The Biden Administration has approved the year-round sale of E15 fuel in eight Midwest states — a decision that will take effect in the summer of 2025.
The decision came after an April 2022 petition to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from the states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) shared its support for the decision, but emphasized that the effective date leaves room for improvement.
“As the saying goes, ‘better late than never,’ but EPA had a legal responsibility to approve E15 year-round in these states more than a year and a half ago, so postponing the effective date to April 28, 2025 is disappointing,” said Brian Jennings, ACE CEO. “While we are grateful this issue will be settled in Midwest states with more than half the current E15 retail sites, our urgent priority is to find a solution for continued nationwide access to E15 this summer. The administration rightfully exercised its authority to grant emergency waivers in 2022 and 2023, and we will be pushing for a solution covering the summer of 2024 as well.”
The Push for E15 in the Midwest
Jennings also noted that while this is a step in the right direction for the Biden administration and Congress, consumers continue to demand more renewable and alternative fuel options.
“In addition, ACE continues to actively support bipartisan legislation in Congress, the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, to permanently enable all Americans to benefit from the cost savings and cleaner emissions of E15. This legislation will be one of our priority issues during our March 14-15 D.C. fly-in,” he continued. “Finally, ACE applauds the persistence of the governors of the eight Midwest states for leading the charge on this effort, as well as Attorneys General for Iowa and Nebraska for keeping the administration’s feet to the fire.”
The governors petitioned EPA on April 28, 2022, to eliminate the 1-pound square inch (psi) Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver for gasoline containing 10% ethanol, essentially asking for E15 to be allowed year-round in their states.
By law, the agency was required to act by July 27, 2022, but did not issue a proposed rule to allow E15 year-round in the states until March 6, 2023.
The Attorneys General for Iowa and Nebraska sued EPA over its delay on Aug. 7, 2023, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. EPA’s rule was submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget in December of 2023 for inter-agency review.
Now, the decision permanently approved E15 year-round in the eight states but delays implementation to April 28, 2025.
Support Around the States
Biofuel trade association Growth Energy also spoke out about the decision, applauding the EPA for its commitment to E15.
“We commend EPA for finalizing its rule, and we thank the eight midwestern governors who have now successfully secured a future for year-round E15 in their states. This is a win for the residents of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin, and a win for biofuel producers and fuel retailers,” said Emily Skor, Growth Energy CEO.
Skor did note, however, that availability of E15 needs to remain at the same level that drivers have become accustomed to for the past several years.
“While this is great news, drivers will need a solution for this summer to minimize disruptions and make sure they have the same access to E15 that they’ve had for the past five summers,” she continued. “E15 saves drivers money while helping them lower their carbon emissions. We look forward to working with policymakers to ensure that consumers can have permanent access to these benefits all year long.”
What is it?
According to Growth Energy, E15 is a fuel blend made of gasoline and 15% bioethanol.
The EPA has approved the use of E15 use in all cars, trucks and SUVs made in model year 2001 and newer — representing more than 96% of all vehicles on the road today.
E15 can be found at over 3,400 gas stations across the country and to date, Americans have driven more than 100 billion miles on this fuel blend. Last summer, drivers saved an average of 15 cents per gallon by filling up with E15 compared to regular, or E10. In some areas, E15 saved drivers as much as 60 cents per gallon at the pump.
More information about E15 can be found here.