BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota’s ethanol and corn industries applaud U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer for joining a bipartisan group of 16 Midwest senators urging President Joe Biden to relax emission standards and allow the use of E15 fuel through the summer to combat rising fuel prices.
In a letter to Biden, the senators are asking the President to utilize his administrative authority to authorize an extension of the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver from June 1 through September 15. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates the vapor pressure of gasoline sold at retail stations during the summer (June 1 to September 15) to reduce evaporative emissions from gasoline.
International pressures have led to an unprecedented spike in fuel prices and biofuels represent a readily available energy solution offering consumers more affordable and cleaner options. Additionally, the senators write, committing to this policy will send an important signal of certainty and stability to fuel retailers currently or considering selling E15 year-round.
Ethanol is blended with nearly every gallon of the nation’s gasoline supply. The ethanol used in 2020 accounts for more than 10 percent of the nation’s motor fuel supply, up from less than 1 percent 20 years ago. The nation’s ethanol industry uses nearly 30 percent of corn produced in the United States for ethanol and co-product production. Numerous studies show use of ethanol has reduced gas prices by more than $1 per gallon, which is the equivalent to $1,200 annually for the average American household. The 13.8 billion gallons of ethanol used in the United States in 2020 displaced nearly 500 million barrels of imported oil.
— North Dakota Ethanol Producers Association/North Dakota Corn Growers Association
