WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Rep. Randy Feenstra (IA-04) joined his colleagues on the House Biofuels Caucus as an original cosponsor of the Year-Round Fuel Choice Act of 2021. This bipartisan effort seeks to ensure the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can grant waivers allowing for the sale of higher ethanol blends year-round. The legislation comes after a D.C. circuit court ruling would eliminate retailers’ ability to sell E15 in the summer months.
“I am pleased to join my colleagues in another bipartisan effort to provide producers with market certainty. E15 year-round gives consumers a more affordable option at the gas station, helps crop growers and biofuel producers by increasing demand, and benefits our environment as the cleanest form of liquid fuel on the market. As the largest ethanol and biodiesel producing district in the country, I will continue fighting for policies that prevent oil refineries from stomping on our family farms and biofuel producers in Iowa,” said Rep. Feenstra.
The bill is supported by the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, and the National Corn Growers Association.
The Year-Round Fuel Choice Act of 2021 would make a slight, yet critical change to the Clean Air Act. The change would ensure the EPA can grant Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) volatility waivers to allow E15 and higher blend fuels to be sold at fuel retailers all months of the year. The recent D.C. circuit court ruling would hinder retailers’ ability to sell E15 in the summer months, and this bill seeks to fix that by ensuring consumers and retailers can utilize E15 all year by allowing the EPA to grant RVP waivers.
Feenstra also recently introduced the Small Refinery Clarification Act of 2021, a bipartisan proposal that seeks to prevent exemptions from biofuel blending requirements if a refinery has not received such an exemption continuously since 2011. This legislation was in response to a Supreme Court ruling that also benefited oil refineries over biofuel producers.
(contributed press release)
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