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EPA posting proposed rule to Governors’ year-round E15 petition

The Environmental Protection Agency will post its proposed rule in response to a petition by eight Midwestern governors seeking year-round E15. 

During the opening session of the 2023 National Ethanol Conference in Orlando Wednesday morning, EPA deputy director Ben Hengst announced the agency would be posting its proposal within a few hours.

“Removing the waiver would allow E15 and E10 to be made using the same gasoline blend stock, and once final the rule will help expand availability year-round of E15 in multiple jurisdictions.”

But with an effective date of April 2024, the proposed rule would not allow for E15 sales this summer.

Iowa Renewable Fuels Association director Monte Shaw says that’s disappointing.

“The agency, the White House missing the statutory deadline is penalizing thousands of retailers and millions of consumers, and they should not be the ones paying the price literally at the pump for the inability of the agency to meet the deadline. And I sure hope we can find a solution for 2023.”

The states petitioning for the E15 waiver are Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.