The Environmental Protection Agency cleared the way Friday for a higher blend of ethanol to be sold nationwide for the third summer in a row, citing global conflicts that it says are putting pressure on the world's fuel supply.
The agency announced an emergency waiver that will exempt gasoline blended with 15% ethanol from an existing summertime ban. Gasoline with 10% ethanol is already sold nationwide, but the higher blend has been prohibited in the summer because of concerns it could worsen smog during warm weather.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the waiver was warranted because of “Russia’s unjustified, unprovoked, and unconscionable war against Ukraine” and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which he said are putting pressure on the global fuel supply. He said the diminished U.S. refining capacity is also a factor.
The biofuels industry and politicians in the Midwestern states where ethanol is produced from corn praised the EPA’s decision. They have portrayed ethanol as a product that helps farmers, reduces prices at the pump and lessens greenhouse gases because the fuel burns more cleanly than gasoline.
“Allowing uninterrupted sales of E15 will help extend gasoline supplies, prevent fuel shortages, protect air quality and reduce carbon emissions,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds called the decision “a huge victory for Iowa farmers, American energy independence, and consumers.”
Environmentalists and others, however, have said increased ethanol production can increase carbon releases because it results in more corn production, leading to increased use of fertilizer and greater releases of nitrate. Synthetic and natural fertilizers also are a leading source of water pollution.
The decision was cheered in Nebraska, which ranks second in ethanol production after Iowa.
“Expanding the use of E15 is a win for everyone," said Republican Sen. Deb Fischer. "It bolsters our domestic fuel supply, lowers costs for consumers, and promotes the environmental benefits of American biofuels and modern agriculture."
Most gasoline sold across the country today is blended with 10% ethanol, though 15% blends are becoming increasingly common, especially in the Midwest.
The EPA has approved sales of E15 for cars and trucks manufactured after 2000. The RFA estimates that the higher blend will cost consumers more than 25 cents a gallon less than 10% ethanol.
Earlier this year, the EPA permanently approved year-round E15 sales in eight Midwestern states, starting next year. The waiver announced Friday is temporary and only applies this year.
Fischer is a co-sponsor, along with Nebraska 3rd District Congressman Adrian Smith, of the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, which would permanently allow for the use of ethanol blends higher than E10 nationwide throughout the year.
In a statement, she said that while she appreciated the decision to allow E15 this summer, more needs to be done to provide consistent access to the fuel.
“This administration should get behind by legislation to deliver the only permanent, nationwide solution to allow the sale of E15 year-round," Fischer said.
For his part, Smith applauded the summer waiver, calling it "the right action to waive unnecessary red tape as we head into the summer months."
But he also noted that emergency waivers "are not a long-term solution," and said he will continue working to garner support for the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act.