This article was written and provided by Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw via Rueters.com
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved a request from eight Midwestern states to allow year-round sales of E15 gasoline—a blend of gasoline with 15% ethanol—starting in April 2025. This marks a significant shift in federal fuel policy, lifting long-standing summertime restrictions on E15 that were intended to curb smog formation. The change will apply to Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
While the decision is a win for biofuel advocates in those states, industry groups such as the American Petroleum Institute (API) argue that a nationwide approach is needed to prevent a fragmented fuel marketplace. The call for consistency has reignited bipartisan efforts in Congress to pass legislation that would allow year-round E15 sales across the country.
“This would prevent a patchwork of state-by-state policies while ensuring consumers have access to the fuels they depend on every day,” said Will Hupman, API’s vice president of downstream policy.
For Tennessee and other states outside the Midwest, a national E15 policy could expand access to cleaner-burning fuels, support local agricultural economies, and offer more low-cost fueling options. Ethanol remains an important player in the state’s clean fuels portfolio, making this national conversation one to watch.
Read the full article from Reuters:
Oil trade group pushes US national ethanol policy after EPA OKs Midwest plan