President Biden announced the country’s restrictions on E15 will be lifted for the 2022 summer driving season.
During a visit at a POET plant in Menlo, Iowa, Biden announced this latest effort to ease the pain consumers are feeling at the pump.
“When you have a choice, you have competition,” says Biden. “When you have competition, you have better prices. In addition to all that, you get less harm to the environment, lower greenhouse gas emissions. You get byproducts which goes to animal feed which helps cattle producers and lowers their cost. This in an industry with a tremendous future.”
The EPA is issuing a national emergency waiver, which will allow E15 to be sold at gas stations around the country from June 1 to September 15.
“E15 is about 10 cents a gallon cheaper than E10, and some gas stations offer an even bigger discount,” says Biden. “You’re going to be able to keep filling up with E15, and it’s going to solve a whole problem. But it’s not going to solve all our problems. It’s going to help some, and I’m committed to doing whatever I can to help, even if it’s an extra buck or two in the pockets when they fill up will make a difference in peoples’ lives.”
In 2019, former President Trump cleared the path for year-round E15 sale. However, it was overruled in federal court, saying the EPA exceeded its authority. Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, says the organization is focused on making this effort permanent.
“It gets us through the summer, but we’ve got 12 months,” she says. “We’ve got to make this a permanent fix. We will continue to work with our bipartisan champions in the House and Senate. We’ve got a core cadre of champions that continues to be very vocal, very visible, and very smart—making sure we inject ourselves into the national conversation. We look forward to working with them so we can make this a permanent fix once and for all.”
Other organizations are applauding this move as well.
“Michigan’s farmers stand ready to do our part to contribute to American energy independence,” said Randy Poll, president of the Michigan Corn Growers Association (MCGA). “Ethanol is a made right here in Michigan, from Michigan-grown corn. We thank President Biden for his support of ethanol fuel, which is a cleaner choice that also saves consumers money at the pump.”
The American Farm Bureau also announced its backing of this announcement.
“AFBF appreciates President Biden’s decision to expand the availability of ethanol through year-round E15 sales,” says Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “America’s families are enduring record-high gas prices, and taking advantage of domestically produced fuels will not only drive down costs at the pump, it will also reduce dependence on foreign crude oil.”
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, chair of the Senate Ag Committee, also expressed her support.
“Increasing home-grown cleaner fuel from American producers will help lower costs at the pump for everyone,” she says. “President Biden is taking on Putin’s price hike by tapping into American energy technology with biofuels our farmers make right here at home.”
