The Renewable Fuels Association today thanked Reps. Angie Craig (D-MN), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Cheri Bustos (D-IL) and Ashley Hinson (R-IA) for introducing a bipartisan bill that would help ease record-high gas prices by allowing broader use of low-cost ethanol. Specifically, the bill would remove barriers to the year-round sale of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol (E15), a lower-cost, cleaner-burning alternative to regular gasoline. The House bill mirrors bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate earlier this month by Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
“The fastest way to put a lid on record-high gas prices is to empower greater use of low-cost renewable fuels, and that’s exactly what this bill would do,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “This commonsense legislation would bring immediate economic relief to American families who are experiencing unprecedented pain at the pump, while simultaneously reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and tailpipe pollutants linked to cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses. Not only would the bill eliminate dependence on Russian oil imports, but it would also ensure that those imports are replaced by more affordable renewable fuels produced right here in America’s heartland. We applaud Reps. Craig, Feenstra, Bustos, and Hinson for offering this smart solution.”
In addition to supporting legislation in both the House and Senate, RFA is encouraging the Biden administration to use its emergency waiver authority to allow E15 sales this summer. Last week, RFA sent President Biden a letter signed by more than 1,000 farmers, ethanol plant workers, and other biofuel supporters, in which they noted, “E15 is selling for 10-25 cents per gallon less than standard gasoline, meaning year-round use of the fuel would save the average American household at least $125-200 on its annual gasoline bill.” Marketers and convenience stores are also calling for action, with the three top organizations representing fuel retailers recently telling EPA Administrator Michael Regain that “allowing the year-round sale of E15 in all parts of the country would help enhance supply and lower prices for all American fuel consumers.”
