Farmers Union thanks Walz for supporting year-round E15

Thurd\sday Gov. Tim Walz joined with seven other Midwestern governors in a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calling for year-round use of E15. 

On April 12, President Biden announced his administration would allow the widespread sale of E15, a blend of 15 percent ethanol mixed with gasoline, during the summer months. Current law restricts the sale of E15 between June 1 and Sept. 15. 

“We are writing to thank you and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for exercising your emergency waiver authority to waive the 9-psi Reid vapor pressure (RVP) limitation for gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol (E15) for the 2022 summer ozone control season,” the governors’ letter reads. 

“This action will help provide relief, flexibility, and certainty in the fuel market as we are seeing record high gasoline prices in our states and around the country.” 

But they went further, asking for a permanent solution allowing the year-round sale of E15 beginning June 1, 2023.

Joining Walz in signing the letter to EPA are Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.