The Trump administration is issuing a temporary emergency fuel waiver amid high gas prices, in an attempt to increase the domestic gasoline supply.
In its announcement Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency said the waiver, beginning Sept. 1, will allow the sale of gasoline blended with up to 15% ethanol at a higher evaporation rate, up from the current 10% ethanol limit.
The waiver allows stations nationwide to sell a single 9%-to-15% ethanol blend through Aug. 31, then drops evaporation-rate limits altogether starting Sept. 1.
In doing so, it is effectively ending the summer-blend gasoline requirement two weeks early, a federally required fuel formulation used from June 1 to Sept. 15 to reduce smog and ozone.
Starting Sept. 1, the waiver removes federal volatility standards entirely, essentially letting refiners switch to winter-grade gasoline early instead of waiting for the summer control season to end Sept. 15.
Air-quality advocates say higher-RVP, higher-ethanol summer fuel raises ground-level ozone in hot weather, raising public health concerns.
The EPA, in coordination with the Department of Energy, determined that granting the waiver was “in the public interest.”
Under the Clean Air Act, the temporary waiver is to “address extreme and unusual fuel supply circumstances affecting all parts of the United States,” as war with Iran has spiked U.S. gas prices, pushing national averages close to $4 a gallon as the conflict disrupts tanker traffic in the vital Strait of Hormuz.
This supply constraint also drives up the costs of crude oil, diesel and jet fuel, fueling broader inflation and adding extra costs for American households.
Americans have been hit with higher prices at the pump since the Iran war began Feb. 28, with Thursday’s national average at $4.10, according to the American Automobile Association.
Crude oil prices remain in the $80 per barrel range amid continued instability in the Strait of Hormuz.
The highest national average for a gallon of regular gasoline reached a peak of $4.56 in May — a stark contrast to the prewar baseline at around $2.98 per gallon in late February.
The EPA’s move is not a standalone action, marking the seventh renewal since March 25.
The agency will also be prepared to extend the waiver “as long as necessary to ensure adequate supplies of gasoline to consumers,” it said in a statement.
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