US Senate Farm Bill Includes Year-Round E15 Approval

The US Senate's farm bill has included year-round approval of E15, a gasoline blend with 15% ethanol, in its latest version. This move comes as South Dakota's congressional delegation expresses hope that Congress will clear the legislation this year. Supporters of year-round E15 availability argue it would strengthen the farm economy and make the country more energy independent.

Opponents point to research showing emissions from higher blends could worsen summer smog while encouraging the conversion of grasslands for corn farming. Some lawmakers from oil-producing and refining states also oppose the expansion. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, voted in favor of both bills, stating that year-round E15 sales have been a longstanding goal of the ethanol industry.

Ethanol plants process more than half of South Dakota-grown corn. Rising gas prices this summer and the ongoing war with Iran have drawn attention to the United States' continued reliance on liquid fuels in cars and airplanes, and its entanglement in Middle East oil markets, Johnson said.