Nearly 1,000 farmers, ethanol industry workers and other supporters from across the country sent a letter to President Biden today calling on his administration to take action to allow continued access to E15 throughout the upcoming summer driving season. E15 is a lower-cost, lower-carbon gasoline blend containing 15 percent ethanol.
“With the 2024 summer driving season just a few months away, we are urging your administration to take additional action that will ensure consumers across the nation have uninterrupted access to lower-cost, lower-carbon E15,” the letter states. “Allowing gasoline blenders and retailers to sell E15 this summer would help moderate prices at the pump, extend fuel supplies, and deliver relief to American families at a time of year when gasoline prices typically are at their highest. Today, E15 is selling for 10- 25 cents per gallon less than standard E10 gasoline, allowing the average American household to save $125-200 on its annual gasoline bill.”
The letter concludes, “As war in Ukraine and unrest in the Middle East continue to create turbulence in the global fuel market, we encourage you to continue embracing year-round E15—a domestic solution that enhances energy security, reduces emissions, and bolsters American agriculture.”
Click here for more information on the need for summertime E15. Earlier this week, in an RFA blog post, Chief Economist Scott Richman estimated that U.S. sales of the E15 fuel blend hit a record 1.11 billion gallons in 2023. Last week, RFA and allies sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, calling on Administrator Michael Regan to act swiftly on an emergency waiver for E15 sales.
In February of this year, EPA granted a petition from eight Midwest governors to allow year-round sales of E15. However, the petition only applies to those eight states and does not go into effect until 2025, creating uncertainty about the status of E15 for the summer of 2024.
