The House has approved legislation to permanently allow year-round sales of E15. Among the lawmakers pushing for passage of the bill, known as the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, was Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN-09), who framed the vote as a direct benefit to Indiana’s agricultural economy.
“[It] is a win for consumers, and it’s a win for farmers, it’s a win for our ethanol producers in Indiana,” Houchin told Hoosier Ag Today.
The legislation would eliminate longstanding seasonal restrictions that currently limit E15 sales during the summer months in much of the country, a rule rooted in air-quality regulations that supporters say has become outdated. While federal agencies under administrations of both parties have frequently issued temporary waivers, backers of the bill argue a permanent fix is needed to stabilize fuel markets.
For Indiana — where corn production is a central pillar of the agricultural economy and where 15 ethanol production facilities anchor rural communities — the stakes are especially high.
Supporters say year-round E15 access would strengthen demand for corn at a time when many growers are facing tight margins and rising input costs.
Houchin said the policy could also help expand fuel markets for producers in her district and beyond.
“5,000 locations in 36 states already sell E15. We hope that this will expand that market and give our corn growers and our producers another outlet,” she said.
Indiana’s ethanol industry is a major economic engine, supporting an estimated 35,000 jobs and generating roughly $3.5 billion in economic activity across production, transportation and agriculture supply chains.
Houchin emphasized that the benefits extend beyond farm income, pointing to both environmental and energy-security benefits she said she witnessed firsthand during a recent visit to the POET ethanol facility in Shelbyville, Indiana.
“The fact that at this processing [facility] for ethanol, there’s no waste,” Houchin said. “So, you think about all of the byproducts along the way—once you get to pure ethanol, there’s corn oils that can be pulled from this. So, this is a renewable fuel source that there is nearly, if not zero, waste in the process, which is an exciting development in the overall energy portfolio.”
She added that expanding E15 availability could also ease pressure on household fuel budgets while reducing reliance on foreign energy supplies.
“Every vehicle manufactured after 2001 can use an ethanol formulation, and so it’s going to be a great opportunity to reduce the price at the pump from 10 to 30 cents a gallon. So, we’re not reliant on Middle Eastern oil,” Houchin said.
Eight of Indiana’s nine representatives in the U.S. House voted in favor of the bill, which included Democrat Rep. Frank Mrvan. The lone statewide representative to vote against the bill was Democrat Rep. André Carson.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where its prospects remain uncertain despite backing from major agricultural and biofuel groups, including the National Corn Growers Association, Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association and the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Still, the House vote marked a significant milestone for Midwestern lawmakers who have spent years pressing for a permanent legislative fix to the seasonal E15 restrictions. President Trump, in January remarks cited by supporters, indicated he would sign a year-round E15 bill “without delay,” adding a new layer of political expectation as the measure moves forward.
For now, advocates in Indiana are casting the vote as both an economic and symbolic victory — one that ties the state’s agricultural base more firmly to the evolving national energy landscape, even as broader debates over climate, fuel standards and rural economics continue to loom over the Senate calendar.
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