The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday issued a temporary emergency waiver that allows nationwide sales of winter-grade gasoline two weeks early in an effort to increase American fuel supplies.
The emergency fuel waiver, issued by the Environmental Protection Agency in consultation with the Department of Energy, will permit the nationwide sale of higher-volatility E10 and E15 gasoline blends beginning Sept. 1, which Trump administration officials say will add hundreds of thousands of barrels of fuel to the domestic supplies.
“Increasing the supply of gasoline means lower prices for American families,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in release. “Today’s action is another example of this Administration using every available tool to cut red tape, increase the supply of gasoline, and lower prices at the pump.”
Environmental advocacy groups have warned that higher levels of ethanol mixed into gasoline can worsen ozone pollution in periods of warm weather.
American Automobile Association data shows the national average price of regular grade gasoline was at $4.11 a gallon Friday, which compares with about $2.98 a gallon when the U.S.-Israel war with Iran began on Feb. 28. The national average price reached $4.56 a gallon in May.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the waivers show President Donald Trump continues to prioritize affordable gasoline and energy or American families. “Throughout this administration, EPA has taken decisive action like issuing RVP waivers to provide relief at the pump and fortify our gasoline supply chain,” said Zeldin. “Today, we continue this work with our federal partners to increase supply and lower gas prices for all Americans.
Winter-grade fuel relies on volatile additives like butane to help vehicle engines start in cold temperatures. During heatwaves, these blends evaporate rapidly from vehicle tanks and fuel stations, causing ground-level ozone and urban smog.
Oil refiners tend to favor the early transition to winter gasoline because blending relatively inexpensive butane into gasoline lowers per-gallon production costs.
State fuel programs categorized by the EPA as “boutique”, which include specialized regulations in Texas, Arizona and California, require cleaner-burning, lower-volatility fuels during warm parts of the year to lessen regional smog. The federal action temporarily waives these state-level restrictions for the maximum legal window of 20 days.
When announcing the waiver, the EPA said the emergency fuel actions it has taken since May have successfully lowered gasoline prices in states that followed suit and altered their fuel blending requirements, while adding that “in stark contrast, blue-state politicians in New York and California have not adopted these standards, driving up prices for their own residents.”
Energy market analysts do not expect pump prices to drop overnight on Sept. 1 because it typically takes up to 10 days for local gas station tanks to fully deplete inventories of summer gasoline.
