EPA moves to ease concerns over rising gasoline prices

HOUSTON — EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday the Trump administration is expanding sales of higher-ethanol gasoline this summer as it seeks to ease concerns over rising gas prices. Why it matters : Gas with a high ethanol content, known as E15 because its content is up to 15 percent ethanol, is generally restricted in summer because it evaporates easily in the heat and causes air pollution. Drivers typically save 10 to 40 cents per gallon when filling up with E15, according to the Renewable Fuels Association. Driving the news: The waiver "ensures a robustly available supply of domestic fuel, providing Americans further relief at the pumps, and reducing our reliance on foreign oil," Zeldin said at the CERAWeek energy conference here. Zeldin said the agency also will remove all federal impediments to selling E10, or gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol, across the country. Flashback: The administration made a similar move on E15 last year. In 2022, then-President Biden also issued a waiver in response to rising prices at the pump. Wednesday's average gasoline price was $3.98 a gallon , up more than $1 from the average a month ago, per AAA. Zoom in: The ethanol industry, which has lobbied aggressively for year-round E15 sales, welcomed the move. "With geopolitical conflict roiling energy markets worldwide, we applaud President Trump and Administrator Zeldin for acting quickly and decisively to combat potential fuel shortages and help keep a lid on gas prices this summer," said Geoff Cooper, the Renewable Fuels Association's president and CEO.

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