RFA Thanks Lawmakers for Seeking Swift White House Action on Year-Round E15

(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association is applauding a bipartisan group of 22 lawmakers from both the House and Senate, who asked the White House today (December 14, 2023) to swiftly finalize regulations that would allow year-round sales of lower-carbon E15 in eight Midwest states, as requested in April 2022 by the states’ governors.

In a letter to White House Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda D. Young, the lawmakers said that this rulemaking should have been completed no later than July 2022—more than 500 days ago. “Unfortunately, we still have no regulatory certainty for our fuel retailers, fuel blenders, or biofuel producers more than 16 months later,” the members wrote.

The letter was led by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) in the Senate, and Reps. Brad Finstad (R-MN) and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) in the House. Other signers included Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Reps. Mike Flood (R-NE), Eric Sorensen (D-IL), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Mark Alford (R-MO) and Max L. Miller (R-OH).

“RFA applauds this bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Sens. Baldwin and Ernst, and Reps. Finstad and Budzinski, for standing with America’s farmers and ethanol producers,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “We thank them for pressing the administration to finalize this rule as soon as possible. We’re hopeful that their letter will help break the logjam and ensure drivers in these states are able to enjoy the benefits of lower-cost, lower-carbon E15 all year long. Waiting until the last minute to act on the governors’ request isn’t good for anyone. The marketplace needs clarity and certainty now about the status of E15 in these eight states.”

At the same time, RFA continues to call on Congress to pass the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, which would permanently remove the summertime barrier on E15 nationwide. The federal legislative solution—which is supported by ethanol producers, agriculture, the petroleum industry, fuel marketers and retailers, and other stakeholders—would eliminate the need for a regional or state-by-state approach to securing year-round E15.

“While we strongly support the action being taken by these eight Midwestern states, the optimal solution for the marketplace is a permanent legislative fix that applies nationwide,” Cooper said. “We urge Congress to expeditiously adopt the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act to provide the market certainty and stability that the entire supply chain—and consumers—are looking for.” READ MORE

Excerpt from DTN Progressive Farmer: Attorneys general in Iowa and Nebraska sued the agency in the U.S. District Court for the District of Southern Iowa. This week the states asked the court to rule against an EPA motion to finalize the rule by March 2024, https://www.dtnpf.com/….

The agency was required by the Clean Air Act to grant the requests filed by the eight states and finalize a rule within 90 days. States making the request in 2022 include Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

In a letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget on Thursday (December 14, 2023), the lawmakers said the administration was holding up the final rule because of oil industry concerns about E15 supplies.

"On Nov. 24, 2023, it was reported that action on our Midwest governors' request has been stalled at the White House due to unfounded oil industry claims that implementation would cause supply disruptions and increased prices at the pump," the letter said.

"However, refiners are already required to produce fuel in this manner for specialized markets in non-attainment areas. Analyses from MathPro3 and ICF4 suggest the cost to refiners and fuel suppliers associated with lower-RVP fuel would be minimal (0-3 cents) and the existing infrastructure in the Midwest is equipped to accommodate such a switch. Moreover, EPA itself has stated that E15 is about 25 cents a gallon cheaper than E10, allowing families to keep more of their hard-earned dollars.

"As we approach the 2024 summer driving season, it is critical that the Biden administration works 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."

"E15 can deliver meaningful savings to consumers at the fuel pump -- a fact that only becomes more apparent during the busy holiday travel season. We're glad this bipartisan group of lawmakers is committed to lowering fuel costs by increasing access to homegrown biofuels. This letter is yet another example of how the industry and its champions are pressing the Biden administration at every level to compel them to finally comply with the law and allow for the sale of E15 year-round in the petitioning states." READ MORE