Nebraska’s Pete Ricketts and Kristi Noem of South Dakota are among 8 Midwest governors who’ve asked the U-S Environmental Protection Agency for a permanent waiver to sell ethanol blended gas year-round without restriction.
The other states sending the joint letter to EPA Administrator Michael Reagan are Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Chadron State College graduate and former Alliance High School teacher Tim Walz is governor of Minnesota.
The EPA has long banned the sale of E15 gasoline, which had 15% ethanol instead of the more common 10%, between June 1 and Sept. 15 because of concerns that it adds to smog in high temperatures.
Last week, though, the EPA suspended the ban for this summer because of high gasoline prices and potential shortages of the fuel.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says renewable fuels are the immediate solution to high gas prices, lower emissions, and restoring the nation’s energy independence.
The Renewable Fuels Association, which promotes the use of ethanol, supports the request from the governors.
Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper says they should be applauded for pursuing what he calls “a simple regulatory solution” that allows consumers in their states to benefit from E15’s lower cost and lower emissions 365 days a year.
Cooper says the result will be lower pump prices for drivers in those 8 states, lower tailpipe pollution, a more secure energy supply, and a more vibrant rural economy.
Biden administration officials say this summer’s waiver will save drivers an average of 10-cents per gallon, based on current prices, but at only 2,300 of the nation’s more than 100,000 gas stations