A US biofuel group has welcomed the passage of a bill by the House of Representatives allowing E15 – petrol blended with 15% ethanol – to be sold throughout the year, AgriCensus reported.
The move appears to halt attempts to reimpose a seasonal summer break on sale of the blend, according to the 16 June report.
As well as extending a waiver allowing E15 sales during the summer, the passage of the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act on 16 June would also provide US$200M in additional funding for infrastructure to support the sale of higher blend biofuels, the report said.
The new bill was welcomed by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA).
“By expanding the availability of cleaner, more-affordable ethanol blends, this legislation will help deliver immediate economic relief to American families who are feeling unprecedented pain at the pump,” RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper said in a press release.
By Extending the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver that currently applies to E10 during the summer months to E15 is expected to boost ethanol demand, according to the report.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had issued an emergency waiver on 29 April allowing E15 sales during summer this year, AgriCensus wrote.
E15 was approved for use in more than 97% of cars and trucks currently in use, Cooper said, adding that “investment in updated dispensers, tanks, pumps and components that carry E15 and higher blends” would boost usage.
