Today, Growth Energy has torn down commercial barriers through the Prime the Pump (PTP) program, bringing E15 into new markets and challenging the status quo. Growth Energy and the Prime the Pump program are the driving force behind domestic E15 expansion and we’re laying the groundwork for even higher blends.

31 states are currently offering E15 at more than 2,600 retail locations across the U.S. These locations sell 300 percent more gasoline annually than the national average.

Prime the Pump efforts have secured commitments from more than 3,800 retail sites that will offer E15 by 2021. This growth would generate approximately 350 million new ethanol gallons annually. Combined, these committed sites sell more than 7 billion gallons of gasoline annually, or roughly 15 percent of the total U.S. gasoline sales.

The surge in market expansion for E15 has made it more available to consumers, who continue to reach for it at the pump again and again. Today, drivers have driven over 20 billion miles on E15 and counting.

Facilitating market expansion for higher blends matters. Higher blends mean increased ethanol sales which also helps hardworking American farmers. When E15 is an option at the pump, fuel retailers sell 30 to 50 percent more ethanol than the average E10 station.

The goal of Prime the Pump at its inception was to prime the marketplace for E15 and open the door for retail adoption, and it’s working.

Our Prime the Pump partners are the leading convenience store brands in the country that are setting trends for the industry at-large. The average Prime the Pump station sells more than 2.4 million gallons of gasoline per year compared to a national average of 850,000 gallons per year.

Nearly one in every seven gallons of fuel sold in America comes from one of our partnered retail brands

We are currently working with 12 of the top 20 independent convenience store chains. Our efforts with Prime the Pump have led to real momentum behind E15 adoption that extends to retailers outside of the PTP program. Retailers outside of Prime the Pump are increasingly expanding their E15 offerings on their own dime as a good business practice simply to keep up with our existing partners. That dynamic promises to drive a cascade of investment that will spread market by market and deliver on our long-term vision for the program.

The domestic growth of E15 through Prime the Pump is an exciting frontier for the biofuels industry, but we are not focused solely on new ethanol gallons at home. The global market presents a significant growth opportunity for American ethanol exports and subsequent demand for U.S. corn. Growth Energy continues to work in conjunction with other industry leaders to raise awareness and bolster the reputation of biofuels overseas, while also advising foreign governments on how to successfully implement smart biofuels regulations and legislation. The goal is to drive market growth outside our borders, and we have seen that effort pay dividends.

The 15.2 billion gallons of potential new international ethanol demand only accounts for seven countries that Growth Energy has designated as priority markets and does not take into account other smaller markets that may arise across the globe. Growth Energy’s international development team has identified China, Indonesia, Mexico, Canada, India, Japan, and Brazil as markets with the highest potential growth impact:

In addition to the priority markets outlined above, the European Union (EU) also represents new possibilities for continued ethanol expansion abroad. Growth Energy continues to participate in trade missions in our priority markets, submit substantive comments on international fuel regulations, and participate in or host numerous other working group meetings with key industry partners like the U.S. Grains Council to advocate for sound policies and practices that will see continued international growth for U.S. ethanol and corn demand.