The summer driving season will be upon us before we know it, and Americans will take to the road, for vacations, for business, for Sunday drives; whatever their purposes, whatever their destinations, much of the planning for these excursions will center around gasoline prices.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Administrator Lee Zeldin, may have made those summer outings a little more affordable with a federal waiver authorizing nationwide sales of gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol, or E15.
Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, in consultation with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and in accordance with the Clean Air Act (CAA), issued a temporary emergency fuel waiver to allow nationwide sales of E15, gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol, and to remove all federal impediments to selling E10, gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol, across the country.
Through the waiver, EPA is fortifying the domestic gasoline supply chain and providing Americans relief at the pumps ahead of the summer driving season. Beginning on May 1, 2026, EPA’s waivers will work to prevent disruption in America’s fuel supply by keeping E15 on the market and giving Americans more fuel options. EPA is issuing the waiver notice today to allow fuel industry stakeholders adequate time to transition the fuel distribution system. As required by the CAA, EPA and DOE evaluated the current situation and determined that granting the waiver was in the public interest.
This move doesn't come without some caveats. I once owned a "flex-fuel" pickup that could run on E-85 - 85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline. At that time, E85 was about a dollar a gallon cheaper than regular E15 gasoline. The problem was that the miles per gallon (MPG) that the truck got when running E85 was so abysmal that it actually cost more to run the truck on that "alternative" fuel.
The problem? Ethanol has much lower energy density than gasoline. There's a tradeoff in all such matters.
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This move, though, should still help by stabilizing and hopefully increasing supply. From the EPA press release:
The emergency fuel waiver will temporarily waive the summer low volatility requirements and blending limitations for gasoline to provide additional flexibility to the fuel marketplace. This will increase fuel supply and provide a variety of gasoline fuel blends to choose from without changing environmental protections already in place. E15 is currently offered at over 3,000 gas stations nationwide, where it serves as a more affordable choice for Americans. Without this action, E15 gasoline cannot be used by roughly half of the country this summer. Additionally, EPA is also waiving federal enforcement of all state “boutique” fuel requirements for gasoline, allowing the production and distribution of gasoline with 9 to 15 percent ethanol content at a single common Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) standard of 10 psi across the nation. EPA’s actions will go into effect on May 1, 2026, for most states, and will initially remain in place through May 20, 2026. This 20-day window is the maximum number of days allowed under the CAA.
The "boutique" fuel waiver is an interesting one (I'm looking at you, California), but we should note that the EPA's waiver won't stop the states from enforcing those requirements.
As noted, the EPA waiver will be in effect for the first 20 days in May. That's at the very beginning of the summer season. We'll see what happens after that.
In the end, though, the solution to America's fuel needs - gasoline and diesel both - lies in more refining capacity. Simply put, we need more refineries, and we need them as fast as possible. That, though, is a task that will take more than one administration's allotted time, making the next few elections all the more important.
Vote! Vote at all costs.
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