LINCOLN, Nebraska – The U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 1346, the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, which allows year-round access to E15 fuel across the country. The final House vote was 218 to 203, with broad bipartisan support.
“This marks a crucial step on the path to year-round E15,” Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB) Executive Director Ben Rhodes said. “While we’re not over the finish line yet, House passage of HR 1346 represents years of tireless effort on commonsense legislation allowing E15 to be sold all year nationwide. The NEB thanks all the ethanol champions who helped secure widespread support for this bill. In particular, special recognition goes to Representative Adrian Smith for his leadership on this critical issue.”
While E15 has been a federally legal fuel since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved it in 2011, an outdated provision in the 1990 Clean Air Act prevents E15 sales during the summer months. Emergency waivers have ensured uninterrupted E15 sales during the past several years, but a permanent legislative fix is needed for long-term marketplace certainty. The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate for further consideration.
“We will continue our dedicated efforts to make year-round E15 the law of the land,” Rhodes said. “All eyes are now on the Senate as they take up this legislation, and we stand ready to support and assist our Senate champions in their efforts. In these times of fuel supply disruption and uncertain markets, year-round E15 is a surefire way to save consumers money at the pump, boost our rural economies, and bolster American energy security. Let’s get it done.”
The Nebraska Ethanol Board works to ensure strong public policy and consumer support for biofuels. Since 1971, the independent state agency has designed and managed programs to expand production, market access, worker safety and technology innovation, including recruitment of producers interested in developing conventional ethanol, as well as bio-products from the ethanol platform. For more information, visit www.ethanol.nebraska.gov.
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