Biofuel and Farm Leaders Press White House for Immediate Action on E15

Biofuel and farm leaders today called on President Biden to get ahead of rising fuel costs by authorizing sales of E15 this summer. In a letter to the White House, six stakeholder groups noted that current conditions are comparable to those in place last summer, when President Biden waived outdated Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) restrictions on E15. The move saved drivers up to nearly a dollar per gallon at the pump in some areas, and an average of 23 cents per gallon according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce.

“The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, now extending into its second year, continues to reverberate across global energy markets,” said the letter, whose signatories were Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), the National Sorghum Producers, and the National Farmers Union. “At home, this conflict continues to cause fuel supply disruptions, high gasoline prices, and ongoing uncertainty for millions of Americans. To help remedy these disruptions, provide stability for American families, and support domestic energy and economic security, we urge the administration to authorize the summer sale of gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol (E15).”

Advocates also outlined a range of “extreme and unusual” factors impacting the stability of U.S. fuel markets, including historically low domestic fuel inventories, record exports of U.S. fuel to allies overseas, and continued inflationary pressures on fuel consumers. Protecting summer access to E15 would help relieve pressure on U.S. fuel supplies, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering evaporative emissions, and supporting America’s farmers and rural economies, they argued.

“While a permanent solution that would allow E15 sales year-round remains an important necessity, we urge you to take action on a temporary, emergency RVP waiver as soon as possible to remedy current and expected supply challenges resulting from ongoing conflict in Ukraine,” concluded the letter.

View the full text of the letter here.