Overview
- An amendment led by Rep. Michelle Fischbach would let gas stations sell E15, a 15% ethanol blend, in every season.
- The plan would narrow the Renewable Fuel Standard’s small-refinery exemption by counting subsidiaries and affiliates under the 75,000-barrels-per-day cap.
- Major farm and fuel groups, including the American Petroleum Institute, the American Farm Bureau Federation, and the Renewable Fuels Association, urged Congress to pass it in a joint letter, and the White House has endorsed year-round E15.
- Independent and midsize refiners objected, saying the measure ignores compliance costs they argue could shut plants, and some conservatives filed amendments to repeal the RFS.
- The measure still faces hurdles, with a jurisdiction fight with the Energy and Commerce Committee and a pending Rules Committee decision on how the amendment will be handled on the floor.