I often write or speak about the benefits of bioethanol as an automotive fuel, but there is a disconnect between the message I convey and the slow adoption of additional bioethanol in our gasoline. Why is that?
That is the simple one-word answer? Money.
I’ll elaborate. The world’s top refiners are reporting major windfall earnings — up to 700% higher than this time last year, according to their 2026 Q2 earnings.
In 2025, earnings for one of the largest oil companies surpassed global giants like Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Nvidia. Earnings for these petroleum companies will likely continue to rise significantly in 2026 due to higher oil prices stemming from the conflict with Iran.
The 10 percent bioethanol found in almost all gasoline in the U.S. replaces petroleum-based hydrocarbons with renewable, organic-based components from corn. Applied globally, this translates to tens of billions (yes, billions) of dollars of lost annual earnings to the petroleum industry. Yes, they are going to fight every drop of fuel that isn’t petroleum-based. This battle is waged primarily on three fronts:
First, a relentless propaganda campaign to scare the public into believing bioethanol is bad for engines. When lies are repeated over and over again, people start to believe them. Myth triumphs over reality. My neighbors know better than to regurgitate bioethanol myths to me!
Second, the petroleum lobby at the state and federal levels is massive. Winning elections requires money, and the petroleum industry is prepared to distribute extremely large sums to legislators who will support their cause. You scratch their backs, they scratch yours, regardless of whether it is the right thing to do.
Third, the certification program for mechanics does not include fuel education. Indeed, ASE Mechanic Certification requires almost zero knowledge of bioethanol as a fuel. Customers rely on mechanics and car salesmen as experts, yet those “experts” are subject to the same propaganda campaign.
We must continue to wage this battle with facts. Bioethanol makes more sense now than ever with petroleum supply uncertainties and inflated costs. All of us need to spread the word and dispute myths with reality. Our grassroots efforts are winning slowly, as evidenced by recent House legislation approving year-round E15 sales nationwide, but this win is of little value in markets dominated by oil-company-owned fueling stations that choose not to offer E15 as an option. Our gains are agonizingly slow, but the trend is positive.
The facts are catching up — now the fuel pumps need to.
