The United States House of Representatives has passed H.R. 1346, the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 (“Act”).
The Act would permanently allow the year-round sale of E15 fuel nationwide.
This would be accomplished by revising the renewable fuel standard which requires transportation fuels to contain minimum amounts of fuel from renewable sources.
Ethanol is commonly blended with gasoline. Such petroleum-biofuel blends are described by a letter representing the first initial of the biofuel. For example, “E” for ethanol. This is followed by a number that usually describes the approximate biofuel percentage of the overall blend - E10 or E 15. The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines E15 as gasoline blended with 10.5 percent to 15 percent ethanol.
Under current law the Clean Air Act restricts sales of E15 during the summer months because, as a gasoline blend consisting of 10 to 15% ethanol, it does not comply with the statute’s limits on volatility. The purpose is to reduce smog. The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) in recent years has provided temporary waivers from that seasonal limitation and has granted permanent waivers to several states.
Most regular gasoline is currently sold as E10. E10 consists of 10% ethanol.
Proponents of the Act have argued that the Act could help lower prices at the gasoline pump and provide new market opportunities for farmers. Opponents have argued that the Act will increase smog during the summer months and lower gas mileage.
The Act will now be considered by the United States Senate.
A copy of the Act can be found here.
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