White House Pushes Year-Round E15 Gasoline Sales in Supplemental Funding Bill

A gas station pump in Lawrence, Kansas, with various fuel grades, including E15, in a handout photo from July 11, 2012. Renewable Fuels Association/Robert White/AP Photo

The White House on Wednesday requested Congress approve year-round sales of E15 gasoline, inserting the measure into a supplemental funding bill as an urgent policy priority.

The request would make the sale of gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol permanent nationwide. Presently, gasoline with 10 percent ethanol can be sold year-round, but E15 faces seasonal restrictions in the summer months because it evaporates quickly in the heat and can contribute to smog formation.