U-S Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley both Iowa Republicans and members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, joined a bipartisan group of Midwest senators on a push to expand the year-round sales of E-15 ethanol nationwide.  The Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act would extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) volatility waiver to ethanol blends above ten percent.   Earlier this year, eight governors across the Midwest, led by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, requested the Environmental Protection Agency issue a permanent RVP waiver to allow their states to sell E-15 year-round without restriction.  As the EPA sits on their request, the senators introduced this legislation to bring a unified solution and nationwide certainty to the sale of E-15 ethanol.  Ernst says, “Homegrown ethanol is the cheaper, cleaner option to relieve pain at the pump, and we’ve seen the benefits of year-round E-15 sales right here in Iowa.  By ensuring the year-round sale of higher blends of ethanol across the country, we will bring much needed certainty to our corn growers, who stand ready to fulfill demands from coast to coast.

Senator Grassley addressed the issue during his weekly news conference with agriculture media.

Grassley added to his comments.

Joining Senators Ernst and Grassley on the bill include Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Tina Smith of Minnesota, John Thune of South Dakota, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, and Mike Rounds of South Dakota.

The bill is supported by the American Petroleum Institute, SIGMA, National Association of Truck Stop Operators, Renewable Fuels of America, Growth Energy, National Corn Growers Association, American Coalition for Ethanol, National Farmers Union, and the American Farm Bureau Federation.