E-15 will be allowed summertime sales, just not right away.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced the decision saying it will approve the petitions from eight Midwest governors including Iowa, allowing summertime sales of 15 percent ethanol within those eight states.
However, it will delay implementation until 2025 claiming there is not enough time to make the rule work by this summer.
Iowa Renewable Fuels Association CEO Monte Shaw has mixed feelings, "Very excited we that we finally have a final rule, even if it's a year and a half late, but we're equally frustrated that at the last minute they delayed it yet another year, because now we don't know what's going to come for consumers and motorists in the summer of 2024."
Shaw says they will now work to find a solution for E-15 to be sold in the summer of 2024, so they can bridge over to next year.
Adding he is glad there will now be certainty in the market going into 2025, "That is good news, I don't want to minimize that. But at the same time, we've got to get to 2025, so we have two things on our to-do list left. We've got to find a solution for this summer, and then we really want to take this outside the eight states and go nationwide as well, probably with legislation in congress. So, good news today, a little frustrated by the delay because it gives one more thing we've got to fix."
Two years ago, eight states asked for this decision. Legally, EPA had 90 days to make it. However, it missed its statutory deadline to finalize the petition by more than 500 days.
Renewable fuels groups say retailers should not be penalized by EPA's failure, they urge Congress and the Biden Administration to take action to resolve the situation.