President Donald Trump pledged his support for allowing year-round sales of E15. Representatives of the ethanol industry are speaking out in support of his announcement according to a report at Ethanol Producer Magazine.
Trump made the announcement during a meeting at the White House Thursday morning. Sen Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, confirmed Trump’s support for year-round E15 sales in a series of tweets. “At WH mtg on trade/farm good news for corn/ethanol the President is moving ahead w E15 12 months a yr,” Grassley wrote. “Glad Pres Trump announced E15 yr round w/out a RIN cap This will help farmers & keep RIN prices low like refiners have wanted,” Grassley later wrote.
He also noted that the issue of Renewable Fuel Standard hardship waivers was discussed during the meeting. Grassley indicated that he rebutted that EPA has already granted relief for small refineries by awarding secret RFS waivers. “…Inference was too many waivers are being given &EPA is acting contrary 2law when companies making 1.5b get a waiver. That’s not hardship,” Grassley tweeted.
Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor also applauded the president’s commitment to lifting outdated Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) limits on summer-time sales of E15 without tying RVP relief to any refinery-backed limits on Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
“We applaud President Trump for embracing a common-sense fix to create a level playing field for cleaner, more affordable fuel options during the summer driving season," she says. "The White House clearly understands that RVP relief will expand a growing market for America’s farmers while letting consumers pick the fuel of their choice."
