Gasoline with higher blends of ethanol could be sold year-round in eight Midwestern states beginning in 2024 under a rule proposed Wednesday by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to a report from the Associated Press.
The proposed rule is a victory for the biofuels industry, which for years has pushed to allow sales of gasoline blended with 15% ethanol during the summer. That has not been allowed because of concerns that it would worsen smog during hot weather. The industry and members of Congress welcomed the EPA’s proposal, which had been requested by governors in the eight states. But they questioned why the new rules couldn’t begin this summer.
Under the proposal, the higher blends could be sold during the summer in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Most gasoline sold in the U.S. is now blended with 10% ethanol, which is allowed throughout the year.
