30+ Farm, Biofuel Groups Urge House Action on Year-Round E15
Coalition targets farm bill amendment to lift seasonal restrictions on higher-ethanol fuel sales.
A coalition of more than 30 organizations representing farmers and renewable fuels producers is pressing House leaders to move legislation that would allow year-round access to E15, escalating a policy fight as the House farm bill advances.
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association said the groups sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson urging them to include and pass a “year-round E15” provision. IRFA said the measure could be considered by the full House, putting the issue squarely in front of leadership as floor strategy takes shape.
At stake is whether E15 — gasoline blended with 15% ethanol — can be sold year-round under federal rules that have limited higher-ethanol sales seasonally in many markets. The coalition’s request is explicit: “year-round E15,” framed as a regulatory certainty issue for higher-ethanol fuel sales beyond current seasonal limitations.
IRFA described the push as a national effort by “farmers and renewable fuels producers from across the country,” positioning E15 expansion as both a market-demand and rural-economy priority for the farm and biofuels supply chain. The immediate operational pressure lands on fuel retailers and ethanol producers that plan supply and contracting around seasonal rules; backers argue a year-round policy would remove the annual stop-start dynamic for higher-ethanol sales.
The next test is procedural and political: whether House leaders and the Agriculture Committee align behind a year-round E15 provision as part of farm bill action and put it on a path to passage. IRFA’s update hinges on that timing, signaling that the fight will be decided in how — and whether — the provision is positioned for full House consideration.
For biofuels and agricultural interests, the near-term focus is narrow: a House move that would lock in year-round E15 through the farm bill process. Industry participants are watching for leadership decisions that determine whether the provision advances during House consideration and whether the chamber’s farm bill strategy delivers the regulatory certainty the coalition is seeking.