Ag Policy Blog

Trump Emergency on Energy Includes Order for Year-Round E15

Chris Clayton
By  Chris Clayton , DTN Ag Policy Editor
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President Donald Trump, speaking at the Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy ethanol plant in June 2019 when he signed an order allowing year-round E15 without a waiver. That rule was overturned in court. On Monday, Trump signed an emergency order on energy that also required EPA to continue issuing waivers for year-round E15. (DTN file photo by Todd Neeley)

OMAHA (DTN) -- A waiver for year-round sales of E15 is among the provisions included in President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency over energy which he signed late Monday.

President Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders after his inauguration, which included an executive order rescinding more than 75 executive orders issued by former President Joe Biden throughout his presidency.

While signing those executive orders, Trump also told reporters at the White House that he is planning to enact 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting Feb. 1. He said they are allowing undocumented immigrants and fentanyl into the U.S.

ENERGY

Despite being the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas, the executive order stated the country faces a "dangerous energy situation" driven by the polices of the Biden administration.

As part of that executive order Trump ordered EPA to "consider issuing emergency fuel waivers to allow the year-round sales of E15 gasoline to meet any projected temporary shortfalls in the supply of gasoline across the nation."

EPA has issued waivers for E15 annually since the first Trump administration was in office. He signed an order in June 2019 during a visit to an Iowa ethanol plant to permit year-round E15, but that order was later overturned in a federal court following a lawsuit by oil refiners.

A provision in a spending bill back in December would have allowed year-round E15 without the waivers, but that language was stripped out of the bill before lawmakers voted.

Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, said her group welcomes Trump including the E15 provision in the executive order.

"President Trump is already taking steps to make E15 available year-round," said Skor. "Put simply, E15 saves consumers money, drives investment in America's rural communities, and decreases our dependence on foreign energy resources. We're glad to see that homegrown biofuels are a part of President Trump's efforts to unleash American energy dominance, and we urge Congress to follow the President's lead by swiftly approving legislation to permanently allow the year-round, nationwide sale of E15. We look forward to working with the Trump administration to make this more-affordable fuel option available to all Americans."

Last year, EPA granted eight Midwest states authority to sell year-round E15 without waivers: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

In a separate executive order declaring "emergency price relief for Americans and defeating the cost-of-living crisis," Trump ordered his administration to roll back a series of policies tied to climate change that the new administration stated have imposed excessive costs on American households. Among those provisions, federal agencies are ordered to take actions lowering the costs of housing and eliminating regulations that increase the costs of home appliances. The provision requires agencies to "eliminate harmful, coercive 'climate' policies that increase the costs of food and fuel."

FREEZING AND ROLLING BACK RULES

One of Trump's orders includes a regulatory freeze on any new rules that have been published in the Federal Register but have not taken effect. That would include, for instance, the "Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems," rule issued last week by USDA. The rule was published in the Federal Register but is not set to take effect until July 2026.

Under the executive order, rules will be frozen and reexamined by the agency in charge and the White House Office of Management and Budget. The rules are postponed for at least 60 days and will reopen comment periods to "provide comments about issues of fact, law, and policy raised by the rules" in the order.

The freeze also applies to other regulatory actions such as guidance documents. The Treasury guidance on the 45Z tax credit, for instance, would also fall within the 60-day freeze and be reopened for a public comment period.

INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS

Trump announced again that his administration would immediately withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord. Trump took the same action when he entered office in 2017, and Biden immediately reversed the decision when he took office in 2021.

Under the agreement, it takes a year before the withdrawal becomes official. Outside of the U.S., the only countries that are not part of the United Nations agreement are Iran, Libya and Yemen.

Trump also rescinded Biden executive orders on climate change and financial risk.

Also see, "Trump Says a 'Golden Age' Is Beginning as He Seeks to Peel Back Last Four Years," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Also see, "USDA Finalizes Rule to Restrict Chicken Companies' Tournament Payment System," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

Follow him on social platform X @ChrisClaytonDTN

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