Fuel Choice And Deregulation Act Of 2015 Introduced In The U.S. Senate

On March 26, 2015, Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Chuck Grassley
(R-IA) introduced S. 899, the
Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act of 2015, a bill to provide
regulatory relief to alternative fuel producers and consumers. The bill would
require EPA to provide a volatility waiver to E15, allowing the higher ethanol
blend to be sold year round. Fuels have volatility limits in the summer to prevent
excess evaporation that results in smog. Some areas cannot obtain the
lower-volatility gas that would be able to be mixed with the ethanol and sold.
Because of this situation, E15 cannot be sold in the summer in some areas.
Also, to avoid consumer confusion and investment in infrastructure in a product
that has limited sales, many retailers choose not to carry E15 at all. A
similar waiver is already granted for E10 that allows the fuel to be sold
through the summer even if it exceeds volatility limits.