Congress’ Quick Fix For Astronomical Gas Prices Is Anything But

Nick Loris writes for the Daily Caller about why the House-passed E-15 legislation will harm small-scale refiners in the U.S.

The national average for gas prices has surpassed $4.50 per gallon, up roughly 45% from a year ago. If Congress passes a bill that allows for year-round higher ethanol content in gasoline (“E15”) without protecting small refineries, Americans’ pain at the pump will only get worse.

The proposal moving through Congress would permanently allow E15 to be sold year-round. The issue is not the use of ethanol, or even higher blends, for that matter. Rather, the problem is a 20-year-old mandate that requires ethanol to be blended into the fuel supply.

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requires refiners to mix biofuels into America’s gasoline supply, primarily by using corn-based ethanol. Each domestic refiner must have a percentage of its domestic sales be blended ethanol. 

Read more in The Daily Caller here.