Wallaces Farmer

Both of Iowa’s U.S. senators continue to push for year-round sale of E15.

January 24, 2019

3 Min Read
ethanol pump
STILL WAITING: Despite promises by President Donald Trump, EPA has yet to approve sale of E15 ethanol-blended fuel in summer.

The Iowa Corn Growers Association recently presented the Iowa Corn E15 Award to two U.S. senators from you guessed it: Iowa. For their work in the Senate championing the year-round sale of the E15 ethanol blend, Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, both Republicans, received the E15 award last week from ICGA.

Grassley and Ernst have been steadfast advocates for ethanol and environmentally friendly alternative energy. Last year, Grassley and Ernst joined a bipartisan group of 35 other senators urging EPA to increase volume obligations for biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuel, and ensure any small refiner economic hardship exemptions are appropriately accounted for in EPA’s final rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Grassley and Ernst were also leaders in encouraging the Trump administration to approve E15 for year-round sales to help farmers and lower the cost of RFS compliance for oil refineries by producing more Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), which are used to ensure biofuels are being blended into our nation’s fuel supply.

Opening door to year-round E15
“Iowa is the No. 1 corn-producing state in the nation,” said Grassley, when he received the award. “We are also the No. 1 ethanol-producing state in the country, with 43 refineries employing thousands of workers, boosting economic activity on Main Street and expanding the local tax base. Opening the door for year-round sales of higher blends of ethanol is a victory for Iowa farmers, rural America and the entire nation. I’m honored to receive this recognition.”

When Ernst received her award last week, she said, “Iowa is proudly leading the way in corn and ethanol production. With strong support from the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Sen. Grassley and I have continued to push the Trump administration to fulfill President Trump’s promise of E15 year-round, which will boost our economy and provide Iowans choice at the pump. Thank you for this recognition. I’m humbled to receive this award.” 

Mark Recker, chairman and immediate past president of ICGA, added, “We thank our champions Sens. Grassley and Ernst on their leadership and unwavering commitment to Iowa corn farmers that resulted in the proposed E15 rule.” 

Ernst presses EPA on summer sales
Ernst met with Andrew Wheeler, acting director of EPA, in mid-January to discuss expanding ethanol sales. EPA is closed because of the government shutdown, so there’s concern rules to allow summertime sales of the 15% ethanol blended fuel will not be adopted in time to allow the sales to begin this summer.

“This is a very important issue for me,” Ernst says. She noted that President Donald Trump said “we will have E15 year-round.”  She added, “I’m going to hold Andrew Wheeler’s feet to the fire in that regard. Even though we have a government shutdown, he knew and understood the president’s push to have this done by about the mid-May time frame, so consumers could purchase E15 during the summer months.”

Switch will take time
Trump announced last October at a rally in Council Bluffs, that he was ordering EPA to do away with rules that have prevented E15 sales in much of the country from June 1 to Sept. 15, Ernst said. EPA officials had indicated the rule changes would be ready for initial review in February. Ernst said despite the tight timeline and the government shutdown, she expects the EPA administrator to meet the president’s deadline.

“There’s no room for excuses there,” Ernst said. “Wheeler knew it had to be done by May.”

If EPA approves year-round E15 sales, analysts say that a small percentage of the U.S. gas stations are equipped to dispense fuel with the higher blend of ethanol. So, it will take time for gas stations to switch to blender pumps and tanks to handle the higher blend of ethanol.

Sources: Iowa Corn Growers Association, Sen. Grassley and Sen. Ernst. The sources are solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

 

 

 

 

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