Gov. Kelly sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan requesting the agency allow the sale of E15 products.
E15 is gasoline blended with 10.5% to 15% ethanol. The EPA granted Kelly’s request for E15 use last summer through the use of an emergency waiver. This would help prevent potential fuel shortages and save Kansas money at the gas pump.
Kelly said that allowing the sale of this product during the summer driving season would also support the Kansas ag industry, especially corn growers who contribute to ethanol production.
During the summer of 2022, the EPA ensured the continued availability of E15 in order to extend fuel supplies put at risk by the Russia-Ukraine War. Kelly’s administration says that this action helped prevent potential shortages and saved Americans at least $57 million in fuel costs.
U.S. inventories of crude oil and petroleum products recently hit a 19-year low, and nationwide gasoline stocks are 3% lower than a year ago. Those statistics, coupled with continued international pressure and refining capacity being offline for maintenance, are predicted to have the same implications as last summer, providing support for another emergency waiver.
A copy of Kelly’s letter can be found here.
