PEORIA, Ill. — Corn growers from Peoria to Moline and beyond are lining up in rows to support Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos’ Next Generation Fuels Act (NGFA), which leverages greater fuel octane to reduce carbon emissions in U.S. vehicles to increase demand for biofuels and improve air quality.

“Corn farmers in Illinois are excited about the new demand opportunity made possible by the Next Generation Fuels Act. This is truly the next generation of corn and ethanol demand drivers since the Renewable Fuel Standard of 2005 and 2007,” said Bill Leigh, Minonk, Ill., corn farmer and Illinois Corn Growers Association President. 

The bill introduced by Bustos (IL-17), a Democrat whose legislative district ranges from Peoria in central Illinois to Moline on the Mississippi River, establishes a new minimum octane standard (98 Research Octane number) for gasoline. It also requires sources of the extra octane value to reduce carbon emissions by at least 30 percent compared to gasoline. Further, the bill limits the use or aromatics and current-market gasoline in meeting the higher octane standard. 

Cue biofuels. 

“(The legislation) represents an opportunity for economic development for rural economies all over Illinois,” said Leigh. “Additionally, Rep. Bustos’s bill gives the American consumer a liquid fuel option that is good for the environment, good for public health, and good for the economy.  It’s a win-win.”

The Illinois Farm Bureau also lavished praise on the bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives on Sept. 24. IFB President Richard Guebert issued the following statement:

“Farmers are always seeking to increase demand for crops we grow and to expand the market for biofuels. That’s why we thank U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos’ for her leadership on the Next Generation Fuels Act. Rep. Bustos’ bill is timely and lays the legislative groundwork for development, production, and use of environmentally friendly higher-octane, low-carbon fuels. Rep. Bustos’ focus on developing next generation fuels is a win for farmers, motorists, and the rural economy. Higher octane ethanol blends will increase demand for our feedstocks, generate economic returns and ultimately cleaner air.” 

The bill has also earned the support of the National Corn Growers Association, which praised Bustos for her record as a champion for U.S. agriculture. “The Next Generation Fuels Act builds on the success of the Renewable Fuel Standard in advancing corn growers’ commitment to providing the lowest cost, most efficient and environmentally friendly fuel available,” said Kevin Ross, NCGA president.

Bustos cites the following facts to support the bill’s tenets:

Fuels with greater levels of octane are more stable and have the potential to make engines more fuel-efficient. This legislation establishes a minimum octane standard for gasoline and requires sources of the added octane value to reduce carbon emissions by at least 30 percent compared to baseline gasoline. The legislation limits the use of harmful aromatics in meeting this new higher octane standard, as well as in current-market gasoline. 

Due to ethanol’s high octane rating, utilizing low-carbon, high-octane ethanol blends results in both additional fuel efficiency and significant greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction benefits. Ethanol is also priced lower than gasoline, making it the most cost-effective octane source.

By requiring the new high octane fuel to utilize low-carbon sources, the Next Generation Fuels Act will decarbonize liquid fuels as vehicle technologies advance. This requirement, coupled with a new limit on harmful aromatics content, ensures that progress already made to lower emissions continues. 

Using more petroleum-based sources to increase fuel octane would produce more carbon emissions, erase GHG reduction benefits from improved fuel economy and result in more emissions of harmful hydrocarbon aromatics, which degrade air quality and respiratory health.

A new 98 RON would support mid-level blends like E25 (a 25% ethanol blend) and E30 (a 30% ethanol blend) which would generate new corn grind, according to the Nebraska Corn Growers Association. “The benefits of higher blends of ethanol are numerous and we have the potential to make our fuels even better,” said Dan Nerud, Nebraska corn growers’ president. “Ethanol is a natural octane booster. Low carbon, high octane ethanol blends result in additional fuel efficiency and they greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Renewable Fuels Assoc., National Farmers Union, and Growth Energy, among other organizations, have also thrown their support behind the bill, which Bustos sees as key in combating the current administration’s unwillingness to enforce terms of the federally mandated Renewable Fuels Standard.

“For the last three and a half years, we have been forced to fight battle after battle and face this Administration’s broken promise after broken promise to ensure our country is meeting the full potential of biofuels,” said Bustos. “(This bill) looks toward the future to make sure we bring an environmental lens to biofuels production, in order to increase demand while reducing carbon emissions.”