Klobuchar Pushing for Year-Round E15 Nationwide

by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) The lead Democrat on the Senate Ag Committee will be pushing for year-round E15 this year. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota tells Brownfield language allowing nationwide sales of fuel blended with 15 percent ethanol all year nearly made it across the finish line at the end of 2024.

“We were so close to getting year-round E15, I’ve lead that bill for years, in that end-of-the-year deal that fell apart for reasons unrelated to that.”

She suggests progress made in the last Congress bodes well for passing year-round E15 legislation in 2025.

“We made an agreement with some of the interests that were against year-round E15, so we could get that deal done. And Senator Fischer (the Republican, from Nebraska and I, who are friends, and Senator Ernst (of Iowa) and others, are going to continue to lead to get E15 year-round.”

Eight Midwestern states can now offer E15 year-round following a petition to EPA including Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. READ MORE; includes AUDIO

Excerpt from Biofuels International: The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) said it was disappointed a bipartisan provision ensuring market access for E15 on a year-round basis was ultimately excluded from year-end legislation adopted by Congress.
However, it said that the fact that Congressional leadership initially included it in the continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government is an encouraging sign for success in 2025.

ACE CEO Brian Jennings said: “While it’s disappointing the bipartisan E15 year-round provision was ultimately left on the cutting room floor, ACE is incredibly grateful to our champions in Congress who convinced leadership to include it in the original must-pass legislation to fund the government. We are encouraged by this progress and confident E15 year-round has cleared enough hurdles to be included in the first must-pass bill Congress takes up in 2025.

“Ensuring year-round availability of E15 remains at the top of our legislative to-do list. It will help provide meaningful savings at the pump, enhance America’s energy security, and increase demand for low-carbon, homegrown ethanol. We will work with our champions in Congress, the administration, and stakeholders across the country to ensure Congress successfully enacts E15 year-round in time for the 2025 driving season.” READ MORE

Excerpt from Brownfield Ag News: Erik Huschitt from Badger State Ethanol tells Brownfield he’s optimistic legislation allowing E15 everywhere year-round will pass soon. “There absolutely is no legitimate reason why we don’t have it yet, so it does seem like the stars are aligning, the voices are being heard, the leadership is there to push this, and so it is certainly our expectation that we’re going to have a Q-1 (1st quarter 2025) good news of having year-round E15 after a long, long, long time.”

Huschitt says eleven states are committed to using E15 all year this year, and now, even the petroleum companies are supporting year-round E15. “Everybody wants it now because when they understand the disruptions that come from eleven states but not fifty and what that means, this is something who’s time has come and it needs to happen.”

Huschitt says the future of sustainable aviation fuel remains uncertain. “Our industry has been in lockstep with growth and with a vision, but we just don’t have policy with any kind of runway to execute it and so it’s been very, very frustrating. I think there’s a lot of capital that just doesn’t know if it should turn left or right right now waiting for some clarity.” The U.S. Treasury released guidelines last week for the 45Z tax credits available to producers, but Huschitt says the guidelines offered few details and the department left the issues up to the incoming Trump administration to resolve.

Huschitt spoke to Brownfield during the Wisconsin Agri-Business Classic in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. READ MORE