MN Bio-Fuels Submits Comments On E15 Rule For Midwest States

  • Thursday, 20 April 2023 10:59

The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) submitted comments today on the EPA's proposal to allow year-long E15 in several Midwestern states in 2024.

In the comments, MN Bio-Fuels' executive director, Brian Werner, said the delay in implementing the reid vapor pressure  (RVP) waiver for E15 in the aforementioned states till 2024 would create confusion in the marketplace and increase carbon emissions, air pollution and costs at the pump for consumers this summer.

"Because lower-cost E15 blends are available at more retail stations in our state than any other, any interruption of E15 sales this summer will have an outsized impact on Minnesota consumers," he said.

Werner said the EPA should prevent the disruption of E15 sales during the upcoming driving season by extending the RVP allowance from June 1 to Sept 15 through an emergency waiver as it did in 2022 when the war in Ukraine resulted in soaring energy prices.

"Unfortunately, those market conditions still exist today and may be strained further by the recent announcment that OPEC plans to cut output by 1.16 million barrels per day beginning in May," he said.

Werner said swift action to issue an emergency waiver this year will support farmers, create and sustain rural jobs, improve air quality, lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce reliance on foregin oil and save consumers at the pump.

Read the full letter here.