Ag, biofuel groups call for another summer E15 waiver

BY STAFF

A half-dozen national farm and biofuel groups called on the Biden administration to again lift a federal ban on summertime sales of E15, echoing a move made last year.

In a letter sent April 5 to President Joe Biden, the groups note current conditions “are analogous to those in place last year” when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) used a national emergency waiver to allow nationwide sales of E15 starting June 1.

It was signed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, National Sorghum Producers, Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy.

“The EPA must do the same this year. There is ample reason to justify this emergency action,” the groups wrote in their letter, which was sent nearly one year to the date when Biden from an Iowa ethanol facility announced EPA would lift the ban.

The organizations said the war in Ukraine continues to “reverberate across global energy markets” and domestically causes “fuel supply disruptions, high gasoline prices and ongoing uncertainty for millions of Americans.”

They also explained domestic inventories and U.S. export volumes of crude oil and petroleum products remain at near-historic lows, and in some regions are lower than they were in 2022 when EPA first issued the E15 waiver.

Oil output cuts recently announced by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries could also further increase demand for U.S. exports, “putting additional pressure on domestic fuel supplies heading into summer,” they said.

The groups further said renewing the temporary emergency waiver for the 2023 summer driving season would “continue to be in the public interest” because E15 at the pump can save consumers an average of 23 cents per gallon.

“Furthermore, allowing summer sales of E15 would provide environmental benefits through lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced evaporative emissions and fewer harmful pollutants linked to poor air quality,” the groups wrote.

“And, by displacing imported petroleum, continued access to E15 in the summer will enhance U.S. energy security, while supporting America’s farmers and rural economies.”

 

This story was provided by FarmWeekNow.com.

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