E15 Introduced as Proposed Farm Bill Amendment

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Members of the Congressional E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council are hoping the farm bill might be the vehicle to finally get E15 legislation on the road to passage.

Reps. Michelle Fischbach, Randy Feenstra, Stephanie Bice, and Adrian Smith introduced amendment to the House farm bill Wednesday (April 22, 2026) which would permit the sale of E15 year-round nationwide and finalize rulemaking to recognize E15 compatibility with existing infrastructure and equipment.

The legislation would also clarify the definition of “small refinery” and beginning in 2028 permit RFS compliance exemptions for reasons including “imminent risk of closure, permanent idling, or conversion to a renewable fuel production facility.”

The Renewable Fuels Association is now urging House members of both parties to support the amendment. “This amendment would permanently allow for year-round, nationwide sales of lower-cost E15 at a time when American consumers are facing high gas prices and our nation’s farmers are in desperate need of new market opportunities. The amendment strikes the right balance for the many stakeholders who came to the table and engaged in good faith with the House council over the past several months, and we believe it is broadly supportable by agriculture, oil refining, biofuels, and fuel retail interests,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper.

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings said, “Certain refiners have been holding E15 legislation hostage for far too long and Americans are feeling significant pain at the pump. Congress needs to decide if it will finally allow lower-cost E15 to be sold nationwide or let refiners continue to block Americans from saving money at the pump. Ongoing Middle East market instability underscores the urgency of this action, and we look forward to working with Republican and Democratic champions of E15 in both the House and Senate to get this across the finish line.”

However, Agri-Pulse reports independent oil refiners say the latest congressional push to get more U.S. corn ethanol into fuel tanks is dead on arrival. READ MORE

Excerpt from Renewable Fuels Association: The Renewable Fuels Association today applauded the introduction of an amendment to the House farm bill that would permanently allow nationwide, year-round sales of E15. RFA thanked the House’s E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council and supporters on both sides of the aisle for their hard work to advance this critical legislation. The association is now urging House members of both parties to support the amendment—which was filed by Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) and several bipartisan co-sponsors—and ultimate passage of the farm bill.

“We greatly appreciate the efforts of council co-chairs Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and Stephanie Bice (R-OK), and scores of other E15 supporters in both parties, to bring this much-needed legislative fix closer to the finish line,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “This amendment would permanently allow for year-round, nationwide sales of lower-cost E15 at a time when American consumers are facing high gas prices and our nation’s farmers are in desperate need of new market opportunities. The amendment strikes the right balance for the many stakeholders who came to the table and engaged in good faith with the House council over the past several months, and we believe it is broadly supportable by agriculture, oil refining, biofuels, and fuel retail interests. We appreciate the council’s diligent efforts to find compromise and a path forward for the legislation. Now, we turn our attention to securing passage of the legislation, and we urge members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to work together to finally get this done.”

Earlier this year, President Trump called on both the House and Senate to pass year-round E15 legislation as quickly as possible and deliver it to his desk for signature.

The amendment offered today would finally apply the same gasoline volatility standards to E15 that are applied today to standard E10 gasoline. This would allow E15 to be sold year-round without interruption in conventional gasoline markets across the nation. In addition, it would streamline requirements for fuel marketers to demonstrate infrastructure compatibility. Finally, the legislation would make targeted reforms to the small refinery exemption program under the Renewable Fuel Standard.