To amend the Clean Air Act with respect to the ethanol waiver for Reid Vapor Pressure under that Act, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Smith of Nebraska (for himself, Ms. Craig, Mr. Johnson …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 allows gas stations across the United States to sell E15 fuel (gasoline blended with 10-15% ethanol) year-round without violating Clean Air Act restrictions. Currently, E15 can only be sold during certain months because higher ethanol blends have higher vapor pressure, which can contribute to summer smog. The bill also gives back renewable fuel credits to small oil refineries that retired credits between 2016-2018 while waiting for EPA hardship exemption decisions that were delayed or denied.
Who Benefits and How
Corn farmers and ethanol producers are the primary beneficiaries, gaining access to a significantly larger market as E15 can now be sold in all 50 states throughout the entire year. This expanded market increases demand for corn-based ethanol, potentially boosting farm income in agricultural states. Fuel retailers benefit by avoiding the operational complexity and compliance costs of switching between different fuel blends seasonally. Small oil refineries with pending or denied petitions from 2016-2018 receive substantial financial relief through restored renewable fuel standard credits, which can be used for future compliance or sold on the market.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Large petroleum refiners and traditional oil and gas producers face reduced demand for petroleum-based gasoline components as higher ethanol blending displaces conventional gasoline. Environmental advocacy groups and air quality regulators express concerns that removing Reid Vapor Pressure restrictions could increase volatile organic compound emissions during warm months, potentially worsening summer smog in some regions. Owners of older vehicles (pre-2001), motorcycles, boats, and lawn equipment not designed for E15 face increased misfueling risks, though existing label requirements provide some protection. RFS credit traders may experience market disruptions as the supply of available credits increases unexpectedly with the restoration of 2016-2018 credits.
Key Provisions
- Removes Reid Vapor Pressure limitations from Clean Air Act waivers for E15 fuel (10-15% ethanol gasoline blends), enabling year-round nationwide sales
- Expands EPA Administrator'''s waiver authority to permit fuels substantially similar to certified vehicle fuels even if they exceed RVP limits
- Changes the ethanol blend percentage from "10 percent" to "10 to 15 percent" in Clean Air Act Section 211(h)(4)
- Automatically applies the new RVP standard to states that previously received waivers under the old 10% ethanol limit
- Restores renewable fuel standard credits to small refineries that retired credits for 2016, 2017, or 2018 compliance years but had hardship petitions that remained pending as of December 1, 2022, or were denied as of July 1, 2022
- Allows restored credits to be used for future compliance years or applied to the EPA Moderated Transaction System (EMTS) account
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Allows nationwide year-round sales of E15 fuel (10-15% ethanol gasoline blend) by removing Reid Vapor Pressure restrictions and restores renewable fuel credits for small refineries from 2016-2018 compliance years.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Expand ethanol market by removing seasonal RVP restrictions that currently prohibit E15 sales in summer months, while also providing regulatory relief to small refineries through credit restoration"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Corn farmers and ethanol producers (expanded E15 market)
- Biofuel industry (increased ethanol demand)
- Small refineries (restored RFS credits reduce compliance costs)
- Agricultural states (increased corn demand for ethanol)
Likely Burden Bearers
- Traditional oil refiners (increased competition from ethanol blends)
- Environmental groups (concerns about summer smog from higher vapor pressure fuels)
- Consumers with older vehicles not designed for E15 fuel
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Changed from '10 percent' to '10 to 15 percent' - expands the ethanol waiver to cover E15 fuel.
A fuel or fuel additive may be introduced into commerce if it is substantially similar to a fuel used in vehicle certification OR has been granted a waiver (with the RVP limitation removed) AND meets all other applicable Reid Vapor Pressure requirements under subsection (h).
Credits generated by small refineries for compliance years 2016, 2017, and 2018 that were retired but had pending or denied petitions as of December 1, 2022, shall be returned and deemed eligible for future compliance years or applied to the EPA EMTS account.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology