E15 Expansion Faces Minimal Resistance, but Legal Path Still Unclear

The senior vice president for the American Coalition for Ethanol suggests there’s not a lot of opposition to year-round nationwide E15. Ron Lamberty says the only group publicly against permanent E15 legislation is the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers Association.

“AFPM, is sort of the smaller, a little more radical refiners’ group. I don’t know if the American Petroleum Institute supports it, but I’m sure they don’t oppose it. But it’s a bill that a big chunk of people wants to get done.” He states that fuel retailers are waiting for certainty.

“The first time I met with some of the owners of one of the big Midwest chains about E15 right after it became legal, the first thing they said was ‘we’re not going to put it in until it’s legal year-round because I don’t want to take the chance that somebody forgets to put a label on a pump in the summer and then I get fined.” Lamberty says lawmakers continue to look for the right legislative vehicle to attach year-round nationwide E15 language.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

It will be a great day when all the hurdles to E15 are finally in the rear-view mirror. This debate has been ongoing for years and it is time to put it to bed. In reality, through the use of special exemptions, E15 has been on the market year round for several years, but it has been a long road attempting to make it permanent.

E15 will help our corn producers by assimilating more production on a regular basis. That will help set a more solid foundation for corn prices and lead to more certainty in the marketplace. Therefore, please be sure to let corn producers know you support their efforts to have E15 available the entire year!