Ethanol blends

U.S. regulations allow the use of some fuels outside of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) definition of fuel substantially similar to gasoline, subject to some regulatory requirements noted below. Fuels currently on the market under this EPA waiver authority consist almost exclusively of mid-level gasoline-ethanol blends (i.e. blends above E10) – more specifically E15. E85, which is classified as an alternative fuel, is also found on the U.S. gasoline market, albeit in relatively low volumes.

E15 is defined as any gasoline-ethanol blend consisting of at least 10.5% v/v and at most 15% v/v ethanol. Authorization of E15 under a waiver was the result of a petition initiated by Growth Energy, an ethanol producers’ industry group. The waiver was granted in two parts: