March 13, 2019
Press Release
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement after today’s release of a proposed rule by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allow for the year-round sale of E15—gasoline with 15 percent ethanol.
“Allowing for the year-round sale of E15 will give us cleaner, more affordable fuel choices—it will bring down prices at the pump, strengthen our homegrown energy economy, and decrease our dependence on foreign oil. I have been fighting for years to allow for the year-round sale of E15 and this announcement is a positive step for consumers, farmers, and the environment. However, the rule also proposes changes to the trading market and credits used to track compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard. If it is determined that these provisions will delay or restrict E15 from getting to the market, I will work with my colleagues to ensure that those policies don’t harm consumers.”
For years, Klobuchar has led a bipartisan push for the EPA to allow for the year-round sale of E15, including letters to the Administration urging them to expand waivers for the sale of E15 in the summer months. Klobuchar is an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, which would amend the Clean Air Act to allow for the year-round sale of E15. She has also been a leader in the fight to strengthen the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to support American jobs and decrease dependence on foreign oil. Klobuchar and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have led bipartisan letters calling for a strong RFS as the EPA has worked toward finalizing its rules on biofuels volume requirements. Last March, Klobuchar and Grassley led a bipartisan group of 13 senators urging the Administration to cease issuing small refinery waivers and reject changes to the RFS that would upend stability and predictability for small businesses, and rural communities.
Read the original release: Klobuchar Statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Newly Proposed E15 Rule