Commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol will be produced in the next two years, and high-tech efficiency improvements continue for the corn-to-ethanol process.  But that advanced technology will never materialize if the ethanol industry is not allowed access to the fuel market.