Accelerating the Introduction of High-Octane, Low-Carbon (HOLC) Fuels in the United States

This briefing from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute outlines a vision for deploying high-octane, low-carbon (HOLC) fuels in North American vehicle powertrains to meet 2025 greenhouse gas emission standards. It details infrastructure progress, fuel specifications, engine testing, and the strategic importance of increasing octane ratings to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.

• The proposed timeline for HOLC fuels includes a potential EPA rulemaking in 2018, the introduction of future fuels to consumers in 2020, and broad availability of fuels to support the 2050 fleet by 2025.
• Infrastructure developments include Wayne Fueling Systems manufacturing dispensers certified for E25 as of August 30, 2016, and the USDA's Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership providing over $200 million in financing for intermediate ethanol blend dispensers. Additionally, the Prime the Pump initiative has helped E15 become available in more than 1000 stations across 29 states.
• In June 2017, the DOE’s Co-Optima initiative identified eight bio-blendstocks for further assessment: Ethanol, Isopropanol, Isobutanol, N-propanol, Cyclopentanone, Diisobutylene, Furan Mixture, and Aromatics.
• Higher octane fuels are viewed as essential for improving fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as current 'Premium' fuel is considered too expensive and lacks a sufficiently high octane rating. Ethanol is identified as the most cost-effective source for achieving higher octane by 2025 using existing distribution infrastructure.
• Vehicle and engine testing involving high-octane, mid-level ethanol blends has been conducted by Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL), the DOE’s Bioenergy Technology Office, the Coordinating Research Council (CRC), and industry partners, utilizing vehicles such as a Ford EcoBoost, a Cadillac ATS, and a Mini Cooper.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (n.d.). Accelerating the Introduction of High-Octane, Low-Carbon (HOLC) Fuels in the United States. https://www.eesi.org/files/Accelerating-HOLC-fuels.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Accelerating the Introduction of High-Octane, Low-Carbon (HOLC) Fuels in the United States. n.d. https://www.eesi.org/files/Accelerating-HOLC-fuels.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Accelerating the Introduction of High-Octane, Low-Carbon (HOLC) Fuels in the United States |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/Accelerating-HOLC-fuels.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitutendaccelerating, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Accelerating the Introduction of High-Octane, Low-Carbon (HOLC) Fuels in the United States}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/Accelerating-HOLC-fuels.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }