*Audio for this week’s column is unavailable**

When I first arrived to the Senate, I joined a bipartisan gathering in Senator Amy Klobuchar’s (D-Minn.) office to discuss renewable energy. Several of my colleagues, from both parties, attended. In that meeting, we laid the groundwork for including renewable fuels in our nation’s all-of-the-above energy strategy and made a commitment to not let partisanship get in the way of positive solutions for American families. We made a strong connection: all of us wanted to work together to advance environmentally-friendly fuel options for American consumers.

During my time representing Nebraska, I have remained committed to the spirit of that meeting. That’s why I have introduced bipartisan legislation, known as the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act with Senators Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). Currently, overregulation prevents E15, a fuel blend consisting of 15 percent ethanol, from being sold during the busy summer travel season, from June 1 to September 15. My renewable energy bill would extend the Reid vapor pressure waiver, more commonly referred to as the RVP waiver, to E15, allowing the fuel to be sold throughout the year.

In 1990, the EPA granted a one-pound RVP waiver to E10. However, this waiver did not apply to fuel blends with higher ethanol content, even though such fuel is better for the environment and burns more cleanly than conventional E10 or regular gasoline. As a result, fuel retailers must change labels on their pumps before and after the summer season, which only leads to increased costs for retailers and greater confusion for consumers. This overreaching rule takes opportunities away from Nebraska business owners and increases the price at the pump for all Nebraskans.

Recently, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing on my RVP legislation. We heard testimony from a variety of stakeholders, including Mike Lorenz the Executive Vice President of Sheetz, Inc. Mr. Lorenz testified that this easy fix of the RVP waiver would bring major relief to retailers offering E15 today while also removing one of the biggest obstacles for those who want to sell E15 in the future. He also explained how the rule would make the price of fuel less expensive for consumers.

I was pleased to see this common-sense, bipartisan legislation discussed in committee, and I’m hopeful our conversations laid the groundwork to move this important bill forward.

We all want clean air and clean water. Renewable fuels help us protect our world for future generations by reducing greenhouse gas impacts at an average of 43 percent over gasoline. E15 also has lower evaporative emissions than E10. Put plainly: it’s a more environmentally friendly fuel.

Moreover, E15 has already been approved by the EPA for use in passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles built after 2001. Currently, E15 is offered to consumers in 29 states. That’s a large and growing market for Nebraska ethanol producers that should not be limited to only part of the year.

Good business decisions rely on accurate information and stability, and that’s what the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act will provide. An RVP waiver for E15 would ensure retailers have the certainty they need to make sound business decisions when investing in E15. This will lead to greater economic growth in our local communities, all while helping the environment.

Families should be able to decide which fuel they put into their vehicles. Our bill would ensure retailers can offer consumers consistent choices at the pump year round with less confusion and red tape.

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.

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