Ricketts: My Goals for 2-19
by Pete Ricketts (Office of Governor of Nebraska/Star Herald) As we enter the new year, I have put together a list of goals for our state in 2019. I am sharing a few of them here. … Year-Round E15 – In October, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and I joined President Trump in Council Bluffs for a special announcement. At the event, President Trump announced his approval of the year-round sale of E15. This is a big deal for Iowa and Nebraska, the top two ethanol-producing states in the nation. Right now, E15 can only be marketed September 16th through April 30th, meaning that we are missing out on peak driving months during the summer. A final rule from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will allow E15 to be sold all year long, and we will be encouraging the EPA to finalize this rule in time for the summer driving season. The EPA also recently approved the State of Nebraska for a pilot program to test E30. In the pilot program, we will study the use of Nebraska-grown and produced E30 in conventional vehicles owned by the state. This additional research around mileage and maintenance will help show that E30 will help consumers save money at the pump, help clean up the environment, and is great for our farmers and ranchers. READ MORE