A group of bipartisan U.S. senators, led by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), sent a letter today asking President Biden to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to use existing authority to prevent the disruption of sales of E15, often marketed as Unleaded 88, again this summer.
NCGA expressed strong support for the senators’ request and urged the Biden administration to take this needed action to bring certainty to the fuel marketplace.
“We appreciate the senators getting ahead of the problem and proposing a solution to prevent a disruption in E15 availability this summer,” said NCGA President Tom Haag. “Ensuring continued availability of low-cost, low-emission E15 increases our domestic supply in the face of ongoing global energy uncertainty. The Biden administration took the same action last year, successfully boosting the fuel supply while lowering costs for drivers. We support the senators’ timely request for this no-cost energy security solution.”
The Senators letter to President Biden (link to letter) states, “Taking early action on E15 will send timely and necessary signals across the energy supply chain so that fuel producers and retailers will have the certainty they need to ensure affordable, reliable and cleaner fuel options for American consumers throughout the year. Further, U.S. use of E15 will continue to displace Russian oil and finished gasoline products, ease domestic and global supply constraints, and lower net domestic fuel prices.”
Nearly 3,000 retail locations offer consumers the choice of E15. This action from the Biden administration last summer increased the fuel supply and saved consumers an average of 16 cents per gallon nationwide.
In addition to Sens. Thune and Durbin, the letter was signed by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).v
