Hopes grow for higher ethanol blend with inclusion in US Senate farm bill

Johnson, Thune optimistic about authorization of year-round E15

South Dakota’s congressional delegation is hopeful that year-round, nationwide approval of E15 – a gasoline blend with 15 percent ethanol – will clear Congress this year, bolstered by its inclusion in the latest Senate version of the farm bill.

Ethanol is a fuel additive made primarily from corn, and a lower E10 blend is already available year-round. Supporters of year-round E15 availability say it…