For the past three years, EPA has announced in April that waivers would be issued to allow nationwide summertime sales of 15% ethanol fuel, or E15. Last year, the announcement was made April 19, and the previous two years it was April 28 and 29, but the Trump administration has yet to take that action for this summer.

This week, 25 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter urging the Administration to lower prices at the gas pump by allowing the nationwide sale of E-15 this summer. The bipartisan letter, led by Reps. Angie Craig (D-MN), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and Mark Pocan (D-WI) asked the Administration to extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver from June 1 through September 15, 2025.

“The administration’s efforts to unleash American energy independence is a long-term goal but can begin in the short term with preserving flexibility in our domestic energy production and supply through this emergency waiver,” they wrote. “As affirmed when you first allowed for year-round E15 in 2019, and those approved for the summers afterward, the sale of higher blends of biofuels during the summer months supports the domestic fuel supply, reduces consumer costs, and promotes American biofuels and agriculture feedstocks.”

On his first day in office, President Trump declared a National Energy Emergency which includes “issuing emergency fuel waivers to allow the year-round sale of E15 gasoline to meet any projected temporary shortfalls in the supply of gasoline across the Nation.”

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper thanked the lawmakers. “We join them in calling on the Trump Administration to take swift action to allow the nationwide sale of E15 through the coming summer,” said Cooper. “As geopolitical conflict continues to create uncertainty in global energy markets, it is important that drivers have access to an American-made supply of lower-cost, cleaner fuel.”

The ethanol industry remains optimistic that this will be the last year waivers for summer sales of E15 will be necessary. “Just from a common sense standpoint, E15 makes sense,” said RFA Chief Economist Scott Richman in the latest Ethanol Report podcast. “It’s approved in 2001 and newer vehicles, we’ve driven billions of miles on it, and in terms of air quality, the metrics around E15 are as good or better than E10…at this point, it’s why wouldn’t we just go ahead and do this?”