Press Contact: T.J. Page

515-252-6249

IRFA: Year-Round E15 Availability Would Be ‘Game Changer’

DES MOINES, IOWA – A bipartisan group of seven Midwest Governors, including Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, sent a letter today urging Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to fix vapor pressure treatment between E10 and E15, allowing Midwest fuel retailers to offer E15 to 2001 and newer vehicles year-round.

“Today, bi-partisan Governors from around the Midwest are joining together to strongly urge the EPA to act now to correct the unfair treatment for E15,” stated Iowa Governor Terry Branstad.  “EPA has the authority to resolve this regulatory hurdle to give more Americans the choice of a cleaner-burning, lower-cost, higher octane, renewable fuel and we hope they do so immediately.”

“We commend Gov. Branstad for his continued leadership on this issue, and for highlighting one of the many barriers to competition in the fuel market,” stated Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Executive Director Monte Shaw. “Many retailers have cited the inability to offer E15 as a registered fuel year-round as the number one barrier to providing consumers with that lower-cost, cleaner-burning option. Eliminating this quirk in federal regulation would be a real game changer.”

E15 is a fuel blend containing 15 percent ethanol, just five percentage points more ethanol than the most commonly used fuel in the U.S., E10.  E15 is often sold at a 5 to 10-cent per gallon discount to E10, and is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for use in all 2001 and newer vehicles.

EPA’s disparate handling of E10 and E15 with regard to fuel volatility regulation is stifling widespread adoption of E15 and mid-level ethanol blends. The governors strongly urged the EPA to take immediate action to establish a volatility regime that allows a uniform gasoline blendstock to be suitable for blending both E10 and E15 (and higher blends) year-round.

In addition to Gov. Branstad, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple, South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon also signed the letter.

To read the full letter, please click here.

To learn more about E15, please click here.

Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production. Iowa has 43 ethanol refineries capable of producing 4 billion gallons annually, including nearly 55 million gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production capacity.  In addition, Iowa has 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce more than 315 million gallons annually.

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association was formed in 2002 to represent the state’s liquid renewable fuels industry.  The trade group fosters the development and growth of the renewable fuels industry in Iowa through education, promotion, legislation and infrastructure development.

###

For more information, visit the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association website at: www.IowaRFA.org