Ernst Statement on EPA’s Final E15 Rule

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule authorizing year-round sales of E15, following a request from Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and seven other Midwest states.

“Finally, after years of advocacy, the EPA’s final rule will allow for eventual E15 sales year-round to give consumers a cleaner, cheaper choice at the pump,” Ernst said. “While I welcome this long overdue decision and applaud the work of Governor Kim Reynolds and Attorney General Brenna Bird, pushing off implementation until 2025 fails to provide our Iowa farmers, consumers, and retailers with certainty as we approach the 2024 summer driving season. I will continue to pressure the EPA for a nationwide, permanent solution, so Iowans do not have to pay needlessly high prices for fuel.”

Background:

Ernst continues to be a strong advocate for homegrown, Iowa biofuel. In addition to supporting the bipartisan Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, in November 2022, Senator Ernst joined a bipartisan group of Midwest senators in an effort to expand the year-round sales of E15 nationwide.

In February 2023, Senator Ernst and the entire Iowa delegation demanded the EPA remove regulatory barriers for gasoline-ethanol blends—like E15—and implement the long-awaited request of Midwest governors, including Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.

In December 2023, Ernst led the charge in demanding that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) work quickly to finalize the waiver, allowing retailers enough time to prepare for 2024 summer sales.

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