Iowa’s US Senators call on Biden administration to allow year-round E15 at last

In Iowa, as the Biden administration sits on a Midwest-backed request spearheaded by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds to allow the year-round sale of E15, U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) are demanding the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) finalize the necessary waiver quickly, affording retailers time to prepare for summer 2024 sales. Grassley and Ernst are leading the bicameral, bipartisan push alongside U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.).

“We write today…concerning the swift implementation of outstanding regulatory action to remove the 1-psi volatility waiver for gasoline-ethanol blends in Midwest states…this rulemaking should have been completed in July 2022, and unfortunately, we still have no regulatory certainty for our fuel retailers, fuel blenders, or biofuel producers more than 16 months later,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Homegrown, American-produced ethanol strengthens our national security and ensures lower vehicle emissions to achieve the Administration’s climate goals. As we approach the 2024 summer driving season, it is critical that the Biden administration work swiftly to finalize the Governors’ requests, bringing much-needed certainty to our corn growers, fuel retailers, and consumers to enjoy the clean-burning, lower cost benefits of year-round E15,” they concluded.