A new economic study released
today by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the Renewable
Fuels Association (RFA) shows that expanding year-round, nationwide
consumer access to fuels with a 15% ethanol blend would provide a boon
to the American economy, benefiting farmers, communities and consumers
alike.
The study comes as Congress considers the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel
Retailer Choice Act of 2025, which would remove an outdated provision in
the Clean Air Act that restricts the summertime sales of fuel with
15% ethanol blends, often referred to as E15.
“The study findings support what corn growers have been saying all
along, and that is that higher sales of corn ethanol are good for the
economy, and that is particularly true for rural America,” said Illinois
farmer and NCGA President Kenneth Hartman Jr. “Given the state of the
farm economy and the focus on increasing jobs available to Americans, we
would encourage Congress to act quickly and pass legislation that
allows consumers to access E15 year-round.”
The study shows that providing consistent access to E15 year-round
would provide an additional $25.8 billion to U.S. gross domestic
product, boost incomes by $10.3 billion and support 128,000 additional
full-time jobs.
Of the $25.8 billion economic impact, $7.3 billion is associated with
ethanol production, $13.8 billion comes from the corn needed to produce
the ethanol, and the remaining amounts are derived from exports and
construction.
“Ethanol has a proven track record when it comes to boosting rural
economics, creating good jobs and opening valuable new markets for
farmers,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “But outdated
policies—like the summertime barrier on E15—are stifling further growth.
This new report shows exactly what’s at stake; thousands of jobs,
billions of dollars in economic activity, and the health of the farm
economy are all on the line. It’s time for Congress to adopt legislation
allowing year-round E15.”
Agricultural groups, including NCGA,
have been sounding the alarm on the state of the rural economy. Reports
recently released by the Department of Agriculture are projecting that
this year’s corn crop will be the largest on record by far, with
production 1.5 billion bushels above the record set in 2023 and a
13.1% increase over the 2024 harvest. With the marketplace struggling to
absorb this surplus, corn prices, which are already at five-year lows,
will struggle to rebound unless new sources of demand are opened.
The study shows that the demand for higher blends of ethanol could help create a home for increased corn production.
The study was conducted by the NCGA and RFA economists using the IMPLAN model with 2023 base year data for the United States and monetary figures reported in 2025 dollars. Economists arrived at the impact numbers by comparing the economic output of three outcome scenarios, not necessarily specific years: establishing a baseline of corn usage for ethanol and the economic impact of the ethanol industry, a scenario of interim E15 adoption as infrastructure and capacity builds up and full E15 adoption.
Source: NCGA Press Release, Sept. 15, 2025