DOE Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report · July 2026
Alternative fuel prices: E85, CNG, propane, biodiesel
National average retail prices, including taxes, reported by Clean Cities coalitions across the country, and the same prices on an energy-equal basis so you can compare a gallon of E85 with a gallon of gasoline fairly. Published quarterly.
| Fuel | Price | vs. April 2026 | Per gasoline gal. equivalent | Per million Btu | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.84/gal | ▼ 25.0¢ | $3.84 | $33.60 | Conventional benchmark. |
| Diesel | $4.86/gal | ▼ 69.0¢ | $4.32 ▲ dearer | $37.76 | Conventional benchmark. |
| Ethanol (E15) | $3.44/gal | ▼ 18.0¢ | $3.58 ▼ cheaper | $32.72 | Up to 15% ethanol; approved for most 2001-and-newer cars. |
| Ethanol (E85) | $2.95/gal | ▼ 36.0¢ | $3.83 ▼ cheaper | $43.72 | Flex-fuel vehicles only. Cheaper per gallon, but each gallon holds less energy. |
| Compressed natural gas (CNG) | $3.10/GGE | ▲ 2.0¢ | $3.10 ▼ cheaper | $27.12 | Sold per gasoline gallon equivalent. Common in transit buses and refuse trucks. |
| Liquefied natural gas (LNG) | $4.78/DGE | ▼ 3.0¢ | $4.25 ▲ dearer | $37.14 | Sold per diesel gallon equivalent; heavy trucks. |
| Propane (autogas) | $3.55/gal | ▼ 4.0¢ | $4.87 ▲ dearer | $58.32 | Vehicle fuel price, not home-heating propane. |
| Biodiesel blend (B20) | $4.76/gal | ▼ 54.0¢ | $4.29 ▲ dearer | $33.94 | 20% biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel. |
| Biodiesel (B99/B100) | $5.42/gal | ▲ 14.0¢ | $5.31 ▲ dearer | $45.35 | Neat biodiesel. |
| Renewable diesel | $6.41/gal | — | — | — | Reported mostly from California coalitions; overall average includes three prices from outside California. California average $6.42. |
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Clean Cities and Communities Alternative Fuel Price Report, prices submitted July 1–31, 2026. Gasoline and diesel here are the report’s own averages for the same period; this week’s EIA averages are gasoline $3.995 and diesel $6.127.
How to read energy-equivalent prices
A gallon of E85 holds roughly a quarter less energy than a gallon of gasoline, so a flex-fuel car goes fewer miles on it. The per-gasoline-gallon-equivalent (GGE) column puts every fuel on the energy of one gallon of gasoline. In July 2026 E85 cost $2.95 a gallon but $3.83 per GGE, against $3.84 for gasoline.
CNG is sold per GGE and LNG per diesel gallon equivalent (DGE) at the pump already. Propane autogas here is vehicle fuel; home heating propane is on the propane page.
Electric vehicles
Electricity is not in the DOE report. At the U.S. average residential rate of 18.16¢/kWh (EIA), home charging costs about $5.19 per 100 miles at 3.5 miles per kWh.