DTN Ag Policy Blog

Iowa groups pressing for year-round E15 are hoping to grab the attention of President Donald Trump, or hear him talk about E15, when he speaks Tuesday afternoon at a Des Moines suburb.

For Trump, it might seem like Deja vu given that he came to Iowa in 2019 to sign an executive order creating year-round E15, but the rule drafted by EPA was thrown out by federal courts.

Iowa Corn and the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) on Monday released an open letter to the president, which thanked him "for his constant support" of E15 and asking the president to push E15 through Congress.

The groups took out a full-page ad that will be in the print edition of the Des Moines Register.

As DTN reported, Congress last week pulled E15 language from a funding bill and instead created the E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council, which is expected to develop bills and submit them to Congress no later than Feb. 15 with the House expected to consider such legislation no later than Feb. 25.

In a letter to Trump, Iowa Corn and IRFA stated, "Without permanent access to this market, the long-term viability of our state's largest economic driver is at serious risk. Today, we are asking for your help to finally push E15 access through Congress."

The letter continued: "Removing the outdated regulatory hurdle for E15 is exactly the type of government efficiency you've worked for. We urgently seek your ongoing assistance as Congress debates E15 over the next month. Permanent nationwide access to E15 is a common-sense, no-cost solution to strengthen American energy dominance and provide a vital lifeline to Iowa's growers. We look forward to your continued leadership on this issue and remain ready to work alongside you to move this critical policy across the finish line. Now is the time."

Separately, the American Soybean Association on Monday also raised concerns about the rural energy council and the scope of work for the ad-hoc congressional group.

"The American Soybean Association appreciates the continued work of the House of Representatives to champion domestic biofuel production, but the broad latitude provided to the E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council creates new threats to programs U.S. soybean farmers rely on to advance the production of soy-based fuels," said Ohio farmer Scott Metzger, ASA's president. "ASA supports the sale of year-round E15 but is concerned about the Council's review of longstanding bipartisan policies that promote the production and consumption of biodiesel, renewable diesel, and other biofuels derived from soybeans. Congress and members of the Council must guard against all efforts that seek to weaken the Renewable Fuel Standard and other policies U.S. soybean farmers rely on for domestic market demand. The open-ended directives of this Council create a dangerous precedent that threatens the foundation of the U.S. biofuel industry. The Council should not open 25 years of RFS program success during only a few weeks of review."

ASA praised the Trump administration's 2026-27 Renewable Volume Obligations draft rule and the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit. Still, ASA added, "Instead of studying biofuel policies with longstanding proven success, Congress should be working with the administration to ensure the swift finalization of 45Z tax guidance, robust RVOs, and finalizing EPA's proposed rule to give preference to domestic feedstocks and fuels. The work of the E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council cannot distract from getting these policies across the finish line."

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

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