The Renewable Fuels Association today thanked a bipartisan group of 29 members of the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), for urging President Biden to quickly authorize year-round sales of the 15 percent ethanol blend (E15) and to not reduce renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard.
“We thank Rep. Craig and the rest of these House members for encouraging President Biden to embrace domestic renewable fuels as a lower-cost, lower-carbon alternative to Russian oil imports,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “E15 is typically selling for 20-30 cents per gallon less than regular gasoline right now; and as revealed by a new nationwide survey, three out of four voters support increasing the availability of E15 as a strategy for reducing pump prices and providing relief to American families. If the Biden administration fails to act on the straightforward request made by these representatives, the lowest-cost fuel available at the pump today will disappear on June 1 and drivers will face another unnecessary price hike.”
Led by Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), the group calls on the president to take two actions:
- Reinstate the year-round availability of E15 by directing the Environmental Protection Agency to use its authority under the Clean Air Act, or by taking executive action to respond to a potential energy crisis “triggered by Russian aggression on the international stage.”
- Direct the EPA to reverse its course on the proposed retroactive reduction to 2020 and 2021 renewable volume obligations and adhere to the Renewable Fuel Standard’s statutory obligations.
“The American people and this Congress stand united in our resolve to support the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian aggression and imperialism,” the House members write. “We will take the actions necessary to ensure democracy in Ukraine endures. Increasing domestic energy production is an important part of our effort to sustain sanctions on the Russian economy, and we urge you to increase U.S. energy independence and decrease inflationary pressures at the pump by directing the EPA to ensure the uninterrupted year-round sales of E15 and to protect the integrity of the RFS.”
In a similar letter on March 9, a bipartisan group of 16 senators urged President Biden to take action on year-round E15, calling it “a foundational way to leverage the strength of American agriculture to provide energy security for consumers.” A few days prior to this, on March 4, RFA led an industry letter to President Biden, urging his administration to use existing authority to allow for the year-round sale of E15 fuel.
