A coalition of agriculture and biofuel groups is urging the administration to propose a higher octane fuel standard as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updates its greenhouse gas emissions standards for passenger vehicles and light duty trucks,

In a letter to President Joe Biden, the group also requested that EPA open a comment period on the role that high octane low carbon (HOLC) fuels can play in advancing the administration’s “climate, environmental justice, public health, economic revitalization, and energy security objectives.”

The letter notes that the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI), which manufactures 99 percent of affected vehicles, also supports a transition to HOLC fuels “in new and existing internal combustion engines…as soon as possible” to facilitate the nation’s transition to a lower carbon economy.

Letter signers includes the High Octane Low Carbon Alliance, comprised of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition, National Farmers Union, National Corn Growers Association, and the Renewable Fuels Association. Additional organizations include American Farm Bureau Federation, American Coalition for Ethanol, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, state NFU and corn grower groups

“High octane, low carbon fuels, including higher-level blends of ethanol, hold so much potential – and we should be doing everything we can to realize that potential,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “These fuels improve vehicle and fuel efficiency, which in turn can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, conserve oil, and strengthen energy security.”