“Politicians Were Ready to Impose Another Ethanol Scam on Us with That 1,500 Page Bill An Alerted Public Killed!”, Guest Post from Larry Behrens via CFact. THOMAS J SHEPSTONE

“Far from delivering savings, E15 could end up costing Americans more at the pump while offering negligible environmental benefits.”

Politicians Were Ready to Impose Another Ethanol Scam on Us with That 1,500 Page Bill An Alerted Public Killed!

THOMAS J SHEPSTONE

DEC 26, 2024

Guest Post from Larry Behrens via CFact.

We dodged an economic bullet aimed at your car’s gas tank.

As Congress recently considered the 1,500+ page continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government, there was a sneaky provision tucked away in the bill designed to hit Americans where it hurts most: at the gas pump. Hidden in the text was a measure to allow for the year-round use of E15, a fuel blend containing 15% ethanol. It was clearly a Trojan horse provision for costly ethanol mandates that will drive up fuel prices and harm everyday consumers.

Special interest groups immediately celebrated the idea, presumedly because there was a payout along with it. Keep in mind, these are the same groups that hailed President Biden’s controversial Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), “This initiative will help jump-start climate progress, while delivering more savings at the pump,” they said in 2022. The reality? Nationally, gas prices continue to hover around $3 or more per gallon, even as the administration touted its so-called climate wins. They were wrong about the IRA two years ago, and they’re wrong about E15 in the old CR.

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States that have adopted similar fuel standards offer a stark warning. Last March, the average price of gas in states with stricter standards reached $4.28 per gallon—nearly a dollar more than the national average. California, often the poster child for these policies, now sees families paying $1.30 more per gallon compared to the rest of the country. It’s no coincidence. The cost of compliance with E15 and other “green” mandates disproportionately falls on smaller fuel processors, driving up expenses that are inevitably passed on to consumers.

Proponents of E15 argue that it’s an eco-friendly solution that will save consumers money in the long run. But the facts tell a different story. Ethanol production requires substantial amounts of energy, often from non-renewable sources. Furthermore, blending ethanol into gasoline can make it less efficient, meaning drivers need to fill up more often. Far from delivering savings, E15 could end up costing Americans more at the pump while offering negligible environmental benefits.

The broader context of this failed provision reveals a calculated strategy by the Biden administration. Over the past few weeks, the administration has shoveled billions of taxpayer dollars into the coffers of eco-left allies under the guise of advancing climate progress. These bloated contracts and subsidies are designed to be difficult for any future administration to unwind, effectively “Trump-proofing” their agenda. The E15 measure was no different. By locking in ethanol mandates, the administration tried to tie the hands of future policymakers, ensuring the continuation of their costly and misguided agenda.

Thankfully, the provision didn’t make the cut in the newer, and much smaller version of the CR.

American families are already struggling with rising costs across the board. The last thing they need is another policy that makes filling up the gas tank even more expensive. Additionally, the incoming Trump Administration would have faced significant hurdles in trying to rein in gas prices—and Democrats then would be quick to pin the blame on their successors when prices inevitably stay high.

This isn’t just about ethanol or a CR. It’s about standing up to special interests, protecting American consumers, and ensuring that energy policy works for everyone—not just a select few with the ear of the waning administration. Not surprisingly, those groups immediately demanded the E15 rule be added back in

For now, the ethanol provision is history. But with a month left in office, there’s no telling what the eco-left and their friends in the Biden Administration will try sneak in next.

This article originally appeared at Real Clear Energy.

Larry Behrens is the Communications Director for Power The Future. You can find him on Twitter at @larrybehrens or email at larry@powerthefuture.com.

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