By Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval
Corn growers expected Congress to pass legislation last week that would expand access to E15, gasoline blended with 10.5 percent to 15 percent ethanol. The alternative fuel is most commonly produced from field corn.
Instead, lawmakers proposed creating an “E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council” to study refinery capabilities, how sales would work and other considerations.
The move comes after decades of advocacy by farmer groups seeking approval for year-round E15 sales nationwide. Senior Public Policy Director for the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Amanda Bilek, said the proposal took her by surprise.
“We had done our job in trying to get an agreement with a segment of the oil sector just to have the rug pulled out a little bit from under us,” Bilek said.
Oil and ethanol groups have often been at odds over E15. President Donald Trump issued a rule approving year-round E15 sales during his first administration, which an appeals court later struck down following an oil refining trade group’s lawsuit.
As it stands, the Clean Air Act has barred the sale of fuel with 15 percent ethanol nationwide during the Summer due to emissions concerns. Currently, only eight states, including Minnesota, are permitted to sell the alternative fuel year-round.
When talks about expanding E15 sales took place in Congress, Bilek said one of the biggest point of contention came from members who represented areas with medium- and small-scale refineries, as they worried that E15 sales could negatively impact job providers in their communities.
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