RIVERSIDE, Calif., Sept. 25 (Inland Empire News Online) — California has authorized the sale of gasoline containing up to 15% ethanol, expanding fuel options for eligible vehicles while state agencies finish putting the program into practice. Whether Riverside drivers can buy E15 depends on local fuel stations, approved equipment and vehicle compatibility.
The California Air Resources Board, or CARB, is the state agency responsible for fuel standards. Its official guidance says gasoline containing 10.5% to 15% ethanol may be sold under Assembly Bill 30, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in 2025. The fuel must meet California, federal and local requirements.
Growth Energy, an ethanol-industry trade group, said CARB approved E15-related regulations on Sept. 24, 2026. The official CARB adoption record and final regulatory text were not included in the state documents available for this report, so the exact provisions and effective date could not be independently confirmed from the underlying agency record.
What E15 is
E15 is gasoline blended with more than 10% and no more than 15% ethanol by volume. Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel made from plant materials and is used as a lower-carbon alternative to some petroleum fuels.
California has long allowed gasoline containing up to 10% ethanol, commonly called E10. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved E15 for certain vehicles in 2010 and 2011. California’s new authorization allows the higher blend if it uses state-compliant gasoline components, such as California Reformulated Gasoline Phase 3 or CARBOB, and is dispensed through equipment approved for E15.
Legal authorization does not mean every station will sell the fuel. The state documents do not identify any Riverside station currently offering E15, nor do they provide a statewide count of participating retailers.
Which vehicles can use it?
Under EPA guidance cited by CARB and the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Division of Measurement Standards, E15 is approved for flexible-fuel vehicles and model-year 2001 and newer cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles.
It is not approved for motorcycles, vehicles with heavy-duty engines, nonroad vehicles or equipment, or model-year 2000 and older cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles. Consumers must follow the vehicle manufacturer’s fuel instructions and any labeling at the pump.
What does the environmental review say?
CARB’s Multimedia Working Group evaluated E15 against E10 under the fuel requirements considered by the state. A December 2025 staff summary said the evaluated use of E15 would not create a significant adverse impact on public health or the environment compared with E10.
That finding is a comparison between two fuel blends under specified conditions. It does not establish that every E15 blend or every vehicle will produce the same results. It also is not a measurement of current E15 use in Riverside, because the available documents do not show that local sales have begun.
CARB’s earlier technical work examined California’s E10 program and federal approvals for E15. The agency’s review process included a statutory evaluation by the California Environmental Policy Council.
What happens next?
The state must implement the fuel requirements, including specifications for gasoline, dispenser approval and compliance with measurement and labeling rules. CARB requested $2.3 million in ongoing funding and 10 permanent positions in a budget proposal to complete the regulatory process and implement the program.
Newsom later signed Senate Bill 795, which his office described as removing a regulatory barrier and speeding implementation of AB 30. The governor’s office and industry advocates have pointed to possible consumer savings, but the available materials describe those savings as projections rather than measured results from California stations.
For Riverside residents, the practical question is not only whether E15 is legal statewide. It is whether a nearby station has approved equipment and clearly identifies the fuel, and whether the vehicle is among those authorized to use it. The state materials available for this report do not answer those local questions.
