Another win for consumers and the environment — E15 approved for summer sales

Summer driving season is here and there’s good news — whether you’re planning a cross-country road trip or hope to commute no further than the local pool, you’ll have an opportunity to save on the fuel that gets you where you want to be.

That’s because the Biden administration has granted a waiver allowing sales of E15 gasoline this summer. E15 is a fuel blend that incorporates 15 percent ethanol, an American-made, renewable fuel that burns cleaner than fossil fuels and reduces America’s reliance on foreign oil supplies. In announcing the policy, the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Michael Regan, highlighted E15’s critical importance for “protecting Americans from fuel supply challenges resulting from the ongoing war in Ukraine by ensuring consumers have more choices at the pump.”

EPA issued a similar summer waiver for E15 last year as Vladimir Putin’s aggressions disrupted oil markets, which ultimately drove the national average price of gas to $5 per gallon for the first time ever. Drivers choosing E15, however, saved 30 cents per gallon, which gave roughly $100 back to the average family between June 1 and Sept. 15, 2002. All told, consumers pocketed nearly $60 million in savings at the pump last summer thanks to E15.

Now with gasoline inventories even more constricted, the EPA has made a wise decision to again allow more affordable fuel to flow. How much impact does E15 have? A recent analysis of pump prices from January 2022 and April 2023 showed that consumers saved  27 cents per gallon, on average, with E15 and cut $3 to $5 off the average cost per fill-up.

Summertime E15 offers significant price relief at a time when inflation is challenging families’ budgets, but it’s also a big win for the environment. In fact, renewable ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions 40 to 50 percent compared with fossil fuels, even when accounting for the entire farm-to-fuel production process. Selecting E15 over standard E10 translates into an extra 3 percent drop in GHG emissions.

What’s more, E15 is better for air quality than regular gasoline in use today. In fact, the EPA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the University of California have all confirmed that E15 reduces emissions of most pollutants that cause smog — by 10 to 15 percent, according to the most recent research.

These studies are validated by real-life experience. Where E15 sales are robust, such as the Midwest, and allowed year-round — as they were from 2019 to today — ground-level ozone concentrations trend lower. More proof, many urban areas plagued by smog in the 1990s and 2000s enjoy air quality that meets or exceeds federal standards today, simply because the U.S. started blending ethanol into our gasoline.

There is much to celebrate in continued sales of E15 throughout the summer of 2023. The only thing better would be enacting a permanent solution that doesn’t rely on short-term waivers. Already, the EPA is looking favorably on bipartisan plans by eight governors to enable ongoing, year-round E15 sales in their states starting in 2024. Bills in Congress, including the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act and Next Generation Fuels Act, would expand the benefits nationwide.

Bottom line, Americans should be able to enjoy the economic and environmental advantages of E15 all the time, and at filling stations across the country. Elected leaders should work together to facilitate this lower cost, lower emissions transportation reality.

Geoff Cooper is the president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association.