Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a temporary emergency fuel waiver to allow nationwide sales of E15 and to remove all federal impediments to selling E10 across the country. Zeldin said EPA is working with its federal partners to reduce unnecessary costs and uncertainty and ensure that gas prices remain affordable for all Americans through the summer. The emergency action will provide relief by increasing fuel supply and consumer choice, he said.

The emergency fuel waiver will temporarily waive the summer low volatility requirements and blending limitations for gasoline to provide additional flexibility to the fuel marketplace. This will increase fuel supply and provide a variety of gasoline fuel blends to choose from without changing environmental protections already in place, according to the EPA. E15 is currently offered at more than 3,000 gas stations nationwide. Without this action, E15 gasoline cannot be used by roughly half of the country this summer.

Additionally, EPA is also waiving federal enforcement of all state “boutique” fuel requirements for gasoline, allowing the production and distribution of gasoline with 9% to 15% ethanol content at a single common Reid Vapor Pressure standard of 10 psi across the nation.

EPA’s actions will go into effect on May 1 for most states. A restriction on the timeframe of temporary waivers means the change will initially remain in place through May 20.

“EPA’s decision to remove barriers for ethanol in fuel is welcome news for North Dakota’s producers,” said Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak, R-ND. “Expanding access to homegrown ethanol will send strong market signals the industry needs for growth, strengthen our domestic energy supply and expand market access for biofuels producers.”

Fedorchak, who serves as co-chair of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus, was appointed by House Speaker Mike Johnson to the E15 Rural Energy Domestic Council. The council is charged with reviewing key issues related to year-round E15 and recommending a workable, nationwide path forward to advance a permanent solution.

Fedorchak said she looks forward to working with the Trump administration to deliver a permanent, year-round solution for E15.

Farm groups also applauded a Trump administration announcement allowing higher renewable fuel volumes to be blended into the U.S. fuel supply.

“We appreciate the administration’s increase in mandated renewable fuel levels,” said North Dakota Farmers Union President Matt Perdue. “Growing domestic demand for renewable fuels is critical to the long-term success of North Dakota family farmers. As producers cope with extreme market volatility, the new Renewable Volume Obligations provide much-needed certainty.”

Matt Perdue

Under the Renewable Fuel Standard, the Environmental Protection Agency increased the annual total Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) 16% from 22.33 billion gallons in 2025 to 25.98 billion gallons in 2027. The rule requires oil refiners to blend specific volumes of renewable fuels. For North Dakota soybean and canola growers, the RVO for biomass-based diesel will climb to 8.95 billion gallons, providing a welcome market for the state’s oilseed crushing facilities and an expanded opportunity for farmers, according to NDFU.

Perdue said the new RVOs, along with the recently announced summertime E15 waiver, provide regulatory clarity for farmers and renewable fuel producers in the near-term, but he also called for permanent year-round E15.

North Dakota Corn Growers Association (NDCGA) welcomed the new renewable volume obligations. A record 25.82 billion gallons of renewable fuels is set to be mixed into gas and diesel in 2026 and 25.98 billion gallons in 2027. Those volumes include a conventional volume, including corn-based ethanol, of 15 billion gallons across both years, according to NDCGA.

NDCGA also said the announcement includes a key provision that will prioritize American-grown products, such as ethanol, over foreign fuels and feedstocks.

“These actions will strengthen domestic demand for the corn we grow, save motorists money and reduce our reliance on foreign oil by approximately 150,000 barrels a day. This is a tremendous win for U.S. energy, agriculture and consumers,” said NDCGA President Brian Leier, who farms near Linton.

Velva farmer Bryan Dean, state board director for NDCGA, was on hand for the announcement with President Trump and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins at the Great American Agriculture Celebration on March 27. The celebration drew

“It was an honor to be invited to the South Lawn of the White House and represent the corn producers of North Dakota,” Dean said.

Matt Perdue