Year-Round Sale of E15 |
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Topics: Ethanol
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Senator John Thune
Congressional Record: 116th Congress
11 June 2019
Year-Round Sale of E15
Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I came to the floor last week to talk
about the challenges facing farmers right now. While the broader
economy is thriving, a combination of low commodity prices, protracted
trade disputes, and natural disasters and weather-related issues have
left many farmers and ranchers struggling.
In my home State of South Dakota, farmers and ranchers are dealing
with the aftermath of severe winter storms, heavy rainfall, bomb
cyclones, and spring flooding. Planting is behind schedule, and many
farmers will not be able to plant at all this year. Yet, while the news
has generally been tough for farmers and ranchers lately, there are a
couple of recent happenings that are worth celebrating.
Japan's announcement that it was lifting age limits on U.S. beef
imports is a win for America's ranchers, who will be able to
substantially increase their sales to Japan. Also, the administration's
move to lift the ban on the year-round sale of E15--15-percent ethanol-
blended fuel--went live in the Federal Register yesterday. This is
great news for corn producers in South Dakota and around the Nation.
I have been advocating for higher blends of ethanol for more than a
decade, and I have spent a lot of time advocating for the year-round
sale of E15. Year-round E15 is a win-win-win-win situation. It is a win
for consumers and for our economy. It is a win for the environment. It
is a win for our Nation's energy security. It is also a big win for our
Nation's agriculture industry.
Year-round E15 will not only provide consumers with a cheaper
alternative at the pump, but it will keep gas prices lower. Plus, the
year-round sale of E15 means more ethanol can be sold each year, for
gas stations will have a greater incentive to sell E15 now that they
will no longer have to go through the costly process of reworking and
relabeling E15 pumps at the start of the summer's driving season and
then of converting them back in the fall. Increased demand will fuel
further growth in the ethanol industry, which already supports hundreds
of thousands of U.S. jobs and contributes tens of billions of dollars
to our economy.
Year-round sales of E15 are also a win for our environment in that
ethanol is a cleaner burning fuel than is regular gasoline, which means
fewer greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, ethanol reduces greenhouse gas
emissions by more than one-third. Biofuels like ethanol are key to
there being a lower carbon energy future, and the next generation of
advanced biofuels will further lower emissions.
Another major advantage to ethanol is that it diminishes our
dependence on foreign oil. Ethanol is a homegrown fuel, and the more we
are producing here at home the less we have to rely on unstable
countries or far-off sources to meet our fuel needs.
Finally, of course, the year-round sale of E15 is a big win for our
Nation's corn producers. America's farmers don't just feed our country.
They help fuel it, too. Roughly half of the corn produced in my home
State of South Dakota goes into ethanol production.
Increased demand for ethanol as a result of the administration's
decision could boost demand for corn by up to 2 billion bushels. That
would be a significant boost to U.S. corn producers at any point, but
it is an especially big deal given the challenges the agriculture
sector has faced over the past several years.
U.S. corn producers are one of the main reasons I have been a
relentless advocate for higher blends of ethanol, and I am very happy
the President has delivered on his commitment to year-round sales of
E15. As we move forward, I will continue to advocate for biofuels and
the environmental and economic benefits they bring. Conventional
ethanol has laid the foundation for advanced biofuels, which will have
even lower life cycle emissions.
American ingenuity has turned the corner to create ethanol from other
parts of plants like corn kernel fiber, boosting yields, but we need
the Environmental Protection Agency to end the yearlong delays and
approve registrations.
I will also continue to urge the Environmental Protection Agency to
stop its practice of granting small refiner exemptions to the renewable
fuel standard that discourage demand for ethanol. These so-called
hardship waivers should be limited only to instances where small
refiners would no longer be profitable or competitive if they comply
with their blending obligation. They should not be granted to refiners
who are posting billion-dollar profits and seeking to game the system.
We need to make sure the EPA is granting waivers appropriately and in a
transparent manner.
That said, the year-round sale of E15 will actually help refiners
because it will incentivize higher ethanol blending and drive down
compliance costs.
I am thankful that President Trump made good on his commitment to our
farmers to get the E15 rule done, and I am glad he is back in the
heartland today so he can hear firsthand about the difference this will
make in farm country.
While we have a long way to go to get the agricultural economy
thriving again, I am heartened by this victory for our corn producers,
and I will continue to make our Nation's farmers and ranchers a
priority here in Washington.
Madam President, I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.