Legislative efforts to secure year-round use of E15 ethanol across the United States fell short in the last session of Congress, but the idea appeared to gain new momentum so an early push is expected as a new Congress and administration get settled in.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, who is also a farmer, says he has reached out to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.
“And I texted to him why we need E15 year-round. And I included in that text that even oil companies would agree to it because it’s very difficult having eight states having one mixture and the other 42 states, another mixture.”
At the Renewable Fuels Association, CEO Geoff Cooper says year-round sales of E15 are needed to soak up a bumper corn crop.
“The quickest way to increase demand for corn and value for corn is to let more of it go into the ethanol industry. And for that to happen, we need to have the marketplace allow more ethanol into the fuel supply. So, that’s where E15 becomes critically important.”
Cooper says that’s despite the U.S. having record or near-record ethanol exports.
“We’re going to need to see even higher levels of ethanol exports and, frankly, higher levels of domestic consumption here through E15 and other higher blends.”
Cooper says the developing sustainable aviation fuel industry is another area that could help create additional demand for ethanol blended fuel.
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