Ethanol advocates say a federal solution for year-round sales of E15 is long overdue.
Nick Bowdish, president and CEO of southwest Iowa-based Elite Octane, says the debate over a permanent fix has stretched on for more than a decade.
“I am calling on Congress this morning to finish the job or get out of the seat,” he said.
He says limits on E15 sales are not justified.
“The 180 million acres of corn and soybeans grown in this country by thousands of farm families,” Bowdish said, “deserve legislative action on E15 and small refinery exemption reform now.”
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says President Trump has pledged to sign E15 legislation, “But we have to continue to just keep pushing, pushing and pushing until we get that through Congress and across the finish line,” the governor said.
After E15 was left out of a U.S. House funding bill last month, House Republicans established an E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council to study the fuel blend and draft language. The group is expected to submit proposals by February 15th, with lawmakers targeting an agreement by the end of the month.
Bowdish and Governor Reynolds made their comments at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit on Thursday.
