President Donald Trump says the summertime ban on higher ethanol blends is a “ridiculous rule.” However, SP Global Dot Com says during a press conference last Thursday, he didn’t give any new timeline for giving consumers year-round access to E-15.
The Environmental Protection Agency says it will issue a final rule allowing summertime E-15 sales by June 1, the official start of the U.S. summer driving season. Trump says ethanol remains a vital part of America’s energy future. Last October, the president promised his administration would approve year-round E-15 access, but the policy got bogged down, thanks to the government shutdown and the debate between biofuel producers and oil refiners.
The EPA did propose a year-round E-15 rule in March, a process that typically takes several months to finish. Market experts say that gas station owners are likely waiting until the final rule is official before they add any new pumping equipment.
The Renewable Fuels Association says hundreds of fuel stations would add equipment to pump E-15 in the months after the EPA adopts the final rule. They also say that number will grow to thousands in the years after the decision is reached.
Source: National Association of Farm Broadcasters