September 27, 2010
First E15 decision expected by mid-October
Published in Brownfield Ag
A decision on whether vehicles with engines made in 2007 or later can use E15 is expected by mid-October.
In her testimony before the Senate Ag Committee Thursday, EPA administrator Lisa Jackson confirmed that final Department of Energy tests on newer vehicles will be complete by September 30th. Jackson said she will make the decision within two weeks after that.
All indications are that EPA will approve E15 for newer vehicles, but Jackson said tests on older vehicles—2001 to 2006 models—would not be completed until later this year.
Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis says there are still several regulatory steps to be completed, including pump labeling requirements—but he says E15 should begin showing up at gas pumps in early 2011.
“In November the tests will be completed on 2001 to 2006 (models),” Buis says. “After that we’re probably looking at maybe 60 days beyond that point before we get the fuel out into the marketplace.”
Buis says the move to E15 needs to be accompanied by an all-out effort to install blender pumps at every gas station in the U.S. and the production of more flex-fuel vehicles. Those proposals are part of Growth Energy’s Fueling Freedom plan, which calls on the federal government to help fund those infrastructure ...
