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E15 debate continues

Some members of Congress are frustrated that consumers still don’t have permanent year-round access to E15.

Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa tells Brownfield the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act needs to get passed sooner rather than later. He believes the Biden administration would support the bill.

“It’s kind of embarrassing to the administration when 10 or 12 governors want E15 year-round and the president doesn’t,” Grassley said.

The legislation, authored by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), would allow for the year-round, nationwide sale of E15 by permanently extending the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) volatility waiver to ethanol blends above 10 percent. It would also prohibit the removal of the 1-psi waiver for E10 ethanol, ensuring uniformity across fuel markets.

Republican Congressman Mike Flood of Nebraska says he supports a recent lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency for its delay in authorizing year-round E15 sales. He tells Brownfield yearly-emergency waivers are not the answer.

“Would we accept this in any other part of our government where we wait until the very last minute for somebody to do the same thing that they’ve done every year before? Let’s provide some consistency and some reliability,” Flood said.

Grassley says expanded E15 access helps lower fuel prices and provides certainty for farmers and consumers.