Oil, biofuel and ag lobbies as Congress to approve year-round E15

In Washington, in a letter sent Monday to U.S. Senate and House leadership, a broad coalition of energy and agriculture organizations called on Congress to quickly adopt legislation that would resolve inconsistent fuel volatility regulations. Specifically, the groups expressed support for legislation that would result in equal regulatory treatment for all gasoline blends containing 10 percent ethanol (E10) or more, including gasoline with 15 percent ethanol (E15). Such legislation would permanently remove the regulatory barrier that has historically made it extremely difficult for retailers to offer E15 in the summertime.

The letter, sent to Senate Leaders Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, was signed by the Renewable Fuels Association, American Petroleum Institute, American Farm Bureau Federation, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Growth Energy, National Association of Convenience Stores, National Corn Growers Association, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Farmers Union, National Sorghum Producers, NATSO, representing truckstops and travel plazas, and SIGMA: America’s Leading Fuel Marketers.

The groups are advocating for a simple legislative fix that would provide equal treatment nationwide to all gasoline blends containing 10 percent ethanol or more, while simultaneously superseding state regulatory action recently sought by a group of governors. “By ensuring uniformity across the nation’s fuel supply chain, federal legislation will provide more flexibility and result in more consistent outcomes than a state-by-state regulatory landscape,” the letter says.