As Gas Prices Rise, Lawmakers Consider Incentives to Expand Lower-Cost E15 To Deliver Relieft To MN Consumers, Families and Businesses

Burnsville, March 19 - As global instability tied to the escalating conflict with Iran drives gasoline prices higher, the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association told lawmakers yesterday that expanding access to lower-cost fuel options like E15 can help provide meaningful relief for drivers.

Brian Werner, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association, testified before the Minnesota Senate Agriculture Committee in support of SF 4263, bipartisan legislation that would establish a biofuel sales volume incentive program to encourage more gas stations to offer ethanol blends like E15 and deliver savings to Minnesota drivers.

Gas prices across Minnesota have surged in recent weeks as oil markets react to disruptions in the Middle East, with some reports showing prices climbing nearly 50 cents per gallon in the past week alone.

"In a time of cost pressures for everything from groceries to utilities and housing, expanding access to lower-priced fuel is not an abstract policy debate. It is a tangible way to help families manage their budgets.," said Werner in his testimony. "E15 is a proven, market-based option delivering real savings to Minnesotans right now, and expanding access will drive further savings. This bill will help mitigate concerns about gasoline affordability and supply by incentivizing retailers to increase access to E15, a fuel that saves consumers money and strengthens our energy security," he said.

SF 4263 would establish a biofuel sales volume incentive program administered by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and targeted to stations that are new to selling E15. It would provide a payment of five cents per gallon of E15 dispensed up to $50,000 per year per station.

A new studyreleased by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association found Minnesota drivers saved $24.7 million in 2024 alone by choosing E15 instead of E10. Since 2013, cumulative savings total $79.5 million.

The study also found E15 sales generate $166.3 million in annual economic output, support 1,081 jobs statewide, and contribute $30.8 million in annual tax revenue.

More than 550 gas stations across Minnesota currently offer E15, and most retail sites already have compatible infrastructure to support expanded availability.

The full study, Cumulative Effects of E15 Sales to Minnesota Consumers, is available here.

Read Werner's testimony on SF 4263 here.