Senators Deb Fischer (NE) and Amy Klobuchar (MN) led bipartisan introduction of updated E15 legislation, which tracks their previous bill, S. 2339 Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act. This bill would ensure permanent, full market access for E15, often marketed as Unleaded 88.
Senators from Illinois Richard Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are co-sponsors of this bill. Other co-sponsors include Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.).
"We’re proud to have senators in Illinois who understand and recognize the importance of ethanol blends to consumers and farmers. Having the E15 option at the pump is a no brainer for Illinoisans, helping relieve economical stress, lessening pollution and making us more energy independent,” says Matt Rush, IL Corn Growers Association President and farmer from Fairfield, IL.
In April, the Biden Administration lifted E15 restrictions for the 2022 year. This new legislation would provide a permanent remedy to the problem on a national basis, even as several Midwest governors have also initiated a state-by-state solution.
“Ethanol saves Americans millions of dollars a year at the pump and is a critical part of our nation’s energy security,” said National Corn Growers Association President Tom Haag. “We thank Sens. Fischer and Klobuchar and their cosponsors for introducing legislation today that will ensure drivers across the country continue to have year-round access to safe, low-cost, low-emission E15 and provides a commonsense resolution to a long-standing outdated barrier to consumer choice.”
Ensuring continued E15 sales year-round keeps a lower-emission fuel choice in the marketplace that costs less. E15 cuts evaporative, carbon and tailpipe emissions compared to standard 10 percent ethanol blended fuels. Blending more ethanol to make E15 displaces more toxic components in gasoline, reducing exhaust emissions for cleaner air.
