Bipartisan push for decision on year-round E15

Last week, United States Congressional members from Illinois supported corn farmers and the ethanol industry as they encouraged the Biden administration to approve the use of ethanol blends, year-round.

Illinois Congressmen were joined by elected officials throughout the Midwest, as they called upon the Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of Management and Budget to respond to nine Governor requests to remove the 1-psi volatility waver and expand the use of E15.

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker was a member of the initial group of eight governors who submitted their request last April. In 2018, Illinois was third in the United States for ethanol production capacity. In the same year, ethanol production added $46 billion dollars to the United States Gross Domestic Product and provided Americans 365,883 jobs.

A response from the EPA and OMB is long overdue, as Governors throughout the Midwest first submitted their requests in April of last year. The Clean Air Act states the organizations must respond, “…not later than 90-days after the date of receipt of a notification from a Governor."

“Therefore, this rulemaking should have been completed in July 2022 and unfortunately, we still have no regulatory certainty for our fuel retailers, fuel blenders, or biofuel producers,” said the Congressional Letter.

Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mike Bost (IL-12), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Darin LaHood (IL-16) and Eric Sorenson (IL-17) were among 31 members of the house and senate to sign the letter in bipartisan support.

Policy members cited national security, economic impact, and lower vehicle emissions as incentives for ethanol expansion.

“Higher blends of ethanol like E15 are a common-sense solution to lower the cost for consumers at the gas pump and to lower vehicle emissions,” said the letter. “As we gear up for the summer 2023 travel season, we have the production and distribution infrastructure to meet consumer demand for this lower cost and environmentally friendly fuel option.”

“By working swiftly to finalize the Governors’ requests, you will bring much needed certainty to our corn growers, fuel retailers, and consumers to enjoy the clean-burning, lower cost benefits of year-round E15 through the 2023 summer driving season.“

< Older Post

Newer Post >

IL Corn Leaders Honored with Prestigious National FFA Award

By Lindsay Mitchell • October 31, 2025

Celebrating Illinois Ag Leaders

Girl painting a leaf with brush at a table with paints, leaves, and other art supplies.

Helping Your Special Needs Farm Kid Thrive Through Art

By Emily Graham • October 30, 2025

Farm kids grow up surrounded by creativity—whether it’s building forts from hay bales, sketching tractors, or turning feed sacks into costumes.

Learning to See the Soil Differently: Dan Sanderson’s Conservation Journey (Part 1)

By Tara Desmond • October 30, 2025

When northern Illinois farmer Dan Sanderson started farming in the 1980s, cover crops weren’t exactly mainstream. Government set-aside programs required planting something like oats, but what stuck with Dan wasn’t the paperwork. It was the difference he noticed in those acres the next year—healthier plants and stronger soils. Decades later, that observation led him down a lifelong road of conservation and soil health improvement. In this episode of IL Corn TV, Dan joins IL Corn board member Shane Gray to talk about his path toward regenerative farming, what he learned at a 2017 Soil Health Academy that changed everything, and why he now treats soil as a living system, not something to manipulate. Dan’s story is one every farmer can relate to—trial and error, lessons learned the hard way, and realizing that “good soil” is about more than yield. 🎥 Watch Part 1 now and catch Part 2 soon, where Dan dives deeper into how he’s reducing inputs, improving soil function, and still keeping his yields strong.