Attorney General David Yost on Monday joined a push for the U.S. Congress to allow for yearlong sales of E15 gasoline, a fuel blend for modern vehicles from which 15 percent is derived through renewable agricultural sources and 85 percent through normal gasoline, arguing bipartisan legislation submitted recently to accomplish this goal would benefit Ohio farmers and the rest of the country.
“Ohio’s motorists, farmers and energy providers all stand to gain from this proposal,” Yost said in a statement published by his office. “It’s good for our state’s economy, and it’s a key step toward energy independence for our country.”
The U.S. Department of Energy (EPA) currently bans the sale of E15 through the summer months as a result of the Clean Air Act of 1990, which raised concerns about the sale of fuel with ethanol during summer months due to concerns over pollution caused by fuel evaporation, but nonetheless includes an exception for fuel blends including 10 percent ethanol.
Despite the prohibition on the sale of E15 through the summer, the EPA frequently issues emergency fuel waivers that nonetheless allow sales to continue, as seen nearly a dozen times over the course of 2024.
In the letter signed by Yost, the attorneys general cite the declaration of a national energy emergency by President Donald Trump, who they note called for “a reliable, diversified, and affordable
supply of energy to drive our Nation’s manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and defense industries, and to sustain the basics of modern life and military preparedness.”
Referring to the bipartisan legislation filed last month by U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) to authorize the yearlong sale of E15, the attorneys general wrote, “There has never been more support from across the energy industry for this reform. The bill is endorsed by the American Petroleum Institute, Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union and the National Association of Convenience Stores.”
They concluded, “Oil producers from the oilmen of Texas and North Dakota to the farmers in Iowa and Nebraska agree: this legislative fix will help jump-start American energy production.”
Attorney General Brenna Bird of Iowa led the letter, and in addition to Yost, also included signatures from attorneys general representing Alabama, Alaska, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and West Virginia.
Ethanol producers previously praised Trump during his first administration, which issued additional waivers for fuel production and said it would consider changing longstanding rules.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Dave Yost” by Dave Yost.
