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EPA Delivers on President Trump’s Promise to Allow Year-Round Sale of E15 Gasoline and Improve Transparency in Renewable Fuel Markets

05/31/2019

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Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Atlantic, Iowa, May 31, 2019) - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed the finalized action that would remove the key regulatory barrier to using gasoline blended with up to 15% ethanol (E15) during the summer driving season and will change aspects of the renewable identification number compliance system under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program to increase transparency and deter price manipulation. Taken together, these steps follow through on the Trump administration’s commitment to energy independence, regulatory reform, and increasing the use of biofuels to give consumers more choices, while supporting American farmers.

“Following President Trump’s leadership, today’s action is a step forward in expanding the market for biofuels and managing this important program responsibly,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Just in time for the summer driving season, it will be easier for gas stations to sell E15 year-round, giving drivers more choices at the pump.”

With today’s action, EPA is finalizing regulatory changes to E15 to adopt the 1-psi Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver that currently applies to E10 during the summer months. This removes the most significant barrier to wider sales of E15 in the summer months, thus expanding the market for ethanol in transportation fuel.

Speaking from Atlantic, Iowa, today, EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Gulliford said, “Biofuels are a vital component to value-added agriculture here in the Midwest. In Region 7’s four states alone, we have over 100 permitted biofuel plants with Iowa and Nebraska leading our nation in ethanol production. These facilities significantly enhance markets for crops and provide great jobs in rural communities producing renewable fuel for America. Given these important contributions, I am pleased that we’re finalizing these changes to our fuel regulations.”

EPA is also finalizing regulatory changes to modify certain elements of the renewable identification number (RIN) compliance system of the RFS program by increasing transparency and deterring price manipulation in the RIN market. The reforms include public disclosure if a party’s RIN holdings exceed certain thresholds and additional data collections to improve EPA market monitoring capability. These new reforms will provide EPA the information required to decide whether further action is warranted to ensure stability in the RIN market.