Following the recent decision by the Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. to reverse the previous approval of year-round sales of E15, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley says he will continue to stand by the farmers and biofuels producers of his home state. One way of showing support was the submission of a letter from Grassley and four other Midwest senators, asking the Biden Administration to adhere to campaign promises.
The letter says the Biden Administration had vowed to “promote and advance renewable energy, ethanol and other biofuels,” going so far as to promise to grow national biofuel manufacturing and strengthen both the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and E15 blends. Grassley talks about the waivers granted to oil companies that harmed the biofuels industry by allowing them to bypass ethanol inclusion regulations. He says he believes Michael Regan, the current director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will be a little more cautious if he has to grant waivers.
Grassley adds when it comes to the economic blow to farmers and biofuels producers from the seasonal limit on E15, there is some relief in legislation passed earlier this year. That money was meant to cover some of the loss of income when refineries were shut down because of the pandemic. In addition, he says there are some paths they could take in fighting the E15 mandate. Congress could pass legislation that would overrule the appeals courts decision, but that is difficult to do. There are two other avenues: one is to appeal the decision and the other is for President Biden and EPA Director, Regan, to correct it through the RFS.
