President Donald Trump will include an e15 provision allowing year-round sales of gasoline blended with 15% ethanol in a supplemental funding bill on Wednesday. It is the White House's first formal push to make the summer-only fuel available all year.
Jarrett Renshaw reported the plan on June 24. Gasoline with 10% ethanol can already be sold year-round, but E15 sales have been restricted during the summer because federal rules generally require retailers to switch to more expensive formulations unless the government grants emergency waivers.
White House and E15
Trump has long backed year-round sales of gasoline blended with 15% ethanol. By putting the provision into a supplemental funding bill, the White House is tying the fuel proposal to must-pass legislation rather than leaving it as a stand-alone request.
The practical effect would be on retailers that sell the blend and on U.S. refiners that oppose it. For retailers and U.S. refiners, the issue is not abstract: the rule affects summer fuel choices, distribution planning and costs tied to the fuel formulations they have to handle.
U.S. refiners oppose measure
U.S. refiners have opposed the measure over concerns that it could raise costs and complicate fuel distribution. That sets up the central fight around the provision: Trump is moving to back year-round E15 sales even as the refining side of the market says the rule would be more expensive and harder to manage.
The summer restriction exists because the blend evaporates more readily in hot weather and can contribute to smog. If Congress accepts the provision in the funding bill, retailers would gain a wider sales window for E15; if it does not, the current summer limits would remain in place.
Will Congress decide
Will Congress approve the year-round E15 provision if Trump includes it in the supplemental funding bill? That is the immediate test for the White House plan, and the answer will determine whether the proposal becomes a rule or stays a request.
