The following is a statement from NCGA President Chris Edgington on today’s announcement from the EPA issuing an emergency fuel waiver for E15 sales.
“We thank EPA Administrator Michael Regan for following through on the president’s recent announcement in Iowa and taking the action needed to ensure drivers maintain access to lower-cost, lower-emissions E15,” said NCGA president Chris Edgington. “We also agree with EPA’s assessment that treating E15 the same as regular fuel in the market maintains air quality. By acting today, and commitment to act through the summer, the Biden Administration will help increase the fuel supply by relying on more domestic biofuels and reducing our dependence on oil.”
Environmental Benefits of E15:
- E15 has a lower RVP than E10 and, therefore, results in lower evaporative emissions, the goal of RVP regulation.
- Blending more ethanol to make E15 displaces and dilutes the most toxic aromatic hydrocarbon components in gasoline, reducing exhaust emissions for cleaner air.
- Ethanol results in 44 to 52 percent fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than gasoline. Higher ethanol blends like E15 result in fewer GHG emissions.
Earlier this month, corn farmers applauded President Biden for using existing authority to give consumers more options at the pump that are lower-cost and environmentally friendly. Ethanol has been priced an average of 80 cents less per gallon than unblended gasoline at wholesale through March, and drivers currently save up to 20 cents or more per gallon with E15.