Supremes say no to E-15 challenge
Monday was a busy day for the U.S. Supreme Court but one case it no longer will deal with is the legality of E-15. The court refused to consider a legal challenge by several industry trade groups to EPA’s approval of E-15.
Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, said the announcement is a victory for the American biofuels industry.
“Time and again Big Oil has challenged E15 and Growth Energy’s Green Jobs Waiver in attempts to deny consumers a choice and savings at the pump and this marks the end of these baseless challenges,” he said.
The American Coalition for Ethanol is not surprised by the decision. ACE Executive Vice President Brian Jennings says the case brought to the high court did not have any real substance.
“The court really was left with no other choice to make. The case that the oil companies and others were making was flimsy. They’ve spent more money in the courts fighting E-15 than they have on trying to comply with the RFS to ensure that consumers have access to affordable fuel.”
Jennings says this gives oil companies no excuse for slowing down their use of E-15 and making it more available to retailers. He says consumers will choose the fuel because it’s less costly.
“Consumers by fuel based on price,” he explained. “There is no close second and as soon as the retailers figure out that they can make a little bit of money and pass the huge savings on to consumers, because ethanol is less expensive than gas, then we will start to see E-15 widely available.”
Buis at Growth Energy agreed, saying, “The highest court in the land has spoken. They have unequivocally rejected the attempts of Big Oil and other opponents of ethanol to challenge the EPA’s sensible decision to permit the sale of E15. Now that the final word has been issued, I hope that oil companies will begin to work with biofuel producers to help bring new blends into the marketplace that allow for consumer choice and savings.”
The Supreme Court decision not to hear the case effectively kills the legal challenges to E-15.
Source: NAFB News Service