RVP waiver extension is focus of Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act

March 12, 2017 |

In South Dakota, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) sent letters to the House and Senate thanking Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Reps. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and David Loebsack (D-Iowa) for their leadership and support by introducing the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (S. 517, H.R. 1311). This bipartisan legislation clarifies that E15 should be allowed for sale year-round, increasing market access opportunities for higher blends of ethanol while eliminating confusion at the pump.

The Clean Air Act requires EPA to control the evaporative emissions of gasoline, or Reid vapor pressure (RVP), during the June 1 to Sept. 15 summer driving season to reduce smog from vehicle emissions. In 2011 EPA approved the use of E15, a clean and safe fuel with lower RVP emissions than E10 and straight gasoline. Congress granted E10 an RVP waiver because E10 reduces tailpipe emissions, but EPA has historically refused to extend the same RVP waiver to E15, even though higher ethanol blends are less volatile, and fuel such as E15 further decreases emissions.

Consequently, retailers are largely prohibited from selling E15 for use in 2001 and newer vehicles from June 1 through Sept. 15, robbing consumers of the opportunity to buy a lower cost product, as E15 typically costs 2 to 10 cents less per gallon than E10 and gasoline.

ACE Executive Vice President Brian Jennings noted in the letters that while ACE is very encouraged by statements from President Trump that EPA will revisit this regulatory burden, the coalition also strongly supports this legislation.

ACE’s annual Washington, D.C., fly-in coming up March 22-23 will serve as an opportunity for its members to rally more support. “Nearly 70 of ACE’s grassroots members will be calling on your colleagues to cosponsor the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act during our annual Washington, D.C., fly-in,” Jennings expressed in the letters.

Cosponsors of S. 517 currently include Sens. Baldwin (D-Wis.), Blunt (R-Mo.), Durbin (D-Ill.), Ernst (R-Iowa), Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Hoeven (R-N.D.), Klobuchar (D-Minn.), McCaskill (D-Mo.), Roberts (R-Kan.), Sasse (R-Neb.) and Thune (R-S.D.). Cosponsors of H.R. 1311 currently include Reps. Cartwright (PA-17), Cramer (ND-AL), Davis (IL-13), King (IA-4), Kinzinger (IL-16), Peterson (MN-7), Pocan (WI-2) and Walz (MN-1).

Category: Policy

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