Growth Energy calls on EPA and DOE to boost ethanol blending in light of Colonial Pipeline hacking

In Washington, on the fifth day after the cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline, Growth Energy sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Regan and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Granholm calling for immediately reduced restrictions to higher ethanol-blended fuels as relief for resulting supply disruptions and rising gas prices.

“[E15] is now sold at nearly 2,400 locations across the country including several hundred locations throughout the southeast – where the impact of the Colonial is most felt. By immediately removing remaining regulatory hurdles and providing greater access to E15, you can help keep fuel prices in check for American consumers and ease concerns about fuel supply,” wrote CEO Emily Skor.

“We ask that you make E15 broadly available at all fuel terminals in areas impacted by related fuel shortages. We also request EPA finalize the proposed rule that would broaden the availability of existing infrastructure for use with E15 and related labeling concerns. We also urge you to remove unnecessary misfuelling requirements including restrictions on the use of E15 in shared fueling hoses with 10 percent blended fuel and related fuel sampling requirements. Finally, we strongly encourage the government to strengthen its use of higher ethanol blends such as E85 in its current flex-fuel vehicle fleet.”