WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD News) — As farm country waits for a new farm bill, renewable fuel groups are pushing lawmakers to take action on year-round E15.
The measure is caught up in the Senate farm bill package as lawmakers prepare to leave Washington this week. Geoff Cooper with the Renewable Fuels Association said current gasoline prices make now an important time to act.
“When you look at what’s going on with gas prices, I think we all know E15 is selling for 20, 30, sometimes 40 cents a gallon less than regular gasoline. Giving consumers permanent access to that lower-cost fuel would be very welcome right now as folks are facing high gas prices. And of course, it would be welcomed by the agricultural community because it would open a new market for corn and sorghum at a time when our farmers are really looking for new sources of demand and a boost to their bottom line.”
For the fifth year in a row, the EPA has granted emergency fuel waivers allowing E15 access. Cooper said those temporary waivers do not provide the certainty retailers need before investing in E15.
“What those emergency waivers don’t do is provide the certainty and the long-term stability that other retailers are looking for before they decide to make an investment in E15. We talk to retail gas station owners and chains every day, and they’ve told us, look, we want to sell E15, but we need certainty, and we need to know that that product will be available to our customers 365 days a year, that we’re not going to have to pull it down every year on June 1st, relabel the pumps, turn the tanks over.”
Cooper said there is a major difference between the temporary access provided through emergency waivers and the long-term certainty that would come with a permanent legislative solution.
