EPA Allows Summer Sales of E15

Ricketts Comments on EPA Allowing Summer Sales of E15

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, commented on the announcement that the Environmental Protection Agency would issue an emergency waiver to allow the sale of E15 this summer:

“E15 enjoys bipartisan support because it saves drivers money at the pump, cleans our environment, and supports Nebraska farmers and American agriculture. Today’s announcement is a step forward, but our producers shouldn’t have to rely on bureaucratic waivers. Let’s pass Senator Fischer’s Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act and make year-round E15 permanent.”

Smith Statement on 2024 E15 Emergency Waiver

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), a co-chair of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus, released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an emergency waiver to allow E15 sales this summer:

“Restrictions on E15 are outdated and backwards, and the EPA has taken the right action to waive unnecessary red tape as we head into the summer months," said Rep. Smith. "As a renewable source of energy, ethanol blends help relieve costs for consumers, provide flexibility for producers, and boost American energy independence. While I appreciate the EPA’s announcement, ongoing emergency waivers are not a long-term solution, and I will continue working to advance a legislative solution such as my bill with Reps. Craig and Johnson, the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, to provide permanent, year-round access to E15.”
 
BACKGROUND:
Congressman Smith first introduced a bill to approve year-round sale of E15 in 2015. On April 11, Smith joined a bipartisan group in leading a Biofuels Caucus letter urging President Biden to issue the necessary waiver for year-round sale of E15. On April 17, Smith joined Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) to introduce the Year-Round E15 Act, a bipartisan bill to expand the sale of E15 in 2024.