WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer issued a statement after a government funding bill released Tuesday would allow year-round sales of gasoline with a higher ethanol blend.

The action is expected to boost demand for corn and ethanol. The funding bill would also provide credits to some refiners that blend biofuels.

Sen. Fischer said her legislation is the only permanent, nationwide solution for year-round E15.

 

Fischer: “This will once and for all solidify President Trump’s pledge to allow the sale of year round E15 – giving America’s producers and consumers the certainty they deserve.”

A press release says Fischer’s legislation earned support from the petroleum industry, fuel marketing and retail sector.

Year-round E15 has been a Fischer priority for almost a decade. Congressman Adrian Smith introduced companion legislation in 2023 for the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act.

Biofuel consulting firm ABF says transitioning from E10 to E15 in Nebraska would require an additional 41 million gallons of ethanol.

https://growthenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/December2020ETHANOL-Report-to-the-Nebraska-Legislature-002.pdf

https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/6/video-senate-epw-committee-holds-hearing-on-fischer-e15-legislation

Here is the senator’s press release

WASHINGTON ­– U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the following statement after securing nationwide, year-round E15 in the upcoming continuing resolution:

“My legislation is the only permanent, nationwide solution to unleashing the power of year-round E15. This will once and for all solidify President Trump’s pledge to allow the sale of year-round E15—giving America’s producers and consumers the certainty they deserve. This will put an end to years of patchwork regulations and finally make nationwide year-round E15 a reality.”

Fischer’s legislation earned support from a historically diverse coalition of stakeholders—including those from the petroleum industry, fuel marketing and retail sector, ethanol industry, agriculture, and consumers—uniting in support of this mutually beneficial solution.

Background:

Senator Fischer has been a steadfast champion for year-round E15 since 2015, when she first co-led a bill to the to allow year-round E15 during the 114th Congress.

In 2017, during the 115th Congress, she introduced the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act to amend the Clear Air Act and help make year-round E15 a reality. Later that year, she testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in support her bipartisan legislation.

In 2019, Senator Fischer traveled with President Trump to Nebraska and Iowa when he announced regulatory efforts to allow the sale of E15. When President Trump’s efforts were stuck down by courts, Senator Fischer continued to lead by reintroducing this legislation in 2021, during the 117th Congress. This was followed by Senator Fischer releasing an updated bill in 2022 that included unprecedented support.

For almost a decade, nationwide year-round E15 has remained one of Senator Fischer’s top legislative priorities. In 2023, she introduced the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2023 to break down the remaining barriers and unlock the full potential of nationwide year-round E15, further advancing America’s energy independence. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03) introduced companion legislation.

List of Stakeholder Support: Senator Fischer gathered support from a diverse group of stakeholders including National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, the America Farm Bureau Federation, Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, American Coalition for Ethanol, American Petroleum Institute, SIGMA, National Association of Truck Stop Operators, and National Association of Convenience Stores.

List of Cosponsors: Cosponsors of the bill include U.S. Senators Shelley Capito (R-W. Va.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).