Peace Garden News

Senator John Hoeven, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, has joined forces with other lawmakers in urging President Trump to permit the nationwide sale of E15 fuel throughout the summer of 2025. This request aims to improve America's energy security and reduce fuel costs for consumers while supporting the agricultural sector.

The bipartisan letter, spearheaded by Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senator Dick Durbin, calls for an extension of the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver from June 1 to September 15. "To meet our nation’s energy needs and decrease the cost of fuel, we must deploy an all-of-the-above energy strategy, which includes leveraging domestic biofuels," the senators wrote. They noted that previous years' policies allowing for year-round E15 sales have bolstered the domestic fuel supply, lowered consumer costs, and promoted American biofuels and agriculture.

The lawmakers emphasized the continued relevance of utilizing American ethanol. "Utilizing American ethanol year-round is a direct solution to reinforcing our energy supply and reducing consumer costs, and the issuance of a nationwide waiver for the 2025 summer driving season is a clear path toward these shared goals," according to the letter.

Additional cosigners to this letter include Senators Tammy Baldwin, Kevin Cramer, Tammy Duckworth, Joni Ernst, Deb Fischer, Chuck Grassley, Josh Hawley, Amy Klobuchar, Jerry Moran, Gary Peters, Pete Ricketts, Mike Rounds, Elissa Slotkin, and Tina Smith.

The letter stresses the importance of a permanent legislative solution for nationwide year-round sales of E15. It highlights the existing agreement between ethanol and petroleum stakeholders and points out the benefits for consumers, the energy industry, and agricultural producers if the nationwide sale is permitted during the upcoming summer season.

The appeal aligns with an executive order that declares a National Energy Emergency, encouraging Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright to issue necessary waivers. The senators assert that granting a temporary waiver would aid the domestic energy supply chain amid challenges partly due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.