Over 30 Organizations Issue Letter to US Senate Opposing Year-Round Ethanol 'E15' Proposal

An open letter from over 30 environmental organizations to the U.S. Senate opposes legislation that would allow gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol (E15) to be sold year-round, arguing it would increase costs for consumers and harm the climate.

• The proposed 'year-round E15' legislation could lead to a roughly 50% expansion in ethanol use, which the signatories argue would increase costs for American families. While E15 pump prices may appear lower, the fuel's energy content is one-third lower than gasoline, reducing fuel efficiency. Additionally, the EPA estimated that a modest increase in biofuel use could result in $41 billion in additional costs over three years, comprising $24 billion in fuel costs and $17 billion in food prices due to increased corn demand.
• Expanding ethanol use would require approximately 13 million additional acres of land, which the letter claims would exacerbate climate change and environmental degradation. The organizations cite a 2023 EPA Science Advisory Board report stating that corn ethanol emissions may exceed those of gasoline. They further argue that land-use changes, where forests and grasslands are converted to cropland, contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for about 10 percent of the total.

APA

World Resources Institute (2026). Over 30 Organizations Issue Letter to US Senate Opposing Year-Round Ethanol 'E15' Proposal. https://www.wri.org/news/statement-over-30-organizations-issue-letter-us-senate-opposing-year-round-ethanol-e15

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Over 30 Organizations Issue Letter to US Senate Opposing Year-Round Ethanol 'E15' Proposal. 2026. https://www.wri.org/news/statement-over-30-organizations-issue-letter-us-senate-opposing-year-round-ethanol-e15.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=World Resources Institute |title=Over 30 Organizations Issue Letter to US Senate Opposing Year-Round Ethanol 'E15' Proposal |date=14 July 2026 |url=https://www.wri.org/news/statement-over-30-organizations-issue-letter-us-senate-opposing-year-round-ethanol-e15 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{worldresourcesinstitute2026over, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Over 30 Organizations Issue Letter to US Senate Opposing Year-Round Ethanol 'E15' Proposal}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2026}, month = jul, url = {https://www.wri.org/news/statement-over-30-organizations-issue-letter-us-senate-opposing-year-round-ethanol-e15}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }