The Renewable Fuels Association today thanked a bipartisan group of senators who urged President Biden to quickly authorize year-round use of E15 to bolster the nation’s liquid fuel supply and keep prices lower at the pump.
“As American families continue to experience unprecedented pain at the pump, we thank these Senators for encouraging the Administration to embrace homegrown renewable fuels as a lower-cost, lower-carbon alternative to Russian petroleum imports,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Ethanol is $1 per gallon cheaper than gasoline today, meaning higher blends like E15 can immediately help put a lid on surging gas prices and deliver immediate economic relief to households across the country. The emergency action recommended by these Senators would remove a key roadblock that restricts consumer access to lower-priced E15, and we encourage EPA to immediately act upon this request.”
Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) led the letter, which was also signed by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). “As the United States joins global partners in seeking to hold accountable and isolate the Russian Federation for its unprovoked assault on Ukraine, we must deny Russia’s economic lifeblood of energy dominance,” the senators wrote. “This will require tapping every accessible contribution of American energy technology. As you know, American biofuels are one such readily available energy solution that offers consumers affordable and cleaner options at the pump.”
In a letter sent to the White House last week, RFA and other farm and biofuel organizations likewise urged the administration to use existing authority to allow for the year-round sale of E15 fuel, explaining that an immediate move to restore year-round sales of E15 can ease the impact of oil market disruptions and surging gas prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
