Senator John Thune (R-SD) is asking federal officials to approve the use of a 20 percent blend of ethanol in vehicles.

Thune said in a press release, “Conditions are ripe for the next big step forward in bolstering America’s energy independence. After several years of success, it is time for the federal government to prepare for the production and use of a new blend of ethanol, E-20. I have requested that EPA begin preparing for certification of the E-20 ethanol blend for use in automobiles.”

About half the gasoline sold in the nation is now a blend of ten percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline. In a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, Thune urged the agency to prepare now for an upcoming waiver request from the state of Minnesota asking that the EPA approve the use of E20 in automobiles, which would ultimately pave the way for other states to follow that lead.