The Environmental Protection Agency is allowing the sale of higher-ethanol gasoline blends ahead of summer to ease rising fuel prices. [some emphasis, links added]
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said on Wednesday that the agency has issued emergency waivers to allow E15 gasoline sales, temporarily exempting the fuel from restrictions meant to limit smog.
E15 is a fuel that blends 15% ethanol with gasoline, compared with the more common E10 blend, which contains 10%. EPA’s waiver will take effect on May 1, allowing the fuel industry to transition to the fuel.
The move is part of an effort to provide relief at the gas pump for Americans, who are seeing gasoline prices rise because of the conflict with Iran.
“EPA is working with our federal partners to reduce unnecessary costs and uncertainty and ensure that gas prices remain affordable for all Americans through the summer,” Zeldin said. “This emergency action will provide American families with relief by increasing fuel supply and consumer choice.”
Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA has the authority to issue waivers for E15. The Trump administration has previously issued waivers of E15 fuel in 2025 ahead of the summer.
The Biden administration also issued several waivers before the summer season.
President Donald Trump campaigned on lowering energy costs for the public, but the war in Iran has pushed oil and gas prices higher ahead of the summer travel season. The national average gas price at the pump is about $3.98, versus $2.97 a month ago, according to AAA.
E15 gasoline is currently not sold year-round because of environmental concerns, as it can create more smog.
Top: Ethanol refinery surrounded by cornfields.
Read rest at Washington Examiner
E15 is a big mistake as it damages engines, burning hotter and attacking parts, thus shortening engine life. It also has lower mileage as ethanol is partly oxidized already with the 5% ethanol displacing real gasoline. The whole ethanol/gas blend idea is stupid and crony capitalism when billions were handed out to build the ethanol plants. In addition, this industry uses perfectly good corn that could otherwise feed more of the world. It raises the price of corn and all other grains. Up to 40% of our corn crop goes to making E10 already. Now they want to make even more ethanol. Hopefully, E15 is temporary and the EPA fixes the problem.
After working in the oil industry for 35 years, I can advise that it is not good for your machinery to run higher ethanol fuels. If ethanol was a good additive, the oil companies would have been applying it without government mandate for many decades before the mandates started.
It sounds like the Corn Belt has been pressuring the EPA to allow this since it would sell more useless ethanol in our gasoline.