Only Congress Can Fix Arbitrary E15 Barrier

Growth in the ethanol industry has been the primary driver for farm family profitability in the last two decades. The Renewable Fuels Standard passed in 2005 drove initial corn demand, followed up by the Renewable Fuels Standard II in 2007 that changed the face of the ethanol industry. A provision considered by Congress and scrapped this week could have been the first step to a second ethanol-driven market for Illinois corn farmers.

Access to year-round E15 was written into a funding bill and stripped overnight. Farmers and consumers alike woke up to a change that would again leave them without market access to E15 – a 15 percent blend of ethanol and petroleum fuel that was approved for use in 2011. While increased access to the marketplace would not have turned the ag economy around overnight, it would have begun investment in higher blends of ethanol fuels.

Farmers have been advocating for access to E15 year-round for 15 years. President Trump and his administration attempted to fix the arbitrary policy barrier that blocks E15 from fuel pumps in the summer months, but the courts determined Congress must act to change the policy language. Now, Congress has failed to act yet again.

Illinois enjoys 13 ethanol plants, with 25 percent of Illinois corn being sold into the Illinois ethanol industry. These ethanol plants represent 11.4 billion in economic demand for Illinois.

Read today’s commentary on this issue from important voices below:

• Politico’s summary on the funding bill negotiations
• NCGA’s President Jed Bower
• Renewable Fuels Association
• Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks
• Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski
• Congresswoman Robin Kelly