House Republicans passed a bill on Wednesday that would allow nationwide year-round sales of E15, a blend of gasoline mixed with 15 percent ethanol, also known as Unleaded 88—a product that refiners and retailers normally cannot sell in around half the country during the summer months due to air pollution concerns.
The Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, H.R. 1346, passed the House by a 218-203 vote, but still faces an uncertain future in the Senate where it would need 60 votes to clear a filibuster and be sent to President Donald Trump’s desk.
Lawmakers hope the measure could offer relief to drivers at the pumps ahead of the busy summer season, when fuel demand regularly increases. National average gas prices have soared above $4.50 per gallon since the start of the Iran war.
As of Thursday, the national average gas price was $4.53 per gallon, up by roughly $1.50 since late February, when gas prices in the country were just below the $3 mark, according to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Pushing for Ethanol Use
In March, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had issued a temporary waiver to allow the sale of E15 from May 1 to May 20. At the same time, the agency also announced the removal of all federal impediments to sales of E10—a gasoline blend mixed with 10 percent ethanol—across the country.
Ethanol, a clear, colorless, volatile, and flammable alcohol produced by fermenting sugars from agricultural crops such as corn or sugarcane, generally reduces greenhouse gases, but E15 can produce more smog-forming emissions when it evaporates in heat.
E15 is generally cheaper than E10. According to a 2024 estimate by the EPA, the E15 blend was then about $0.25 a gallon cheaper than E10. The Renewable Fuels Association estimates the price for E15 to be often 5-10 percent lower than the one for E10.
What Is E15?
E15 is a mixture of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline. This formula is slightly different from standard fuel, E10, which has 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline.
According to a report by MotorBiscuit, the standard fuel has an octane rating (the fuel’s ability to withstand compression in an internal combustion engine without premature detonation) of 87, with ethanol carrying a higher octane rating of 114.
The Limits of E15?
However, while the E15 rollout can lower prices, ethanol does contains less energy than gasoline, so eventually with E15, a driver will end up burning more fuel for the same amount of distance, albeit fuel which is slightly cheaper than standard gasoline.
According to the EPA’s website, it previously approved E15 for use in light-duty conventional vehicles of model year 2001 and newer, through a Clean Air Act waiver request. Gas stations are not required to sell E15, but some have started offering E15 due to state and federal incentives for upgrading equipment and better profit margins when compared with regular gasoline.
E15 is available in 31 states at just over 3,000 stations, and vehicles approved for E15 use include flexible fuel vehicles and conventional vehicles of model year 2001 and newer. Vehicles prohibited from using E15 include all motorcycles, all vehicles with heavy-duty engines, such as school buses and delivery trucks, and all engines in off-road equipment, such as chain saws and gasoline lawn mowers.
