The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Monday to allow for the year-round selling of E-15 fuel for this summer.

According to the EPA, the selling of E-15, or gasoline that is made with 15 percent ethanol, will be allowed under an emergency waiver that would be from June 1st through September 15th. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig applauds the federal government for its action to implement another waiver, but he would also like this to be in place permanently. He shares his thoughts if he thinks this is the year that Congress will act on it and have it signed into law by President Donald Trump.

“Yes, in fact I do think that this is going to be a moment where we do have an opportunity. In fact, there’s bipartisan leadership within the Senate and the House are calling for exactly that, and the President has indicated his support for E-15. So, that really is the way that we stop dealing with all of these waivers and this every year kind of having to argue this issue. Let’s have a permanent legislative solution.”   

Naig adds that Iowans see the benefits of having E-15 blended gasoline to use, saving $38.5 million in 2024 from pumping E-15 and E-10 fuels. He is hoping that with this announcement, the momentum is there to push for legislative action and make it happen automatically every year.