The California general assembly’s approval of E15 sales in the state has given the ethanol industry the latest opportunity to seek new avenues for Congress to legislate year-round E15 sales nationally.
Governor Gavin Newsom still needs to sign off on the state’s bill, but passage could speed up the push for nationwide E15 sales in Congress. The annual defense bill which is before both chambers of Congress currently could be one option, says the Renewable Fuels Association’s Troy Bredenkamp.
If the defense bill doesn’t work out, Bredenkamp says a year-end spending bill in December would be the next best choice. That could mean attaching the National Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, led by its top Midwest sponsors, says Bredenkamp.
He adds that support by President Trump could make the difference for passage of a national bill as farmers face a price-depressing record corn crop.
