Trump’s promise to quickly sign a year-round E15 bill puts biofuels back in focus as Congress struggles to deliver a permanent fix.
Summary:
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Trump signals fast sign-off for year-round E15 gasoline legislation
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E15 (15% ethanol) faces summer sales limits under fuel-volatility rules
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Funding-bill effort failed; lawmakers pivoted to a task force plan
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Farm and ethanol groups want certainty; refiners seek broader policy changes
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A legislative fix could reduce reliance on temporary waivers and patchwork rules
President Donald Trump says he will sign legislation to allow year-round sales of E15 gasoline “without delay”, renewing a long-running push from farm-state lawmakers and the biofuels industry to end seasonal restrictions on the higher-ethanol blend.
E15 is fuel blended with up to 15% ethanol (above the widely sold E10). In much of the U.S., E15 sales are typically limited during the summer driving season (June 1–September 15) due to Clean Air Act fuel-volatility rules.
Trump’s pledge lands amid mounting frustration in agricultural states over delays to biofuel policy and weaker farm economics. Reuters reports Iowa’s renewable fuels sector has been hit by uncertainty around biofuel blending targets and tax guidance, and that the administration is trying to reassure rural voters.
The politics are messy. A bipartisan attempt to include a year-round E15 fix in must-pass funding legislation fell through last week, prompting House Republicans to propose a task force-style “Rural Energy Council” to study E15 and deliver recommendations, a move farm and ethanol groups criticise as another kick-the-can delay.
Analysts generally frame Trump’s “sign it now” stance as a way to show tangible support for corn growers and ethanol producers, while also selling a consumer angle: more fuel choice and potentially cheaper prices at the pump. The refining industry has historically pushed back on expanded ethanol blending and has sought broader regulatory changes alongside any E15 deal.
If Congress does pass a clean legislative fix, it would reduce the patchwork of waivers and legal workarounds that have governed summertime E15 sales in recent years
