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Ethanol groups call for year-round E15 

Drivers can now fuel up with E15 following limited summer availability, but ethanol supporters are still pushing for year-round sales of the fuel.

Dave Hudak, the general manager of POET Biorefining in Alexandria, was part of Growth Energy’s recent biofuel summit in D.C.

He says that Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue talked with the group and said that President Trump wants E15 relief now.

“He told the group that the ability to do that was imminent, but he said he would challenge us to define imminent,” he says.

Hudak tells Brownfield that changes need to happen sooner rather than later, even though summer restrictions have been lifted.

“The EPA, when and if they grant this waiver, will go through comment periods and a lot of other red tape which could take months to get it finalized,”  he says. “So we want it done now so everything is prepared for the next year’s 2019 driving season.”

Pro-ethanol groups wrote a letter urging President Trump to allow year-round sales of E15 and other mid-level blends in conventional gasoline markets.

Hudak says lifting restrictions will help drive demand for biofuels.

Audio: Dave Hudak, POET Biorefining