House clears year‑round E15 sales

The U.S. House voted on May 13 to allow year-round nationwide sales of E15 gasoline, advancing a long-running biofuels measure that supporters say would expand fuel choice and help corn producers. The chamber approved H.R. 1346, the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, by a 218-203 vote, according to the House clerk. The bill would let retailers sell gasoline blended with 15% ethanol throughout the year by removing seasonal limits tied to Reid vapor pressure rules. The measure now moves to the Senate, where its path is less certain. ### Why was E15 restricted in the first place? E15 is a gasoline blend containing up to 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline, according to the Congressional Research Service. Under the Clean Air Act, that blend generally cannot be sold during the summer driving season from June 1 to September 15 because of fuel volatility limits tied to smog formation, CRS said. (clerk.house.gov) The Environmental Protection Agency on March 25, 2026, issued a nationwide waiver for the 2026 summer driving season, allowing E15 sales on a temporary basis. CRS said the waiver cited “extreme and unusual fuel circumstances,” including ongoing issues in the Middle East, and noted EPA intended to keep renewing waivers while those conditions persisted. (congress.gov) ### What exactly did the House pass? H.R. 1346 would make year-round E15 sales permanent nationwide rather than relying on a series of short-term EPA waivers. Reuters reported the bill is titled the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, and the House clerk recorded final passage at 218 yeas and 203 nays, with nine members not voting. (congress.gov) Congressional Research Service said H.R. 1346 is one of two bills in the 119th Congress proposing permanent year-round E15 sales, alongside S. 593 in the Senate. Roll Call reported that the House proposal also drew attention because lawmakers paired the E15 push with changes sought by some fuel interests to the Renewable Fuel Standard’s small-refinery exemption program. (money.usnews.com) ### Who backed it, and who objected? Representative Zach Nunn, an Iowa Republican, said after the vote that lawmakers had “delivered results” despite efforts to block the measure. Emily Skor, chief executive of Growth Energy, said the House vote moved the country closer to lower prices at the pump. Reuters said farm groups and biofuel producers treated the vote as a major win after years of trying to secure permanent nationwide sales. (congress.gov) Politico reported the 218-203 tally reflected support from a bipartisan bloc of Midwestern lawmakers who had pushed House leaders to schedule the vote. Representative Brad Finstad, a Minnesota Republican, said on the House floor, “We need a new domestic market opportunity for our corn. E15 delivers on that,” according to Politico. (money.usnews.com) Reuters and Politico both reported that opposition remains strongest among lawmakers and interests tied to refining states. Reuters said refiners have warned about higher compliance costs, while Politico reported some Senate and lobbying sources viewed the House bill as unlikely to pass in its current form. (politico.com) ### Why did Minnesota stand out in this vote? The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that all eight members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation voted for the bill, making the vote a rare bipartisan point of agreement for the state’s House members. That included Democrats and Republicans from a state with a large ethanol and farm presence. (money.usnews.com) Roll Call reported in April that Representative Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota helped file an earlier bipartisan amendment to advance permanent year-round E15 sales. That amendment effort was backed by lawmakers from Minnesota, Iowa and Oklahoma and supported by groups across agriculture and parts of the fuel supply chain. (startribune.com) ### What happens in the Senate now? The Senate is the next stop for the legislation, and Reuters reported the measure still needs to clear that chamber and then be signed by President Donald Trump to become law. CRS said S. 593 is the Senate bill proposing the same permanent year-round E15 policy. (rollcall.com) Politico reported the Senate outlook remains difficult because of opposition from oil-state lawmakers and the chamber’s higher threshold for moving contentious legislation. Congress.gov and CRS identify the House-passed bill as H.R. 1346 and the Senate companion as S. 593, the two vehicles to watch as the fight shifts across the Capitol. (politico.com) (money.usnews.com)