During a stop in Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday, President Trump reiterated his support for E-15 fuel, and said House and Senate leadership are “very close” to securing year-round access to the biofuel.
E-15 is a fuel made up of 15 percent ethanol, a product of corn. It typically isn’t sold all year due to the Clean Air Act, which restricts “higher volatility fuels” during summer to reduce smog formation.
Farzad Taheripour, a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue, said allowing the sale of E-15 throughout the year would benefit farmers.
“It is important to generate a secure market for this product, to help farmers to be able to continue to invest in the industry,” he said.
Taheripour estimated about 30 percent of all corn grown in the United States is used to create ethanol and its byproducts.
The rest of it is used for food or traded internationally. And though expanding access to E-15 could create more avenues for farmers to sell their crop, Taheripour said expanding trade would be even more helpful.
“If we really wanted to help farmers in terms of their income and have a wider market, it's important to pay attention also to the export of this commodity to other countries,” he said.
The Renewable Fuels Association, as well as a variety of corn growers associations have all shared their support for President Trump’s plan.
