A last ditch attempt made by Midwest Republicans with House leadership to add authority for year-round use of E15 to the fiscal 2026 appropriations package was rejected. Instead, the legislation creates an E-15 Rural Domestic Energy Council (“Council”), to be appointed by the Speaker of the House, to develop legislative solutions to allow year-round sales of the higher ethanol blends and limit the number of refiners eligible for exemption from the renewable fuel standard (RFS), the law behind a national mandate for blending a certain amount of biofuels into the U.S. fuel supply each year.
The council has until Feb. 15 to submit a legislative proposal, with the goal of considering the bill by Feb. 25. The council is directed “to investigate topics including, but not limited to, the sale of Ethanol-15, U.S. refinery capacity, the Renewable Fuel Standard Program, Renewable Identification Numbers, access to markets, and federal regulations that hinder American energy dominance.” The council is being led by Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and Stephanie Bice (R-OK). Democrats have called for representation on the council. President Trump used a campaign speech in Iowa last week to express support for year-round E15, including a commitment to sign the provision into law if it reaches his desk.
The effort to include the E15 exemption in the 2026 funding measure was derailed after an outcry from small, independent oil refiners opposed to the RFS provision on small refinery exemptions (SREs). That left corn farmers and the American Petroleum Institute (API), which supports the year-round initiative, frustrated and calling for lawmakers to revive the legislative efforts as quickly as possible.