Advancing E15 policy opens doors for other biofuels

The CEO of Clean Fuels Alliance America says revisions to a bipartisan bill advancing year-round E15 would benefit other renewable fuels.

Donnell Rehagen told reporters at the Clean Fuels Conference proposed changes to the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 clarify how small refinery exemptions are treated.

“Having the clarity there as to who is now going to be eligible for small refinery exemptions and how those are going to be handled, basically proactively, we can take that into consideration as we sit down with the EPA and Trump administration, starting to talk about the next year’s renewable volume obligations.”

Adjustments to year-round E15 legislation are expected to reduce compliance requirements of small refineries by 75 percent and if passed, the proposed changes would go into effect in 2028.

Rehagen says the biofuels industry has worked hard to increase biofuel blending requirements at the EPA, but small refinery exemptions have been a barrier.

Lawmakers in Washington D.C., including the sponsor of the bill, Deb Fischer from Nebraska, have said they’re optimistic E15 legislation can pass soon.