The proposed adoption of E15 is nothing new for the agriculture industry. In fact, new legislation authorizing nationwide, year-round E15 sales passed in the House of Representatives, and the Senate is working on passing the bill.
A roundtable hosted by Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., and North Dakota State University economist David Ripplinger saw farmers and ranchers, ethanol producers, fuel retailers, and industry leaders discuss the impact for North Dakota agriculture.
A study from the biofuels and corn industry estimates that year-round E15 would add $25.8 billion to the U.S. economy and create 128,000 jobs. The North Dakota corn industry generated an average of $7.3 billion annually in gross business volume from 2020-22 and produced $1.9 billion in labor income.
“North Dakota farmers are the best in the world, but they need strong, reliable markets for what they produce,” Fedorchak said. “Year-round E15 would create additional demand for North Dakota corn, support good-paying jobs, strengthen American energy security and give families a lower-cost choice at the pump.”
She urged the Senate to get this legislation across the finish line and to President Donald Trump’s desk.
During the roundtable, attendees discussed how ethanol was a driving factor in transforming corn into one of North Dakota’s major crops. USDA estimates that farmers in the state planted 4.4 million acres, and the expansion of the ethanol industry created a major new market for corn.
Analysis by the Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri projects that nationwide, year-round E15 sales would increase ethanol and corn production. For farmers facing high input costs and low commodity prices, it would bring a larger domestic market and increase the price for their crop.
North Dakota’s five ethanol plants use about 210 million bushels of corn each year, totaling almost half of the state’s crop in a typical year. Increased E15 use would strengthen demand for both ethanol plants and the farmers behind them.
The office of Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., contributed to this article.