Budzinski pushes bill for year-round sale of E15 biofuel

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Farmers across Illinois are preparing for next planting season, and lawmakers are trying to expand a relatively new way for them to sell some of their crops.

Biofuels are seen as a nice little transition option by many while the country tries to decarbonize vehicles. It still uses some of the normal fuel put in cars all the time, but it mixes in ethanol to make it more environmental friendly.

These options already exist at some pumps. It’s called E-15, because it’s 15 percent ethanol.
But E-15 is only available for a small chunk of the year.

Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) is picking up the yearlong effort to try and make it available year round. She is working on the bill with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03), Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02), Congressman Dusty Johnson (SD-AL), Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) and Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-03).

“Higher blends of biofuels help folks save money at the gas pump, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, cut carbon emissions and support critical markets for Illinois family farmers,” Budzinski said in a statement. “I’m proud to represent one of our nation’s top corn-producing regions and to champion biofuels production on behalf of my constituents – including as a co-lead of the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act. Producers and consumers need more certainty and I’m confident that this legislation can take us across the finish line to secure year-round E-15.”

The proposed year-round sale of E15 would be in 8 Midwestern states for now, which would obviously up the level of production, while keeping it modest to prove the capability and usefulness is there.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

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