For many years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unnecessarily restricted the sale of E15 to only eight and a half months of the year — keeping it off the market during the summer.
This outdated regulation hurts Iowa farmers because it has restricted fair market access. Each year, farmers from across the Midwest produce billions of bushels of corn. Summers that include the option to purchase E15, a more affordable and higher-octane type of fuel, would mean more economic opportunity for farmers at a time when Iowa farm income has fallen by nearly 50 percent over five years.
Thankfully, President Trump wants to support the rural economy and has called on the EPA to stop holding back E15 during a recent visit to Iowa, providing consumers a better option at the pump.
I have been fortunate to grow corn in Jasper County for many years, and this would be a big victory for our area. Now that the calendar has flipped and campaign season is over, I hope our Senators Grassley and Ernst can continue their good work and advocate on behalf of our farmers to get this done.
Dean Taylor
Past President
Iowa Corn Growers Association