The Renewable Fuels Association today welcomed a decision by President Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency allowing uninterrupted sales of lower-cost E15 this summer. At a time of rising gasoline prices, year-round sales of E15 will help American drivers save money at the pump, strengthen the rural economy, and boost energy independence. RFA thanked both EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and the White House for announcing waivers that will allow continued sales of E15 at nearly 5,000 gas stations across the country, noting that today’s action delivers on the commitment President Trump made to ethanol producers and farmers on Day One of his second term.
“During a time of highly volatile fuel prices and instability in global crude oil markets, President Trump and Administrator Zeldin understand that year-round E15 is a solution that can extend domestic fuel supplies and reduce pump prices for hardworking American families,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “With geopolitical conflict roiling energy markets worldwide, we applaud President Trump and Administrator Zeldin for acting quickly and decisively to combat potential fuel shortages and help keep a lid on gas prices this summer. Today’s action will allow maximum flexibility and fuel fungibility in the marketplace, which is exactly what the supply chain needs right now. We also appreciate the efforts of USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, several Midwest governors, and the many ethanol supporters in Congress who worked together to promote continued access to E15.”
The lower-cost, American-made E15 blend is legally approved for use in more than 95 percent of vehicles on the road today, according to the EPA. Drivers typically save 10-40 cents per gallon when filling up with E15, saving the typical household hundreds of dollars on their annual fuel bill.
The EPA took similar emergency action in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, and the EPA allowed retailers to continue selling E15 in 2021 following an adverse court decision in a lawsuit brought against President Trump by the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers.
RFA on March 9 urged the White House to take action earlier than usual to allow summertime sales of E15, among other steps, to help blunt the effects of Mideast turmoil on American consumers. As of this morning, E15 had been selling an average of 28 cents per gallon less than regular gasoline, an 8.6 percent discount, according to real-time tracking at RFA’s website reporting prices of ethanol blends.
While today’s EPA announcement is good news for American families, a permanent legislative solution allowing year-round E15 is still needed, Cooper said. “For the economic and energy security benefits of E15 to be fully realized, the marketplace needs stability and long-term certainty,” he said. “Consumers, fuel producers, and farmers alike desperately need Congress to pass legislation that would deliver permanent year-round access for E15 and finally break the cycle of ad hoc, stop-gap emergency waivers.”
American voters have also registered overwhelming support for permanent, year-round access to E15. A survey taken last week of more than 2,000 registered voters, by Morning Consult, indicates that 71 percent of those polled support efforts to increase the availability of E15, up two percentage points from a December survey. And two-thirds of voters (66 percent) support the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act. This is up three points from December.
These strong numbers are amplified by removing the respondents who reported not knowing or having an opinion, Cooper noted. Of voters expressing an opinion, 85 percent support the U.S. increasing the availability of E15 to help lower fuel prices and support energy independence, and 82 percent support the E15 legislation.
