Ernst Calls for Immediate Implementation of Year-Round E15

WASHINGTON – After the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its final rule to make E15 available year-round for eight Midwest states starting in 2025, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) called on the Biden administration to enact the rule immediately, ahead of the 2024 summer driving season.

“This delay in permanent, year-round E15 sales punishes American families and farmers who have already faced record inflation, skyrocketing fuel prices, and uncertainty in the market as a result of this Administration’s economic policies. The Administration’s continued delays in its decision-making and implementation date put the hardworking farmers who feed and fuel this nation last. As the Congressional delegation for the nation’s top ethanol producing state, we request, once again, that the EPA immediately implement its rule to ensure E15 is available year-round no later than March 31, 2024,” the lawmakers wrote.

Read the full letter, led by Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) and signed by the entire Iowa delegation, here.

Background:

Throughout her time in Congress, Ernst has been a strong advocate for homegrown, Iowa biofuel. In addition to supporting the bipartisan Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act since 2017, more recently, Senator Ernst joined a bipartisan group of Midwest senators in an effort to expand the year-round sales of E15 nationwide in November 2022.

In February 2023, Senator Ernst and the entire Iowa delegation demanded the EPA remove regulatory barriers for gasoline-ethanol blends—like E15—and implement the long-awaited request of Midwest governors, including Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.

In December 2023, Ernst led the charge in demanding that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) work quickly to finalize the waiver, allowing retailers enough time to prepare for 2024 summer sales.

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