The Renewable Fuels Association joined with Growth Energy, the American Coalition for Ethanol, the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, and other groups in filing an official waiver request with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking it to approve for general use gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol (E15).

RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen issued the following statement in conjunction with the waiver request:

“Increasing ethanol blending above 10 percent is important to the long-term viability of America’s ethanol industry and the success of the Renewable Fuels Standard. We encourage EPA to fully evaluate the merits of moving to ethanol blends up to 15 percent. We believe that comprehensive testing and sound science will demonstrate that increasing ethanol content in gasoline above 10 percent can be done with little if any impact on existing vehicle technologies.

“Our industry looks forward to working closely with EPA, the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture, and the rest of the Obama Administration to ensure the full potential of a robust domestic ethanol industry is realized. Approving the use of ethanol blends up to 15 percent is a necessary and positive step in that direction — a step which we believe is achievable based upon solid science. In the mean time, an immediate move to E12 is both prudent and scientifically supportable and will give the American ethanol industry breathing room to ensure that economic viability is preserved.”