The EPA has approved the first applications for registration of ethanol to make E15. The agency says the registration of ethanol to make E15 is a significant step toward its production, sale and use in model year 2001 and newer gasoline-fueled cars and light trucks. The Renewable Fuels Association calls the approval of E15 as a registered fuel the most significant development in a three year effort to approve sale of the mid-level ethanol blend.
Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis says Monday’s announcement strengthens the ethanol industry’s efforts to innovate and continue to deliver domestically-produced and affordable alternatives to foreign oil. With ethanol selling cheaper than gasoline - and even higher gasoline prices on the horizon - Buis is encouraging all Americans to ask their local filling station how soon they’ll see the more affordable E15.
Registration is a prerequisite to introducing E15 into the marketplace. But before the fuel can be sold - manufacturers must take additional measures to help ensure retail stations and other gasoline distributors understand and implement labeling rules and other E15-related requirements. According to RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen - we could see E15 at fuel stations in the Heartland of America as early as summer - as states in the Midwest have begun to address their regulatory requirements. He says the future for consumers, ethanol producers and the country has just gotten a little brighter and a little stronger. |