Trump says his administration will let E15 gasoline be sold permanently

President Trump said Tuesday in Iowa that his administration will allow a higher-ethanol gasoline blend known as E15 to be sold permanently, a move that could boost the state’s corn farmers and help lower gas prices.

E15 is a gasoline with a 15% ethanol content, much higher than the typical gasoline with a 10% ethanol content that is sold all year long.

In many states, gas stations must stop selling the higher-blend E15 on May 1 to limit smog on warm days. However, in recent years, both President Biden and Mr. Trump signed waivers to sell E15 in the summer because of soaring gas prices.

Speaking at a rally in Clive, Iowa, Mr. Trump broke the news that he was going to permit E15 to be sold continuously.

“I promised E15 all year round if I got elected, and I want to let you know that we’ll start right now,” Mr. Trump said to thunderous applause.

Mr. Trump said that he’s working with House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, and Senate Majority Leader, South Dakota Republican, to find a deal for year-round E15.

“We’ve got it for farmers, consumers, and refiners, including small and mid-sized refiners, to get E15 approved,” Mr. Trump said. “They’re very close to getting it done.”

E15 is currently sold at 2,300 gas stations across the country. There are more than 150,000 stations nationally, so the permanent sale of E15 would be a big boost to Midwest corn-producing states.

E15  is popular in farm-belt states such as Iowa and Nebraska, where Mr. Trump needs to court voters to help his party to retain seats in the midterms. It is popular in farm-belt states because corn is a key ingredient in ethanol, with about 40% of the crop used to make the biofuel. Higher ethanol blends mean more money for farmers in those states.

Ahead of Mr. Trump’s visit to the Hawkeye State, Iowa Corn and the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association released an open letter to the president, asking him to push permanent E15 through Congress.

“Without permanent access to this market, the long-term viability of our state’s largest economic driver is at serious risk. Today, we are asking for your help to finally push E15 access through Congress,” the letter said.

Corn farmers say a higher ethanol blend is cheaper and better for the environment, so Congress should remove outdated regulations that prevent drivers from accessing higher-ethanol fuels in the summer months.

The House this month formed an E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council to explore the idea.

“My colleagues and I on this council will deliver a viable, durable path forward for nationwide, year-round E15,” Rep. Adrian Smith, Nebraska Republican, said. “Right now, Congress faces a choice. A simple choice. We can stick with the bureaucratic and uncertain status quo with patchwork regulations. Or we can work together to take meaningful action that supports America’s farmers, lowers fuel costs for families, and strengthens our nation’s energy security.”

Mr. Trump last year signed a temporary waiver to allow E15 to be sold in the summer, echoing a move by Mr. Biden in 2022.

During his first term, Mr. Trump directed the EPA to permanently allow the summertime sales of E15. That plan was blocked by the Supreme Court when it refused to hear a federal appeals court decision striking down the plan.

Gas prices have fallen under Mr. Trump, with the average per-gallon price at $2.88 on Tuesday, down from $3.12 during the same day last year.