Renewable Fuels Association

Name

Renewable Fuels Association

Legal name

Renewable Fuels Association

Website

https://ethanolrfa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biofuels Trade Association Services

NAICS

Ethyl Alcohol Manufacturing (325193)

akta.pro primary industry

Grain & Sugar-Based Ethanol Production (EUAAAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biofuel Distribution & Fuel Marketing (Wholesale/Retail) (EUAAAHAI), CO₂‑Derived Synthetic Fuels for Aviation & Marine (SAF e‑fuels, e‑ammonia/e‑methanol bunkering pathways) (EUABAIAH), Hydrogen & Derivative Fuels for Industry (H₂, Ammonia, Methanol) (EUABAJAC), Cellulosic Biofuels & Renewable Fuels (2G ethanol, SAF intermediates) (IMAMALAA)

Keywords

• Ethanol industry advocacy
• Biofuels trade association
• Renewable fuel standards
• Ethanol market data
• Biorefinery industry support

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: RFA operates as a membership-based trade association with dues from ethanol producers, biofuel companies, and industry stakeholders. Membership benefits include advocacy representation, industry data, publications, and access to industry events.
2. Conference and Event Revenue: The National Ethanol Conference and other industry events generate revenue through registrations, sponsorships, and exhibitor fees.
3. Publications and Resources: Sale of industry publications, reports, and white papers including the Annual Industry Outlook, fact sheets, and trade summaries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Renewable Fuels Association serves as the national trade association for the U.S. ethanol industry, advocating on behalf of ethanol producers, corn growers, and fuel retailers. It provides industry representation, policy advocacy at federal and state levels, market intelligence, and educational resources, while its member organizations produce ethanol fuel products including E10, E15, E85, and sustainable aviation fuel via Alcohol-to-Jet pathways.

Product overview

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is a national trade association for America's ethanol industry, not a traditional software product company. RFA's offerings consist of fuel products (E15, E85, Sustainable Aviation Fuel), co-products (distillers grains for animal feed), industry publications (Annual Industry Outlook, fact sheets), market data and statistics services, and educational resources. The organization advocates for policies including the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), E15 legislation, tax policy, and low-carbon fuel standards. RFA's primary digital offerings are informational resources and data portals rather than software products, including a biorefinery location directory, market statistics dashboards, and industry publications available as PDF downloads.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Renewable Fuels Foundation: Non-profit foundation supporting education and research for the ethanol industry

Quantifiable outcome

• Ethanol reduces GHG emissions by 44-52% compared to gasoline, with cellulosic ethanol achieving 80%+ reductions
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LanzaJetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2026LanzaJet received RFA's 2026 Industry Award at the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando, recognizing the company for becoming the world's first producer of jet fuel from ethanol at commercial scale. The LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels facility in Soperton, Georgia has an annual production capacity of 10 million gallons of alcohol-to-jet SAF. The award highlights 15 years of research, innovation, and investment that demonstrated the commercial viability of the company's proprietary Alcohol-to-Jet technology.
• U.S. Department of EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLanzaJet is supported by government agencies including the U.S. Department of Energy, which has provided funding and support for the development of sustainable aviation fuel technology and commercial-scale ethanol-to-jet production.
• UK Department for TransportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLanzaJet received support from the UK Department for Transport as part of international efforts to develop sustainable aviation fuel production capacity.
• American Petroleum Institute (API)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPI and major ethanol groups (RFA, Growth Energy) clinched a deal on US biofuel policy, proposing to limit small refineries' future exemptions from biofuel mandates and authorize year-round sales of E15. The groups are lobbying Congress to include the deal in government spending bills.
• Growth EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrowth Energy partnered with RFA and API on a framework to reform US biofuel policy, including year-round E15 legislation and SRE reforms.
• Canada - Environment and Climate Change CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRFA submitted comments to Environmental and Climate Change Canada expressing strong support for Canada's Clean Fuel Regulations and potential amendments. RFA advocated for a credit compliance credit multiplier for low-carbon fuels produced in Canada.
• National Corn Growers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRFA and National Corn Growers Association partnered on studies including economic impact analysis showing year-round E15 could boost U.S. GDP by $25.8 billion and create 128,000 jobs. Joint advocacy for ethanol policy.
• Clean Fuels Alliance AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Fuels Alliance America and RFA frequently partner on biofuel policy advocacy including 45Z tax credit implementation, RFS matters, and E15 legislation. Both groups welcomed the DOE's 45Z GREET model update as a 'major win.'
• Summit Carbon SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProposed carbon sequestration pipeline project that would enable ethanol plants to produce ultra-low carbon fuels eligible for federal tax credits worth up to $3 billion. Facing landowner opposition regarding eminent domain provisions in Iowa.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Growth Energy: Growth Energy is the other major U.S. ethanol industry trade association, overlapping RFA in advocacy for E15, RFS, and ethanol producers like POET and ADM. It is the closest direct peer given identical mission and overlapping membership base.
• Clean Fuels Alliance America: Clean Fuels Alliance America (formerly the National Biodiesel Board) is the U.S. trade association for biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel producers. It is a direct peer in adjacent renewable fuel categories and frequently co-advocates with RFA on 45Z, RFS, and low-carbon fuel standards.
• Advanced Biofuels Association: The Advanced Biofuels Association represents next-generation biofuel technologies, including cellulosic ethanol and renewable diesel. It is a direct peer in the broader biofuels advocacy space, sharing overlapping policy goals with RFA on advanced biofuel RVOs.

Others

• American Petroleum Institute: API is the largest U.S. oil and gas trade association. Although traditionally an opposing party on biofuel policy, API has partnered with RFA on E15 and SRE compromises, making it a peer on industry-wide legislative advocacy rather than direct competition.
• National Corn Growers Association: NCGA represents U.S. corn farmers, the primary feedstock supplier for grain ethanol. It is a long-standing RFA advocacy partner that jointly campaigns for ethanol demand and corn market expansion, making it a closely aligned ecosystem peer.
• U.S. Grains Council: The U.S. Grains Council promotes U.S. coarse grain exports, including DDGS ethanol co-products, in international markets. It is an ecosystem peer supporting RFA's export-market advocacy for ethanol and distillers grains.
• American Farm Bureau Federation: American Farm Bureau is the broadest U.S. general agriculture trade association. It is an ecosystem peer given overlapping membership and shared rural-economy policy interests with RFA's corn and biofuel farmer base.
• Alliance for Automotive Innovation: Alliance for Automotive Innovation represents most major automakers on vehicle, fuel, and emissions policy. It is an adjacent peer because high-octane ethanol (E15/E85) directly intersects with engine, fuel-economy, and emissions standards it lobbies on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EthanolRFA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/RenewableFuelsAssoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/EthanolRFA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ethanolrfa
• Instagraminstagram.com/EthanolRFA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Renewable Fuels Association