Budzinski Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Codify Year-Round E15

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) introduced the bipartisan Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, which would extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) volatility waiver to enable the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends up to 15 percent.

“Higher blends of biofuels help folks save money at the gas pump, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, cut carbon emissions and support critical markets for Illinois family farmers,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “I’m proud to represent one of our nation’s top corn-producing regions and to champion biofuels production on behalf of my constituents – including as a co-lead of the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act. Producers and consumers need more certainty and I’m confident that this legislation can take us across the finish line to secure year-round E-15.”

Congresswoman Budzinski is leading the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act with Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03), Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02), Congressman Dusty Johnson (SD-AL), Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) and Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-03).

As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, Congresswoman Budzinski has established herself as a bipartisan leader in supporting biofuels production and family farmers across Central and Southern Illinois. Her Year-Round E15 Act, Next Generation Fuels Act, Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act and Fuels Parity Act would take significant steps to support the future of homegrown biofuels. Additional information on Congresswoman Budzinski’s biofuels legislation can be found below: 

• The Year-Round E-15 Act would address a gap in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s February 2024 final rule allowing for the sale of year-round E15 in eight midwestern states beginning in 2025 by ensuring that E15 sales can begin in 2024.
  
• The Next Generation Fuels Act would phase in higher gasoline octane levels through the greater use of ethanol beginning with a 95 Research Octane Number (RON) standard for automobile model year 2028 and increasing to 98 RON by model year 2033. For a new vehicle to receive certification from an automaker, the bill would require the automobile to operate with an E25 blend for model year 2028 and an E30 blend for model year 2033 onwards. The bill would also require fuel retailers to carry these higher blend fuels.

• The Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act would require the federal government to use the most up-to-date lifecycle emissions models—including the U.S. Department of Energy commissioned, Argonne National Lab’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies Model or GREET model—that accurately considers crops, land uses and carbon reduction practices in the U.S and does not arbitrarily prevent our American farmers and crops from contributing to the green economy.

• The Fuels Parity Act would allow corn to qualify as an advanced biofuel – incentivizing lower emissions from ethanol production and allowing corn to access another bucket of the RFS. If ethanol can meet the scientific thresholds, then it should be allowed to qualify as an advanced biofuel and generate an advanced biofuel renewable identification number.   

Full text of the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act can be found here.

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