Battle Lines Continue as E15 Announcement Expected October 9

President Donald Trump is expected to use a stop in Council Bluffs, Iowa, October 9 to announce he will order the EPA to move forward with the process of making sales of E15 fuel available year-round.Ahead of the announcement, the ethanol lobbying group Growth Energy launched a website to rebrand E15 fuel, calling it “Unleaded 88.” The Growth Energy website says Unleaded 88, its new name for E15, is a fuel approved by EPA for cars model year 2001 and newer, which it says represent about 9 out of 10 cars on the road today. “The website showcases the value Unleaded 88 provides -- whether consumers are looking for a fuel that’s good for their engines, their wallets, or the environment -- in a simple and straightforward way,” said Growth Energy.The name change was based on a request from convenience store retailers for a “unified brand identity for E15,” the group explains. “Unleaded 88 has made its debut across the country and will be the consistent labeling at more than 80% of today’s E15 stations,” it said.Trump will also likely include proposed changes to Renewable Identification Number (RIN) market trading. RINs are credits refiners receive for blending ethanol into gasoline, in compliance with the RFS.During a conference call with reporters, API’s Frank Macchiarola, director of downstream and industry operations, said the deal isn’t fair: “The administration has signaled its push for more E15 could also include potential limits on the RINs market to benefit refiners for a so called ‘win-win’ deal. This was never a deal to begin with and it’s not a win for industry — and it’s certainly not a win for consumers. We do not view this as a fair exchange at all. RIN limits may hamper market liquidity, and in no way compares to the significance of allowing more incompatible fuel into the marketplace.”