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Biofuel group calling for federal year-round E15 solution

Biofuel groups continue to call for a permanent solution to year-round E15.

Monte Shaw with the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says a yearly summer waiver isn’t sustainable long-term.

“You’re not going to have major adoption of E15 when major retailers don’t know what they’re going to be able to do the next year, so you need certainty.”

He tells Brownfield progress has been made with EPA allowing year-round E15 sales in eight midwestern states beginning next year.

“But that leaves 60 percent of the gasoline, and from like a square miles area, a lot of states, that can’t sell it starting next summer unless there’s another emergency (waiver). But again, retailers don’t want to move forward when they don’t know.”

Shaw says that means Congress needs to pass year-round E15 legislation, but a bill in the U.S. Senate has stalled.