Ensure Year-Round Sales of E15
Ethanol-blended fuels save consumers money and burn cleaner than fuels without ethanol. To encourage the use of ethanol-blended fuels, Congress in 1990 created a seasonal waiver from evaporative fuel vapor standards, measured in terms of Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP), to allow fuel with 10% ethanol (E10) to be sold year-round. However, the waiver Congress granted for E10 predated the introduction of higher ethanol blends like E15. E15 has an even lower RVP than E10, meaning it has lower evaporative emissions than standard E10 fuel. Despite this, E15 is not currently sold in most states during the summer months, except through temporary emergency waivers, because of outdated regulations governing E15.
Growth Energy’s Ask
Enact legislation to permanently allow year-round sales of E15 (S. 593/H.R. 1346: Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act).
- The House of Representatives passed legislation on May 13, 2026, to allow for the permanent year-round sale of E15.
- The Senate has included legislation to allow for the year-round sale of E15 in the Agricultural Act of 2026 (Section 12501).
Impact of E15 on Fuel prices
As a result of emergency waivers and other EPA regulatory action, consumers have had year-round access to E15 since 2019. E15 delivers savings of 30 cents per gallon on average, with some locations offering E15 for over $1 per gallon less than E10.
Passing legislation to allow E15 to be sold year-round would save consumers money and increase availability. If we made E15 the standard fuel in the U.S., we could save $20 billion+ in fuel costs each year.
BENEFITS OF HIGHER BIOFUEL BLENDS
- Nationwide adoption of E15 would save consumers $20.6 billion in annual fuel costs, put an additional $36.3 billion in income into the pockets of American families, and generate $66.3 billion for the U.S. GDP.
- Nationwide adoption of E15 will increase corn demand by about 2.4 billion bushels per year.
- E15 and higher biofuel blends have lower evaporative emissions than standard vehicle fuels.
- Higher biofuel blends are better for air quality, reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants harmful to human health, like carbon monoxide.
- Ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 46% compared to gasoline.
- If the United States transitioned from E10 to E15 nationwide, greenhouse gas emissions would fall by 17.62 million tons per year, the equivalent of removing 3.85 million vehicles from the road.
Regulatory & Legal Milestones
- 1990 Congress imposes RVP limits but grants an RVP waiver for E10.
- 2009 E15 waiver filed with EPA.
- 2011 EPA approves E15 for model year 2001 and newer cars.
- 2019 EPA extends the seasonal RVP waiver by rule to include E15.
- 2019 AFPM challenges EPA rule.
- 2021 D.C. Circuit ruling vacates EPA’s RVP waiver extension for E15.
- 2022–26 EPA allows for year-round E15 through emergency RVP waivers.
- 2025 State E10 RVP waiver opt-outs take effect in eight Midwestern states.