White House Pushes Year-Round E15 Gasoline Sales in Supplemental Funding Bill

The White House on Wednesday requested Congress approve year-round sales of E15 gasoline, inserting the measure into a supplemental funding bill as an urgent policy priority.

The request would make the sale of gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol permanent nationwide. Presently, gasoline with 10 percent ethanol can be sold year-round, but E15 faces seasonal restrictions in the summer months because it evaporates quickly in the heat and can contribute to smog formation.

In Wednesday’s supplemental bill, the White House Office of Management and Budget described the change as an “urgent and needed fix that codifies the permanent, year-round sale of E-15.”

The supplemental funding bill is part of a broader $87.6 billion supplemental funding request, most of which is related to Operation Epic Fury (OEF), the ongoing military operation against Iran.

The move represents a long-standing goal of the biofuels industry, which produces ethanol generally from corn. Supporters contend that expanded E15 access could increase fuel supply options and be a boon economically to agricultural regions.

President Donald Trump has urged year-round E15 sales for years. In January, he told supporters that Congress would send him legislation on the issue.

“Congress will be sending me a bill very shortly supporting year-round E15 to my desk very quickly, and I will sign it without delay,” he said.

The latest proposal represents the first formal move by the current White House to enact the policy through legislation. The administration is using a must-pass spending vehicle by attaching it to a supplemental funding measure.

The request comes amid opposition from many refiners, who have argued that year-round E15 sales could increase costs, require infrastructure upgrades at distribution terminals and retail stations, and complicate fuel supply logistics in some regions.

Ethanol advocates respond that the higher blend represents a lower-cost alternative for consumers and bolsters domestic energy production by using more renewable fuel.

The supplemental bill is a way for lawmakers to address the issue without waiting for standalone legislation. Year-round E15 has faced hurdles in Congress, often encountering resistance tied to broader discussions over the Renewable Fuel Standard and refinery exemptions.

If enacted, the change would eliminate the need for annual or emergency waivers used to permit summer E15 sales in past years. The administration has portrayed the proposal as a simple fix in line with long-term energy and agricultural goals.

Beyond the E15 provision, the White House has not outlined the full details of the supplemental funding bill, which now heads to Congress.