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NCGA official confident legislative fix allowing year-round E15 will come

A National Corn Growers Association board member is confident Congress will eventually make sure E15 can be sold year-round.

Brian Thalmann, who farms in central Minnesota, tells Brownfield legislation granting EPA authority to make fuel blended with 15 percent ethanol available during the summer months has been introduced in both the House and Senate.

“The proposed legislation called the Year-Round Fuel Choice Act would work towards a final solution that would allow the continued access to the market for a proven high-octane fuel.”

He says auto manufacturers are excited about biofuels, but are waiting for guidance from the federal government.

“And right now the reason they are going with electric vehicles is that’s where all the credit and momentum seems to be coming. But there’s still a huge interest in biofuels, but the window is getting a little bit shorter each year.”

Thalmann is disappointed language supporting year-round E15 was not included in the infrastructure package passed by the Senate Tuesday.

American Coalition for Ethanol CEO Brian Jennings calls it a missed opportunity to capitalize on ethanol’s ability to deliver significant short to mid-term gains toward decarbonizing the transportation sector by supporting vehicles and retail infrastructure for higher ethanol blends.