EPA’s decision to temporarily broaden the availability of E15 is aimed at addressing consumer price pressure that has intensified amid the Iran war, the agency said in an announcement released Wednesday. The move allows the higher-ethanol blend to be sold more widely in warm weather, despite past limits based on concerns that E15 could worsen smog.
Brooke Rollins, the U.S. Agriculture Secretary, praised the change in a statement, saying President Trump is “unleashing American Energy Dominance,” and that “today’s action will directly lower prices at the pump and gives a clear demand signal to our domestic biofuels producers.” Supporters have pointed to E15 as one potential lever for easing fuel costs, arguing that expanded use could increase demand for domestically produced ethanol.
The temporary approval builds on a pattern that has become familiar in the summer: waivers that permit E15 use when air-quality rules would otherwise restrict higher-ethanol blends. The Renewable Fuels Association, an ethanol trade group, has said E15 already is allowed in some states, including Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, Wisconsin and most of South Dakota, and that it is also legal in cities with reformulated gasoline requirements designed around cleaner-burning fuel blends.
In Washington, lawmakers have pressed for greater availability of E15 beyond the seasonal window. This week, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar urged the Trump administration to take “a no-cost, immediate step” to curb rising domestic fuel costs. The proposal has also appeared in state-level and district-level action: in Kansas, Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids has requested and been granted emergency waivers for E15 for several years, including waivers from EPA administrations under presidents of both parties.
Critics of the plan said the market impact may be limited by geography and supply constraints. Kenneth Gillingham, a professor at the Yale School of the Environment, said E15 is not available in all states and that some areas lack the infrastructure or ethanol supply needed to significantly expand usage. He also raised concerns tied to vehicle durability, saying higher levels of corrosive ethanol in E15 can pose a risk, especially for older cars, boats and all-terrain vehicles.
Jason Hill, a professor at the University of Minnesota who studies food, energy markets and environmental consequences, argued that any pump savings could be offset by cost pressures elsewhere. He said using more corn for ethanol means less corn is available for animal feed, which he said could translate into higher grocery-store costs for consumers, noting: “I think it’s difficult to see when the ledger’s settled, how this is a benefit for U.S. consumers.”
Hill suggested the announcement’s beneficiaries could be farmers facing higher expenses in a wider commodities context. He said the announcement appeared targeted more at agriculture, including those affected by higher diesel prices used to run equipment and fertilizer price increases linked to the Iran war. He also said similar announcements have been made before “as a way to express support for ‘agriculture and those who drive.’”
Beyond economics, opponents cited air-quality and health concerns. Gillingham said the policy could worsen ozone issues during the summer, adding, “There’s more likely to be ozone issues in the summer and some people will die,” and that it “will lead to some earlier heart attacks” and “some earlier respiratory issues that wouldn’t have been the case otherwise.”
The oil industry has generally opposed expanding E15, arguing that biofuel blending is costly and could raise gasoline prices. But the American Petroleum Institute said it supported the EPA’s move, with Will Hupman, a vice president at the trade group, saying in a statement that temporarily easing summer fuel requirements helps ensure American consumers continue to have access to “affordable, reliable energy.”