Nunn Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Implement Year-Round E15

April 18, 2024

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(Office of U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (R-IA-03))  U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) today introduced bipartisan legislation to implement year-round E15 sales. The Year-Round E15 Act, which is co-led by U.S. Representatives Adrian Smith (NE-03), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Brad Finstad (MN-01), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), and Don Bacon (NE-02), would allow for sales of E15 in 2024 across eight Midwestern states.

“Since day one, I’ve been fighting for year-round E15. Unfortunately, this Administration has repeatedly put America’s producers and families behind as they stubbornly opposed E15, which is good for the economy, good for the climate, and good for families,” said Rep. Nunn. “This bill wouldn’t be necessary if the Administration had just done the right thing to begin with, but this is a critical step to provide certainty for farmers, producers, and families who will benefit from less expensive fuel.”

Nearly every other row of corn in Iowa is used to create biofuels. In 2022, the average price of a gallon of diesel fuel increased by 95 percent and the average price of a gallon of gasoline reached its highest level ever recorded. In the same year, the ethanol industry provided nearly 80,000 U.S. jobs, $34.8 billion in household income, and contributed $57 billion to the nation’s GDP.

"Biofuels bring down fuel costs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, cut carbon emissions and support critical markets for Illinois' family farmers," said Rep. Budzinski. "I was glad to see the Environmental Protection Agency take evidence-based action to allow the permanent sale of E15 in Illinois and across the Midwest, but this long-awaited action doesn't take effect until 2025. Today, I'm proud to introduce bipartisan legislation with my friend, Congressman Zach Nunn, that will address this gap and allow for the sale of cheaper, cleaner fuel for Heartland consumers this summer."

“As co-chair of the Biofuels Caucus, I have long supported year-round availability of E15 as part of an all-of-the-above approach to energy abundance,” said Rep. Smith. “Our producers, retailers, and consumers all stand to benefit greatly from the flexibility and cost-savings offered by E15. Eliminating this red tape to provide regulatory certainty for growers and options for Americans in serious need of relief at the pump is a no-brainer. I thank Reps. Nunn, Budzinski, Finstad, Sorensen, and Bacon for championing this issue.”

Ethanol also reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 52 percent compared to gasoline. On average, biodiesel and renewable diesel provide a 74 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Ethanol reduced U.S. crude oil imports by 600 million barrels in 2022. 

“The ethanol industry is a driving force for southern Minnesota’s economy and provides a cleaner, low-cost energy source for consumers at the pump,” said Rep. Finstad. “Though the EPA recently announced the year-round sale of E15 in the Midwest starting in 2025, farmers, ethanol producers, and American’s pocketbooks are footing the bill for this multi-year delay. I’m proud to help introduce this legislation which will allow for the sale of E15 this summer.”

“Nebraska ranks second in ethanol production. When the nation runs on ethanol – year-round – Nebraska communities and our environment benefit,” said Rep. Bacon. “This bill is a step in the right direction to alleviating the pain at the gas pump, to energy independence, and to supporting Nebraska’s ethanol industry. I appreciate Rep. Nunn’s leadership on this incredibly important issue. Year-round E15 is good for Nebraska and good for the nation.”

In April of 2022, eight Midwestern governors, led by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, submitted a letter urging the Biden Administration to allow year-round sales of E15. Under current law, the EPA is required to act upon this request within 90 days. The EPA waited until March 6, 2023, just days before biofuel producers would have halted production, to issue a waiver for E15 sales for the summer of 2023.

"In Congress, I am doing everything I can to lower costs for working families, from reducing food prices at the grocery store to paying less to fill up your tank," said Rep. Sorensen. “Through expanding the sale of E15, we can lower prices at the pump, give our corn farmers the support they need, and make sure our economy is sustainable for generations to come. I am proud to join this bipartisan effort with Congressman Nunn to introduce the Year-Round E15 Act so we can help our neighbors, farmers, and producers in the heartland who need it most.”

“The ethanol industry greatly appreciates Representative Nunn’s efforts to ensure Midwest drivers have continued access to lower-cost, cleaner-burning E15 this summer driving season,” said Geoff Cooper, Renewable Fuels Association President.

“While our focus remains moving E15 forward with a nationwide, year-round solution, we can’t afford to take any steps back this year,” said Monte Shaw, Executive Director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. “The IRFA appreciates Rep. Nunn’s leadership to ensure that Iowa retailers and consumers will continue to have access to lower-cost E15 as prices begin their inexorable summer hike. Congress should immediately pass this much-needed stopgap bill and then break the logjam for a permanent solution.”

On February 22, 2024, the EPA issued its final ruling to allow for the year-round sale of E15 beginning April 28, 2025, a year after the Biden Administration’s initial proposed implementation date of April 28, 2024. By delaying the implementation, the EPA is punishing American families and farmers who have already faced record inflation, skyrocketing fuel prices, and uncertainty in the market due to the Administration’s economic policies. In response to this decision, Rep. Nunn led a letter with the Iowa Delegation urging the EPA to approve permanent year-round sales in 2024.

"Consumers need access to E15 now, not in 2025,” said Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. “This lower carbon, more affordable fuel choice saves drivers money while simultaneously benefiting America's rural communities and should be available to consumers without restrictions. We thank Rep. Nunn for his focus on this issue, and for his unwavering support for E15 and Iowa's biofuels sector."

The bipartisan Year-Round E15 Act would extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) volatility waiver to ethanol blends above 10 percent to allow for the year-round sale of E15 in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin for 2024.

Text of the bill can be found here. READ MORE

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WILSON: We Should Support the Year-Round Sale of E15 Gasoline (Delaware Valley Journal)
Cheaper fuel would be a win for Delaware’s economy. Sen. Carper, can you help? (Delaware Online/USA Today Network)

Excerpt from Cape Gazette/Delaware Farm Bureau: Most drivers constantly monitor gas prices to look out for price increases and good deals, and nobody looks forward to the price spikes we see every summer. What many Americans don’t know is that a cheaper and more environmentally friendly blend of gasoline exists, but an arcane federal law prohibits the sale of it during the summer months when we need it most. Members of both parties agree the law needs to change to give consumers a less-expensive option and protect our environment, which is why it’s time for Congress to finally act.

This cheaper and more environmentally friendly gasoline is called E15, a blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline that is perfectly safe for use in all cars manufactured after 2001. It has just 5% more ethanol than E10, the fuel that drivers use the vast majority of the time. When you fill up your car, you’re almost certainly using fuel very similar to the E15.

Ethanol is less expensive than gasoline, which is why E15 is 25 cents cheaper per gallon than E10, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It also helps bring down costs for consumers by making the United States less dependent on imported fuel, particularly as conflicts around the world create global supply challenges.

It’s also better for the environment than traditional fossil fuels. According to the Department of Energy, “ethanol improves public health and the environment,” and “on a life cycle analysis basis, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced on average by 40% with corn-based ethanol.” By using more ethanol, E15 is an even more environmentally friendly fuel than E10. Anyone concerned about combating climate change should recognize the benefits of E15, which allows us to cut our GHG emissions from traditional ethanol-free gasoline.

Why can’t consumers always take advantage of this cheaper and more environmentally friendly fuel all year round? A little-known section of the Clean Air Act only allows the year-round nationwide sale of E10, not E15, which wasn’t even in use at the time the law passed. In many parts of the country, including much of Delaware, E15 is not allowed to be sold during the summer months due to air-quality concerns, even though E15 is better for the environment than any other gasoline being sold today.

The EPA recognizes the value of E15, which is why it uses its authority to issue waivers permitting the sale of E15 during the summer. While the EPA has issued waivers many times, as it did just last week to allow E15 sales for this coming summer, the unpredictability of the waivers and inconsistent regulations around E15 fuel demonstrate why Congress should act once and for all to pass legislation allowing for the nationwide, year-round sale of E15.

Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress are pushing legislation to allow year-round sales of E15. These lawmakers support lowering fuel costs for drivers and reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels. Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Senate; it’s the kind of issue Americans hope their legislators will come together to tackle, and that is close to being a reality.

As chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Sen. Tom Carper has significant power to quickly advance legislation allowing for the year-round sale of E15. By doing so, he would build on his strong record of prioritizing our environment and lowering costs for his constituents. As Carper nears retirement, he should add E15 to the long list of accomplishments that will define his legacy. We hope he will use his final months in office to secure cheaper, more environmentally friendly fuel for generations to come. READ MORE

Excerpt from Delaware Valley Journal: Luckily, America has one option at its disposal: E15 gasoline. E15 gasoline refers to petroleum gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, an organic compound made from corn. Most Americans already fill up their cars with E10 gasoline, or fuel with 10% ethanol. E15 simply contains 5% more ethanol than E10. E15 is a renewable biofuel, meaning that it reduces consumption of a scarce resource – oil and gas – by mixing in a renewable resource, ethanol. E15 is safe, clean, and cheap.

Despite this, some special interests oppose E15 gasoline. They claim that the year-round sale of E15 gasoline hurts independent refineries and union workers in the state. However, these arguments do not stand up to scrutiny and could prevent drivers from having the option to use a better and cheaper fuel.

There is a common myth that E15 fuel hurts independent refineries by increasing the price of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), the credits distributed by the EPA for producing renewable fuel. Yet, independent refineries in Delaware like PBF and Monroe Energy enjoyed record-breaking profits in recent years when RIN prices were sky-high. RIN prices had no effect on independent refineries’ profits or union workers’ jobs. Many refineries will continue to make record profits regardless of E15 policies. Although refineries paid more to meet EPA biofuel requirements, the market nonetheless allowed them to secure massive profits. People want E15, and refineries big and small benefit from this high demand.

E15 demand is so high because it is environmentally friendly and cheap.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designates E15 as a renewable fuel for a reason. E15 allows us to replace fossil fuels with ethanol, which is made from corn crops that absorb carbon dioxide as they grow. The evidence shows that E15 reduces emissions. Studies done at the University of California, for example, prove that E15 significantly reduces the pollution emitted from vehicles. One study found a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, all from blending a corn-based compound into our gasoline. Given the current climate crisis, consumers everywhere are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

E15 fuel is also cheaper than other petroleum-heavy alternatives. Studies show that drivers save an average of 25 cents per gallon with E15 fuel, sometimes saving upwards of $1 per gallon. With inflation for necessities like housing and clothing rising across our state, Delawareans could benefit immensely from cheaper gas prices.

Strangely, E15 gasoline cannot be sold year-round because of an outdated law. Currently, the EPA must issue permits to allow for the sale of E15 during the summer months, and the agency issues them at unpredictable times or not at all.

The evidence in favor of E15 is overwhelming. Congress should pass legislation to allow E15 to be sold nationwide year-round because it is cheaper and better for the environment. Our very own Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) can help pass legislation allowing E15 to be sold year-round as chair of the Committee on Environment and Public Works. It’s the obvious decision for cost-conscious drivers, the environment, and refineries that will continue to make significant profits. READ MORE