Ethanol bill defeated in Senate
By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times - Sunday, July 23, 2017
In a major defeat for the ethanol industry, senators of both parties joined forces late last week to sink a controversial bill that would’ve allowed gasoline with 15 percent ethanol to be sold year-round.
The measure had become a flash point on Capitol Hill, dividing both Republicans and Democrats — with senators from ethanol-producing states supporting the bill — while also uniting diverse groups in opposition, such as environmentalists, boaters and motorcyclists. The legislation also represented a key opportunity for the ethanol sector, as the expansion of E15 sales would’ve been a financial boon and, to at least some degree, a marketplace defeat for the oil industry.
The bill was co-sponsored by Republican Sens. Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, and Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana. Despite that bipartisan support, the legislation in the end was unable to muster enough support in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
Committee leaders announced Friday that there would be no action on the bill before the August recess, though it’s unclear whether it’ll be resurrected sometime in the fall.
Ethanol sector leaders bemoaned the delay but said the battle for E15 isn’t finished.
“We will continue to work with our bipartisan sponsors to enact this bill to provide drivers across the country cleaner fuel options year-round that are better for the environment and save Americans money every time they fill up the gas tank,” said Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, which represents ethanol producers.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/23/ethanol-bill-defeated-in-senate/
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