RFA Urges Senate to Adopt Permanent E15 Solution
With the summer gasoline season officially starting today, the Renewable Fuels Association again thanked President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for taking decisive action to allow continued sales of lower-cost, cleaner-burning E15 gasoline throughout the busy summer travel season.
In a move that provided certainty to the entire gasoline supply chain, EPA on March 25 issued an emergency waiver allowing the production and distribution of a uniform grade of more affordable gasoline, which may contain up to 15 percent ethanol, during the summer ozone control season, which runs from June 1 to September 15.
RFA said the emergency action taken by EPA will save American consumers more than $125 million on fuel purchases this summer alone.
“Drivers choosing E15 are typically saving 20 to 40 cents per gallon right now,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Those savings would have disappeared from nearly 5,000 gas stations across the country on June 1 if not for foresight and swift action taken by Administrator Zeldin and President Trump several months ago. Now more than ever, consumers need relief at the pump. Thanks to the commonsense approach taken by this administration, E15 is delivering real savings at a time when American families need it most.”
While the emergency waivers will facilitate continued sales of E15 at gas stations already offering the fuel, Cooper warned that a permanent legislative solution allowing year-round E15 sales is needed to stimulate more rapid expansion of E15 in the marketplace.
“The emergency waivers are definitely helping to mitigate price spikes where E15 is being offered today,” he said. “But tens of millions of Americans are still missing out on E15’s benefits because their local gas station won’t offer the fuel unless they have permanent assurance and certainty that they can sell it to their customers 365 days a year.”
In May, the House passed bipartisan legislation that would eliminate the need for emergency waivers by permanently authorizing the year-round, nationwide sale of E15. But the Senate has not yet acted on the legislation, Cooper said. “Today, we call on the Senate to follow the House’s lead. The need to pass year-round E15 legislation has never been more urgent or important. Let’s get this done!”
On multiple occasions this year, President Trump has called on House and Senate leadership to pass year-round E15 legislation and get it to his desk, where he will sign it into law “without delay.” Senators from both parties have also recently underscored the dire need to pass year-round E15 legislation.
Without emergency waivers, E15 would be blocked in most of the country during the summer due to outdated EPA regulations that hold E15 to more restrictive emission standards than regular gasoline. The irony of this red-tape regulation is that E15 has lower volatile organic compound emissions than regular gasoline and lower smog-forming potential.
For more information on E15, check out RFA’s resources here.
