Trump’s executive order boosting ethanol biofuels is a win for rural Kansas | Opinion
Amid the flurry of news surrounding President Donald Trump’s first day back in the Oval Office, one item stood out as a special win for rural communities in Kansas, one of the nation’s top ethanol-producing states. Trump’s Executive Order Declaring a National Energy Emergency enshrined biofuels as a key part of the administration’s plan to unleash American energy dominance. It also directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to lift the needless regulations standing between U.S. consumers and lower-cost E15 so all Americans can make their own fuel and vehicle choices.
As most Kansans know, E15 is a higher biofuel blend made with 15% American-made ethanol. It can be used in 96% of cars and trucks on the road today, costs less than ordinary fuel, drives investment in America’s rural communities and decreases our dependence on foreign energy resources. Kansas policymakers are clearly aware of these benefits, which is why they’re currently considering House Bill 2012, legislation that would expand access to E15 by providing an incentive to fuel retailers for every gallon of this more-affordable fuel they sell.
Unfortunately, at the federal level, outdated regulations currently restrict E15 sales during the busy summer driving season. Trump acted to lift those restrictions back in 2018, but legal barriers have forced the EPA to rely on a series of temporary waivers to keep E15 available all year long.
As a result, Americans have enjoyed big savings on E15 ranging from 10 to 30 cents per gallon, with some locations selling the fuel for more than a dollar less per gallon, but access to this fuel has remained limited nationally. With the president’s support, the hope is that his executive order gives retailers more certainty when it comes to getting a waiver, so they can invest confidently in E15. Beyond that, the ultimate goal is that Congress takes the president’s lead, and restores permanent, unrestricted access to E15 for all months, all states, all stations and all fuel dispensers.
For American biofuels, it was an exciting way to kick off the new year, and the industry is excited to partner with this administration to create jobs, raise paychecks and create opportunities for rural areas that have too often been left behind. This White House recognized on Day 1 that American farmers and rural communities are essential to unleashing our nation’s energy dominance. And with strong partners in Congress, we can make steady progress toward unlocking billions of dollars in new investment in America’s bioeconomy.
In fact, Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuel trade association, has already provided lawmakers and agency leaders with a road map to revitalize rural America through the expanded use of homegrown American ethanol.
The road map includes long-time priorities, such as year-round E15, as well as other steps we can take right now to rebuild the rural economy. Those include setting timely, ambitious biofuel requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard, promoting investment in new products, and combating unfair trade barriers and tariffs imposed by competitors in Brazil, China, India, Europe and Southeast Asia.
We look forward to working with our rural champions in Congress—including Kansas’ delegation—and with President Trump’s appointees at the EPA, USDA and other agencies to turn his promise on biofuels into true, transformative action for the industry and the rural communities that depend on it.