Ethanol supporters and stakeholders are pushing for the Senate to pass year-round E15 and send it on to President Trump for signature. Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, said conversation surrounding year-round E15 has not slowed down in the Senate.
“It is being talked about, and so, I do know from all of my recent conversations that Leader Thune, this is very top of mind for him, and he’s working with our Senate champions, both Republicans and Democrats. I think Leader Thune has said recently he’s focusing on a standalone bill, which would require 60 Senate votes. Initially, this was coupled with the farm bill in the House. The House decoupled it. They passed a farm bill and an E15 bill separately. What the Senate has said is, we see your House bill, but we want to do something different. We want to do it our own way. Similar contours, but our own version.
Skor said it’s time to get year-round E15 on the books once and for all.
“We have not seen legislative text. I know what they’re really trying to do is calibrate these negotiations. They understand what the ethanol industry and the corn growers need and want. They’re trying to figure out how to satisfy as many refineries as we can in kind of this compromise legislation. So, he’s working on a standalone so that he could move it expeditiously, is what we are told. Having said that, I think it’s increasingly more likely that this is something of a bigger package at the end of the year. When you look at just how many weeks left we have this summer before they go to August recess, then you’ve got the midterms. We are pushing for them to do something as fast as possible, but we’re also very realistic. Whatever is the best way for this to move by itself with something else, we don’t care. We just want it to get done.”