energy.agwired.com

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and seven other Midwest Governors sent a joint letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan Thursday formally requesting a permanent Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver that will allow each state to continue selling E15 year-round without restriction. The federal Clean Air Act gives governors the specific authority to make this formal request.

Joining Gov. Reynolds were Pete Ricketts of Nebraska; JB Pritzker of Illinois; Laura Kelly of Kansas; Tim Walz of Minnesota; Doug Burgum of North Dakota; Kristi Noem of South Dakota; and Tony Evers, Wisconsin. The eight states account for over 10 percent of U.S. gasoline use – a market larger than California.

“These governors should be applauded for pursuing a simple regulatory solution that will allow consumers in their states to benefit from E15’s lower cost and lower emissions 365 days a year,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Once this notification is approved by EPA, it will mean lower pump prices for drivers in these eight states, lower tailpipe pollution, a more secure energy supply, and a more vibrant rural economy. These states have guided the way forward on E15, and we call on other states and the EPA to follow their lead, so that the benefits of E15 can be permanently enjoyed by drivers across the nation.”

The recent announcement suspending allowing summer sales of E15 only applies to the 2022 summer driving season so this action would create a permanent waiver for year-round sales of E15 in perpetuity for those eight states.

Media coverage of President Biden’s announcement last Tuesday that consumers will continue to have access to lower-cost 15% ethanol fuel this summer contained a great deal of misinformation, despite the best efforts of the ethanol industry to get the facts out.

In a blog post Monday, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper says “many reporters and editorial boards covering the news swallowed the oil industry’s talking points—hook, line, and sinker—without bothering to check the facts or talk to third-party experts who could give an unbiased perspective.”

This was especially true when it came to the reporting on E15 and air quality. Numerous media outlets falsely reported that EPA had previously “banned” E15 sales in the summertime due to “smog concerns. A little bit of homework would have quickly led reporters to understand that E15 has lower volatility than today’s regular gasoline and reduces emissions of the pollutants that can lead to smog.

Cooper offered a fact check list for some of the more common misconceptions – or downright falsehoods – about E15 and the action taken by the president last week.

Allowing summer sales of E15 is not new
E15 was sold year-round in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Thus, allowing year-round sales of E15 in 2022 (as President Biden has pledged to do) is really nothing new. It will not place new or unexpected demands on the marketplace. Rather, the action will simply keep an existing market for ethanol (and corn) open, while also ensuring that consumers who have enjoyed three years of uninterrupted access to E15 will continue to have the choice to purchase E15 all year long in 2022.

E15 sales were not restricted in the summertime due to “smog concerns”
The real reason E15 sales were restricted in the summer (prior to 2019) is because the fuel was held to a far more restrictive vapor pressure standard than regular gasoline, the result of an antiquated regulation.
As an oxygenate, ethanol has a long history of reducing smog and improving urban air quality.

E15 does not lower fuel mileage per gallon
E15 offers a lower cost per mile traveled, even when its slightly lower energy density is considered.

E15 does not increase greenhouse gas emissions or damage engines
E15 reduces GHG emissions compared to regular gasoline.
E15 is legally approved for use in more than 96 percent of all cars, pickups, SUVs, and vans on the road today.
Not a single confirmed case of “engine damage” or inferior performance has been reported since E15’s introduction a decade ago.

Allowing E15 to be sold in the summer months is not a mandate and will not impact food prices
E15 is not being required or mandated in any way.
Summertime E15 sales in 2022 will have little discernable impact on corn prices and no impact on food prices.

Read more from RFA here.