Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says the recent House vote approving nationwide year-round E15 sales confirmed what biofuels supporters have argued for years: once lawmakers finally allowed the issue to reach the floor, it had enough bipartisan backing to pass.
Naig said the House vote was a major breakthrough after years of stalled negotiations and failed attempts to attach the language to larger legislative packages.
Naig credited Iowa’s congressional delegation for continuing to push the issue, while also emphasizing that the legislation has often been misunderstood by critics.
He said the proposal would not require stations nationwide to sell E15, but instead would simply allow retailers to offer the fuel blend year-round if there is consumer demand in their markets.
Naig pointed to Iowa as proof that consumers will choose E15 when it is available. He said Iowa drivers saved an estimated $60 million in fuel costs last year by choosing E15 over E10.
He also said the proposal carries benefits beyond the gas pump, including stronger demand for ethanol, support for rural jobs, and added certainty for corn growers and ethanol producers.
The legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate, where supporters hope bipartisan momentum from the House can help push the long-debated proposal across the finish line.
