The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday approval of requests from state governors to remove the 1-psi volatility waiver for gasoline-ethanol blends containing 10 percent ethanol in their states, but delays the effective date to April 28, 2025.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack previewed the announcement earlier this week at the National Ethanol Conference, adding that he believes the approval will ultimately go beyond the eight Midwestern states.
NEC24 Vilsack E15 waiver comments 2:10Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper called the delayed approval a good news, bad news situation. On one hand, the EPA decision finally allows retailers in these eight states to sell E15 year-round. But on the other hand, it delays implementation until 2025, creating uncertainty and confusion about the availability of E15 this coming summer.
NEC24 Cooper E15 waiver comments 1:08RFA Chairman Erik Huschitt, CEO of Badger State Ethanol, is of the opinion that 2025 is better than never. “If we have to wait until 2025 it’s an embarrassment of our political leadership that they can’t get it done earlier,” said Huschitt. “We’ll take it in 2025…as long as we have a clear path we’ll show a little more patience.”
NEC24 Huschitt E15 waiver comments :21The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) reacted to the Biden Administration’s EPA announcement this week to allow the sale of E15 year-round in eight Midwest states, but not until the summer of 2025.
ACE CEO Brian Jennings says ACE continues to actively support bipartisan legislation in Congress to permanently enable all Americans to benefit from the cost savings and cleaner emissions of year-round E15 and that will be the biggest priority issue during the organization’s March 14-15 DC fly-in. “E15 is really the timely, urgent topic right now,” said Jennings during an interview at the National Ethanol Conference this week. “We think we’re getting closer and closer to the point where that’s going to get adopted but we need to continue to mobilize support for that.”
Listen to the full interview with Jennings here:
ACE CEO Brian Jennings 8:44