WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – By a vote of 218 to 203, the U.S. House of Representatives May 14 passed legislation of nationwide, year-round E15 sales, which farm groups are anticipating the U.S. Senate will approve.

According to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) in West Des Moines, the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act would offer lower cost options for motorists, while providing a much-needed market for U.S. farmers.

“Today’s House passage of year-round E15 is a victory 15 years in the making,” said Monte Shaw, IRFA executive director, in a May 14 media statement. “This was a long, hard fight, and the Iowa delegation was in the lead with other Midwestern supporters throughout. Now the fight goes to the Senate. To the naysayers that claim Senate E15 approval is impossible, I’ll simply note that’s the same thing you said about House passage just days ago.”

Currently available at more than 4,800 locations in the United States, E15 is a fuel blend that contains 15 percent ethanol, offering drivers savings of 20 to 40 cents per gallon. In recent days, E15’s discount to standard E10 gasoline has averaged over 10 percent, according to E15prices.com.

“Today’s passage of year-round E15 legislation is a hard-fought victory for consumers seeking lower prices at the pump, farmers seeking new market opportunities, and American families who want cleaner air and greater energy independence,” said Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association in St. Louis, Mo.

“At a time of extreme market volatility and higher costs, this bill provides badly needed certainty for fuel retailers, oil refiners, ethanol producers and consumers alike,” he added. “The legislation gives Americans the freedom to choose E15 and removes three decades of red tape that had stifled competition and choice in the marketplace.”

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, called on the U.S. Senate to immediately take up the legislation to drive down prices at the gas pump.

“E15 simply gives consumers another, more affordable price at the pump,” she said in a May 14 media statement. “It is about choice. Again, it is not a mandate. It is just another choice at the pump. We’ve seen it work. Thanks to President Trump’s approval of summertime sales of E15, this Memorial Day Weekend, Americans are estimated to save over $100 million – just by using E15. That’s real savings,” adding, “The House got it done last night. Now, it’s the Senate’s turn.”

Philip Nelson, Illinois Farm Bureau president and a fourth-generation LaSalle, Ill., farmer, told Farm World, “Passage of E15 out of the House signals strong momentum toward a permanent year-round E15 fix. We are optimistic that the Senate will move this bipartisan legislation forward to ensure American agriculture remains a key part of the nation’s energy future.

“Year-round E15 will provide a much-needed economic boost to corn farmers in Illinois by expanding demand for homegrown biofuel,” he added. “Consumers also stand to benefit from reliable, year-round access to a fuel option that is cleaner burning and lower in cost.”

Shaw told Farm World, “As we have been working to secure nationwide, year-round E15 for over a decade, we know it will not be easy in the Senate. But the same was true of the House, and we ultimately prevailed there.

“With fuel prices skyrocketing and farmers facing tough times, there has never been a better time to unleash E15 in America,” he said. “It is time to get this done, and I believe year-round E15 will pass the Senate and be signed into law by the president.”