Grand Canyon Times

As inflation continues to rise, President Joe Biden is making another attempt to bring down gas prices by calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to waive its summertime ban on E15 gasoline.

E15 is a type of gas that uses a blend of 85 percent gasoline with 15 percent ethanol. In an April 12 statement, Biden said the EPA would allow E15 in an effort to offer relief on fuel prices, claiming it will save families 10 cents per gallon.

"Today, I am announcing that the Environmental Protection Agency is planning to issue an emergency waiver to allow E15 gasoline — gasoline that uses more ethanol from home-grown crops — to be sold across the U.S. this summer in order to increase fuel supply and lower prices," Biden announced April 12 on Twitter.

National Public Radio reported E15 is normally banned during the summer under the Clean Air Act because of air pollution concerns. According to ARS Technica, it contributes to smog.

NPR reported that, compared with E10 gas, the infrastructure to sell E15 is limited because many vendors don’t want to carry a product that can’t be sold year-round. According to the Department of Energy, E15 is only available at roughly 2,300 gas stations nationwide. On top of that, the fuel finder getbiofuel.com says there currently are no stations in Arizona that sell E15.

In addition, The Drive reported that using E15 won’t actually save 10 cents per gallon as Biden says, because the extra ethanol decreases gas mileage in most cars, meaning drivers actually would spend more on gas. The report also said E15 is also likely to damage car engines.