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EPA holds hearing on its REGS proposed rule

The EPA’s Renewables Enhancement and Growth Support proposed rule is designed to support market growth of ethanol and expand availability of higher ethanol blends.

Charlie Good, owner and operator of the Good & Quick convenience store in Iowa says current provisions cause additional challenges selling E-15 in some states.  He says in Iowa when the calendar turns to June he has to restrict the sale of E-15 to Flex Fuel Vehicles only. 

Good says that is a problem.  “Let me be clear, I don’t want to sell E-15 to flex-fuel vehicles in the summer months,” he says.  “I want  to sell E-15 year round to all vehicles 2001 and newer.”

Geoff Cooper, senior vice-president at the Renewable Fuels Association testified that he’d like to see the EPA strengthen ethanol flex-fuel provisions.

He says his organization is generally supportive of the agency’s push to define E-16 to E-83 as an ethanol flex-fuel.  “As recognized by EPA defining E-16 through E-50 as gasoline and subjecting those fuels to the statutory requirements of the fuel and fuel additive program would be impractical and counter-productive to the goals of the Renewable Fuels Standard,” he says. 

Illinois farmer Justin Durdan says the intent for the EPA is to better define mid-level blends of ethanol for Flex Fuel Vehicles and that is beneficial to the renewable fuels industry.  “If E-15 cannot be included in this flex-fuel rule, it is our position that the rule will result in less demand for E-15 blends, curtailed investment in infrastructure by petroleum marketers, and huge stranded investments made through USDA’s biofuels infrastructure program,” he says. 

Once the EPA publishes the final rule, there will be a 60-day comment period.