Insight Focus
Year-round E15 legislation remains stalled in Congress. President Trump has renewed support for permanent nationwide E15 sales, but lawmakers remain divided and uncertainty persists over how or when legislation might advance. Despite the political roadblocks, a recent poll found record voter support for both expanded E15 availability and year-round E15 legislation.
Back in January, it seemed as if 2026 would be the year that E15 became available year-round at service stations nationwide. However, E15’s arrival in every US state has continued to run into roadblocks and potholes, most of which have occurred in the halls of Congress.
In an updated 2026 budget request sent to Congress on June 24, President Donald Trump requested a new law that would codify the “permanent, year-round sale” of E15 gasoline. Doing so, the White House said, would amount to “an urgent and needed policy change that would expand consumer choice, support domestic fuel production, and provide additional flexibility in fuel markets.”
Even with the support of President Trump, who would love to secure a not-so-certain level of support from farm country, E15 continues to be stymied at every turn. Legislation that would legalise year-round E15 nationally continues to be passed from one Congressional committee to another, looking for a home as an attachment to one bill or another.
The US Senate is currently debating what to do with E15, and uncertainty is ruling the day. Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson recently told Brownfield News that Congress is currently divided on the issue. “When you look at the makeup of the Senate, I do think we have some bipartisan support there. Obviously, politics gets in the way here a little bit.”
Johnson said that, at this point, a standalone E15 bill appears more likely. “But there’s a couple of (legislative) vehicles that may show up in the future, so maybe we can get it attached and get it passed.”
Two Republican members of Congress, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Chip Roy of Texas, said proponents of year-round E15 are pushing the fuel blend as a form of deregulation and consumer choice.
“In truth,” they stated, “E15 is the ethanol lobby’s Trojan horse to expand the Renewable Fuel Standard, one of the most costly and destructive federal mandates in US history. Without reforms to the underlying rule, E15 expansion entrenches a hidden gas tax, drives up food and fuel prices, slashes vehicle efficiency, threatens refining jobs and undermines American energy dominance. Republicans who champion free markets and affordable energy must oppose it.”
No data was provided to support their allegations.
New Poll Reveals Record Voter Support for E15
Three-quarters of registered voters support expanding the availability of lower-cost E15, and more than seven in 10 back federal legislation allowing its sale year-round, according to a recent survey conducted by Morning Consult for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA).
RFA has polled voter opinions on E15 every quarter for the past several years, and the June results represent new record highs for E15 support.
Source: RFA
“The message from voters is unmistakable: Americans want lower-cost options at the pump, and they see E15 as part of the solution,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “The Senate has a clear opportunity to deliver what voters want by making E15 available year-round, nationwide. The House has already passed year-round E15 legislation, and President Trump has repeatedly called on Congress to make this a priority. Now it’s time to finish the job of tearing down outdated regulatory barriers and giving families access to a lower-cost, cleaner-burning fuel option when they need it most.”
Source: RFA
