April 19, 2024

Duckworth Applauds Biden Administration Decision to Sell E15 Gasoline During Summer Driving Season, Helping Cut Cost of Gas For Working Families

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement in response the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s announcement that the U.S. will temporarily allow the sale of E15 gasoline during the driving season this summer to help lower costs for working Americans while providing a cleaner, more affordable option at the pump:

“I’m glad President Biden heeded our call to help lower prices at the pump for working families by allowing for the sale of E15 fuel during the coming summer months through this temporary waiver. E15 fuel helps our nation reduce reliance on foreign oil while bringing down gas prices across the country, and by expanding the availability of homegrown biofuels we’re not only helping families keep more money in their pockets, but also strengthening our national security, reducing emissions and driving economic opportunity here at home. Committing to our agriculture industry and supporting our Midwest farmers is a critical element of our transition to lower emissions. I’m glad that the President acted to strengthen and support renewable fuel, and I hope we can make this change permanent.”

In the Senate, Duckworth has been a leader in supporting biofuels and calling for the permanent authority to use E15 fuel year-round. To help increase the availability of E15 biofuels, Duckworth helped introduce the bipartisan Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act and the bipartisan Next Generations Fuel Act to allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. Duckworth additionally helped introduced the bipartisan Home Front Energy Independence Act to ban Russian oil and expand use and production of biofuel that’s grown in the American heartland, while providing American families with a less expensive option to fuel their vehicles. Earlier this year she helped introduced the Farm to Fly Act to help accelerate the production and development of sustainable aviation fuel for the aviation sector. The Senator also created a pilot project in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to promote the use of SAF at military installations and will continue to increase these efforts to expand the use on biofuels whenever possible.

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