E15 to get a shot in the arm September 15

In Washington, consumer choice at the pump will get a shot in the arm on Sept. 15 as the U.S. EPA’s arcane restriction on summertime E15 sales finally expires for the year. The end of EPA’s “volatility control season” means many gasoline retailers can again sell E15 to conventional automobiles built in 2001 and later years without needing to secure more expensive, specially-tailored gasoline blendstock.

In 2011, EPA approved the use of E15 in 2001 and newer vehicles, but the agency did not allow E15 to benefit from the 1-pound per square inch (psi) Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver that is available to E10 blends. As a result of this disparity, retailers in conventional gasoline areas (most of the country) would have to secure specialty gasoline blendstocks in order to continue selling E15 in the summer. Such gasoline blendstock is generally unavailable in conventional gasoline areas and would be uneconomical to ship. EPA has jurisdiction over gasoline volatility from June 1–Sept. 15 every year.

To help with further market penetration, HWRT Oil Company will begin offering pre-blended E15 on Friday at the terminal level in three states, giving retailers further access to the fuel blend. At the same time, Diesel Dogs, a fuel distributor in Minnesota, will also begin offering E15 to retailers. Meanwhile, thanks to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership program, approximately 1,500 new stations will be offering E15 in the coming months.