Now that E15 is back from summer vacation, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) says retailers are hopeful it will be the last time they will have to deal with the restrictions caused by an outdated Reid vapor pressure (RVP) rule.

This is the seventh year retailers offering E15, like American Freedom Energy owner Glenn Badenhop in Ohio, have had to sell it as flex fuel or remove it from the pump from June through mid-September, hurting volume during the busiest time of the year and confusing customers when E15 “returns” in the fall.

“My customers love it. It’s clean, American, higher octane, costs less than regular, and it’s made by their friends and neighbors. What’s not to like?” Badenhop said. “We’re going to put E15 back in and trust the President will make the change he’s promised to make, so we don’t have to mess with this again next year. None of us want a bunch of drivers angry when gas prices go up over some old, useless federal regulation again next summer.”

“Ethanol costs almost a dollar less than gasoline right now, even without the RIN [Renewable Identification Number] value. That gives E15 and flex fuel retailers a huge advantage over their competition,” said Ron Lamberty, ACE Senior Vice President. “We know it’s making a dent in the market, because the Big Oil lobby has ramped up its misinformation campaign to keep E15 barriers in place.”

Despite the barriers, ACE reports that record growth and investment in retail infrastructure for flex fuels has occurred over the past two years, with over 1,400 locations in 29 states selling E15, and 90 percent of passenger vehicles on the road able to use the fuel.