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Michigan House considers year-round E15 sales

A bill to allow sales of E15 year-round has been taken up by the Michigan legislature.

During a recent committee meeting, Matt Smego with the Michigan Corn Growers Association told Michigan House members this harvest is the fourth in a row corn growers will lose money.

“The reality is our producers are going to keep getting more efficient,” he says. “Yield is going to continue to go up, and if we don’t have places to be able to move our corn product, that’s going to have a detrimental effect to the market.”

Bill sponsor Jerry Neyer says the bill codifies resolutions made early this summer to allow E-15 to be available across the state.

“By removing these outdated standards, again, we just provide a benefit to our constituents and make it simpler for our fuel industry to thrive in the state,” he says.

House Bill 6281 would eliminate split state regulations that prevent eight counties from selling E15 during the summer unless waivers are granted.

The House fiscal Agency says the bill could subject Michigan to sanctions in the approval of federal-aid highway funds under the Clean Air Act.

EPA has granted access to the fuel year-round to seven Midwestern states, including Ohio and Wisconsin.

The Michigan Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy oppose the bill.