Another year and another waiver by the Environmental Protection Agency for E15, gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol. E15 sales are restricted in many parts of the country during summer months due to concerns about smog-forming emissions, though those concerns are largely unfounded. This is the fifth straight year for the waiver.
“We’re very appreciative of the administration for granting the waiver going into the summer driving season,” says Southern Indiana farmer JR Roesner. “And with the cost of fuel going up, having a cheaper, cleaner fuel available is definitely a big win for not only farmers but also the consumers.”
Roesner, who serves on the Indiana Corn Growers Association and is on the National Corn Growers Association’s National Corn Board, says this is especially true since the conflict in Iran began.
Corn farmers continue to fight for legislation that would allow for year-round sales of E15, or Unleaded 88 as you might see it at the pump. Roesner says that legislation would make E15 more available nationwide.
“We have a lot of retailers that want to go to the higher blends and want to put the infrastructure in, but they’re not willing to make the investment until they have that certainty. We’ve been appreciative of what the Congress is trying to do with the Rural Energy Commission and trying to get that fixed up and get that passed through Congress, but we need that certainty now.”
E15, or Unleaded 88, is safe for your vehicle if it was manufactured in 2001 or later.
Roesner spoke with Hoosier Ag Today from the South Lawn of the White House Friday ahead of President Trump’s address to farmers and ag professionals.
