A vote may be held tomorrow in the U.S. House that would permanently override EPA rules and allow E15 to be sold at all U.S. gas stations year-round.
Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw said the move would be a financial boost for farmers who raise corn. “That could grind another 2-2.5 billion bushels of corn. That could put corn back in the profitable range,” Shaw said. “Farmers don’t want emergency payments. They want markets and this is the one that is right there in front of us.”
According to the EPA, motorists can buy E15 at over 3000 gas stations in 31 states. The agency says E15 offers “better profit margins” for retailers and Shaw said consumers save because E15 is cheaper. “When gas prices are $4 in Iowa — not Califoria, but Iowa, it’s time to do something,” Shaw said, “so I think there’s this feeling that enough of this stuff, we’re going to move this forward.”
The EPA approved the use of E15 15 years ago in vehicles made after July 1, 2001, but federal regulations prohibited its sale during summer months due to smog concerns. The agency has waived that limit for the fifth consecutive summer. A federal policy for year-round E15 sales was included in a House budget bill in January and in the Farm Bill last month, but removed from both at the last minute. “We think once we get a floor vote, will we lose a handful of Republicans that represent these foreign refiners that don’t like the package that’s been put together? Yeah, we’re going to lose those, but we’re going to get a lot of support from Democrats,” Shaw said. “It will be, in our opinion, a strong bipartisan vote.”
Shaw’s association represents Iowa’s 42 ethanol plants. He made his comments during a recent apperance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa PBS.