Corn tassels appear in central Iowa on August 4, 2025. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will allow gas stations to sell a blended fuel containing 15% ethanol into the summer season to reduce gasoline prices, Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday.
The mixture, known as E15, is typically banned in many Midwestern states during the summer to reduce smog, although the federal government has periodically issued exemptions in recent years to allow summer sales. The move, welcomed by ethanol producers, could prevent a price spike at the pump during the war with Iran that has roiled oil markets.
“EPA is working with our federal partners to reduce unnecessary costs and uncertainty and ensure that gas prices remain affordable for all Americans throughout the summer,” Zeldin said in a statement. “This emergency action will provide relief to American families by increasing fuel availability and consumer choice.”
Bipartisan officials in corn-producing states had sought the exemption and continue to push for year-round availability of the product. Ethanol is made from corn and other plant materials.
Move is praised by industry and authorities
Seven Midwestern governors — Republicans Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Mike Kehoe of Missouri, Jim Pillen of Nebraska and Larry Rhoden of South Dakota, and Democrats Tim Walz of Minnesota, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Tony Evers of Wisconsin — signed a letter dated March 6th to Zeldin and requested the waiver.
Recently, the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee also endorsed the move.
“With gasoline prices rising, now is the time to make E15 available year-round,” said U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota a statement dated March 19. “It will help reduce costs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”
U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, a Republican from Nebraska, also welcomed Wednesday’s announcement and called on Congress to make the policy constant.
Ethanol industry groups also agreed with the waiver. Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the national ethanol advocacy group Renewable Fuels Association, said the move is “exactly what the supply chain needs right now.”
“President Trump and Administrator Zeldin are clear that E15 is a year-round solution that can expand domestic fuel supplies and reduce pump prices for hard-working American families,” Cooper said. “With geopolitical conflicts rocking energy markets worldwide, we applaud President Trump and Administrator Zeldin for acting quickly and decisively to address potential fuel shortages and help keep gas prices under control this summer.”
Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, also thanked the administration in a statement.
“With rising fuel prices and a war in the Middle East, this is the worst time to force retailers to bag E15 pumps. E15 expands home-grown supply and drives down prices for consumers,” he said.
The Iran war is disrupting the oil market
Gas prices have risen since President Donald Trump launched attacks against Iran on February 28. Transport through the Strait of Hormuz was restricted due to threats from Iran during the conflict.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted at Wednesday’s news conference that the waiver was part of the administration’s response to rising wartime fuel costs.
“Obviously the administration is coming up with creative new solutions every day to keep oil prices stable, which is what the president would like to see,” she said.
Trump will also welcome nearly 1,000 farmers to the White House on Friday for a National Agriculture Day event where the president plans to tout his record on the issue, Leavitt said.
The E15 exemption applies from May 1st to May 20th. Twenty days is the longest period of time that a single exemption under the Clean Air Act can apply, the EPA press release said. The move signals the government sees further exemptions as an option as restrictions boost over the summer.
Shauneen Miranda contributed to this report.
