EPA announces E15 summer waiver; industry wants bill

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin today announced a temporary summertime emergency fuel waiver to allow nationwide sales of E15 (gasoline blended with 15% ethanol) and to remove all federal impediments to selling E10 (gasoline blended with 10% ethanol) across the country.

Beginning May 1, 2026, EPA’s waivers will work to prevent disruption in America’s fuel supply by keeping E15 on the market and giving Americans more fuel options, EPA said in a news release.

“This emergency action will provide American families with relief by increasing fuel supply and consumer choice,” Zeldin said in the release.

“Allowing the summer sale of E15 will provide drivers more options at the pump, and deliver a bigger domestic market for American farmers,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in the EPA release. “While today’s announcement is great news for farmers, year-round E15 is essential for the farm economy, and Congress needs to find a common-sense solution that provides much needed certainty to consumers and farmers.”

Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., said, “I am grateful Administrator Zeldin has issued a summertime emergency fuel waiver to allow E15 to be sold year-round. Amidst supply chain uncertainty, it’s never been clearer that biofuels are a key pillar of American energy independence.

“However, Congress must pass a permanent, nationwide solution. Right now, a handful of midsize refiners refuse to allow certainty for consumers, retailers, and agriculture producers in favor of their own interests.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., ranking member on the Senate Agriculture Committee, noted that she had asked President Trump to use his administrative powers to grant a year-round waiver nationwide and that she and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., had introduced a bill to allow year-round sales.

Fischer thanked Zeldin and the Trump administration for the waiver, but added, “The fact remains that this is not a long-term solution, and it is far past time for Congress to make this permanent.”

REACTION

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall thanked Zeldin for the summertime waiver, but added that Farm Bureau members “appreciate” Klobuchar’s call “for quick action to enable year-round E15 sales.”

Renewable Fuels Association President Geoff Cooper said, “While today’s EPA announcement is good news for American families, a permanent legislative solution allowing year-round E15 is still needed. For the economic and energy security benefits of E15 to be fully realized, the marketplace needs stability and long-term certainty. Consumers, fuel producers, and farmers alike desperately need Congress to pass legislation that would deliver permanent year-round access for E15 and finally break the cycle of ad hoc, stop-gap emergency waivers.”

Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor said, “With the conflict in the Middle East and its impact on the global oil marketplace, it’s more important than ever to shield U.S. consumers from volatility with lower-cost, American-made fuel. Now, to bring E15 to new markets and more consumers, it’s vital that Congress act quickly on President Trump’s call for nationwide legislation allowing uninterrupted sales of lower-cost E15. It’s a common-sense solution that doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime. Not only will permanent legislation unlock greater fuel savings across the U.S., it will deliver an immediate, badly needed boost to the rural economy.”

National Corn Growers Association President Jed Bower, an Ohio farmer, said corn growers are “deeply appreciative” of the summertime waiver, but “this development is no substitute for action that would allow for the permanent, year-round sale of E15.”

Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, said, “President Trump has done what he can for consumers and E15, but the emergency waiver is a temporary solution. Only Congress can provide a permanent E15 fix, and it’s beyond time for them to act.”

National Farmers Union President Rob Larew said, “Nationwide access to E15 is a much-needed win for family farmers and consumers alike. At a time of increasing global uncertainty, E15 helps lower costs at the pump while creating reliable markets for farmers. However, this remains a temporary fix. It’s past time for Congress to deliver common-sense legislation that allows for the year-round, nationwide sale of E15.”