In comparison with the same month last year, E15 sales in May 2016 was more than three times the amount sold in 2015 (179,760 gallons). The volume in May this year was also 24 percent higher than the volume in April (485,922 gallons). 

This was also the first time E15 sales have surpassed 600,000 gallons in Minnesota. 

On a five-month cumulative basis, E15 sales in Minnesota this year total 2.61 million gallons, 84 percent of the total amount sold in the whole of 2015 (3.09 million gallons).

The surge in E15 sales this year is attributed to, among others, a higher number of stations offering the fuel as well as far more aggressive advertising and promotional activities undertaken by organizations like the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.

There were volume increases for other ethanol mid-blends in May too. 

Sales of E30 closed at 42,755 gallons in May, up 9 percent from May 2015 (39,101 gallons).

As for E85, using data from the Minnesota Department of Revenue, sales in May were slightly lower at 963,016 gallons compared to 1.06 million gallons recorded in the same month in 2015. E85 volumes have been under constant pressure this year due to the lower than usual price differential with regular unleaded.

In May 2016, E85 was on average 46 cents cheaper than regular unleaded. Twelve months earlier, it was 65 cents cheaper on average. 

On a positive note, however, the station average for E85 in May was 3,709 gallons, the highest recorded so far this year but still below the average of 4,000 to 5,000 gallons per month in 2015.