NACS Advocates for the Year-Round Sale of E15
Bipartisan amendment to the House Farm Bill would also provide targeted Small Refinery Exemption reforms.
Apr 24, 2026
NACS, along with other organizations representing fuel refiners, ethanol producers, agriculture stakeholders and fuel retailers, urged Congress this week to support bipartisan amendment #289 to the House Farm Bill, which would allow for the year-round sale of E15 fuel and provide targeted reforms to the Small Refinery Exemption process under the Renewable Fuel Standard.
NACS supports the year-round sale of E15 fuel to help enhance fuel supply, promote competition and help lower costs for American families. This amendment represents a pragmatic solution that balances energy affordability, rural economic strength and regulatory certainty.
The letter stated:
This amendment reflects a unique area of agreement across the fuel and agriculture supply chain. While our industries do not always see eye to eye, we are united in the belief that these policy reforms provide needed certainty, preserve consumer choice and support agriculture and energy economies alike.
Importantly, this amendment does not mandate the sale of E15. Instead, it simply allows retailers to offer E15 to consumers during the summer months if they choose to do so. Maintaining access to E15 year-round empowers consumers at the pump with more options, particularly during periods of tight supply and high fuel costs, while allowing refiners and retailers to meet the demands of the market. …
In addition, the amendment’s reasonable reforms to the Small Refinery Exemption process will help restore transparency and predictability for all parties subject to the Renewable Fuel Standard. A clear and consistent approach ensures that exemptions are applied as Congress intended, while avoiding uncertainty that can disrupt fuel markets, undermine compliance planning and create volatility for producers and consumers alike.
In March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an emergency waiver under the Clean Air Act , lifting several federal fuel regulations—including the year-round E15 prohibition—with the goal of “allowing the production and distribution of gasoline with 9% to 15% ethanol content at a single common Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) standard of 10 psi across the nation.” EPA must renew the waiver every 20 days based on emergency conditions.
NACS has previously advocated for E15 reform on behalf of the convenience store industry.
