WASHINGTON – Sen.
Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined fellow members of the Senate Agriculture
Committee Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) today to
reintroduce the
Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act. The legislation
would allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10% —
ending years of regulatory uncertainty and preventing a patchwork of uneven
state regulations. Increasing the availability of biofuels like E15 would
benefit the economy and the environment.
Sens. John Thune
(R-S.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.),
Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Tammy
Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Roger Marshall
(R-Kan.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) are also cosponsors.
Reps. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) introduced companion
legislation in the House of Representatives.
“E15 eases the
cost for American consumers at the pump and is a valuable source of renewable
energy. Allowing year-round sales of E15 just makes sense, both financially and
environmentally,” Grassley said. “This
bill is welcome news for drivers and farmers across the country, especially
those in Iowa, the nation’s leading biofuel producer.”
“Our bipartisan legislation is the only permanent, nationwide solution to unleashing the power of year-round E15. It’s why we’ve been able to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders from the oil/gas, biofuel, ag, and transportation sectors to support our legislation,” Fischer said. “Negating the need for a patchwork of regulations will ensure all Americans can enjoy lower costs at the pump. With this unique coalition of support, I’m more optimistic than ever that we can make year-round E15 a reality.”
“I have long
pushed to make E15 available year-round because investing in affordable,
readily-available biofuels produced in the U.S. is good for drivers and farmers
alike,” Klobuchar said. “By ensuring
consumers can access E15 gasoline throughout the year, our bipartisan
legislation will benefit our economy, decrease prices at the pump, and reduce
our dependence on foreign oil. It’s critical that we diversify our fuel supply
and invest in affordable energy solutions. I look forward to working with
Senator Fischer to pass this bipartisan bill.”
The Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of
2023 has support from a wide mix of stakeholders, including the National
Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, the America Farm Bureau
Federation, Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, American Coalition for
Ethanol, the American Petroleum Institute, SIGMA, National Association of Truck
Stop Operators and National Association of Convenience Stores.
A summary of the
bill is available
HERE and the full text
of the bill is available
HERE.
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