BrownfieldAgNews reports:
USDA Sec’y Tom Vilsack speaking at the Nat’l Ethanol Conference being held in San Diego this weekAg Secretary Tom Vilsack says he’s confident year-round E15 is coming in 2025 and waivers should be granted to allow E15 for the upcoming summer driving season.
Vilsack told reporters it will take time for the Environmental Protection Agency to finalize the rule, making E15 available nationwide.
“I think it’s important to have the justification for the expansion locked down solid so if there are any concerns expressed about it, as often the oil industry provides, we’re in a position to defend this as strongly as we can.”
In 2022, eight state governors in the Midwest petitioned the EPA to allow E15 sold year-round, but the EPA has been slow to respond. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper tells Brownfield the EPA has waited a long enough to move forward and the ethanol market is looking for certainty on how this will unfold.
“Even knowing those eight states will have permanent ability to sell E15 year-round starting next summer, it needs to come with the assurance retailers will be able to sell E15 this summer as well.”
Cooper says the U.S. ethanol industry is going to be watching closely to ensure the Biden administration grants summertime waivers this year, exempting the 15% ethanol blended fuel from Reid Vapor Pressure requirements under the Clean Air Act.
The EPA tells Brownfield the rule is still in an interagency review process and there’s no additional comment at this time.
