EPA waives gas restrictions to ease rising energy costs

The Trump administration will now allow high-ethanol gasoline to be sold year-round as the White House seeks to relieve concerns and ease energy costs for consumers over rising gas prices amid the Iran war.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the expansion of fuel sales on Wednesday, temporarily waiving the summer low volatility requirements and lifting warm-weather restrictions that limit smog.

This new policy “ensures a robustly available supply of domestic fuel, providing Americans further relief at the pumps, and reducing our reliance on foreign oil,” Mr. Zeldin said in a statement.

It will take effect May 1 and last through May 20, but it could be extended, he said.

This type of gasoline, known as E15 because of its ethanol content up to 15%, is typically restricted from June through September because it evaporates easily in the heat and contributes to air pollution. Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA can waive such requirements to address shortages.

The EPA also announced the removal of all federal barriers to sell E10 gas, which is blended with 10% ethanol and available throughout the year.

The move is intended to fortify the domestic gasoline supply chain and provide “relief at the pumps ahead of the summer driving season,” the EPA said in a statement.

Prices at the pump have been exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in Iran. The average U.S. price of gasoline reached $3.98 per gallon on Wednesday, $1 more per gallon than one month ago, days before the U.S. and Israel launched a joint strike against Tehran.

The war in Iran has strained the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil chokepoint, accounting for roughly 20% of global petroleum shipments.

Gas prices are at their highest levels since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rocked global energy markets in 2022, when the price per gallon peaked at $5.02.

The Trump administration is taking a page from its own playbook, having repeated the same strategy used in 2025 to expand the availability of E15 gasoline in the summertime. Former President Biden also implemented the initiative for three years.