With no prospects for a legislative fix to allow E15 year-round nationwide before the summer driving season, senators are now asking President Trump to once again authorize waivers to keep the blend available this year.
A bipartisan group of senators led by John Thune (R-SD) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent a letter to the president this week asking him to authorize the waivers which have kept E15 available during the summer months since 2019.
These waivers will allow our domestic energy supply chain to continue to quickly and reliably respond to fuel supply challenges brought on, in part, by the war in Ukraine, which unfortunately continues to weigh on global energy and security. Furthermore, this effort is in line with your executive order “Declaring a National Energy Emergency” that implores Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Zeldin and Department of Energy Secretary Wright to consider issuing these emergency waivers. And finally, this action will give the agriculture economy much needed certainty by increasing the domestic demand for American commodities.
EPA approval earlier this year means eight states – Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin – are approved to sell E15 year-round, effective April 28, although Ohio and South Dakota have opted to delay that for another year. The senators note that the Midwestern governors’ petitions to sell E15 year-round has “allowed for an agreement between both ethanol and petroleum stakeholders in support of a permanent legislative solution to allow nationwide, year-round E15 sales.”
In the interim, taking action to permit the sale of E15 nationwide during the 2025 summer driving season also will be beneficial for consumers, the domestic energy industry, and agricultural producers. And to ensure nationwide uniformity in the gasoline market, we urge you to apply the temporary emergency waivers to E15 in all states as well as to E10 in the eight states who petitioned EPA to opt out of the RVP waiver program.
The Renewable Fuels Association thanked the senators for working with the Trump administration to prioritize continued access to E15 during the summer driving season. “Not only does year-round E15 help consumers save money, but it keeps an important market open for America’s farmers and ethanol producers,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “While the action requested by these Senators would help keep E15 flowing this summer, our ultimate objective is for Congress to pass the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act that would permanently authorize year-round E15 nationwide.”
Additional senators signing the letter included, Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Gary Peters (D-MI), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Tina Smith (D-MN).
