Year Round E15 in Kansas City

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently approved year-round E15 (a blend of 15 percent
ethanol and 85 percent gasoline) sales for the nation. However, due to an outdated State Implementation
Plan (SIP) and state regulations, the Kansas City Metro area is exempt from the rule. Hence, E15 is still not
available in Kansas City during the summer driving season, the largest potential demand in and around
Kansas. E15 sales could be made available in the KC Metro Area year-round with a relatively simple change
in the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Regulations.

• Allowing year-round E15 in the Kansas City Metro area is a no-cost solution for the State of Kansas
  that grows a domestic market for farmers, strengthening the rural economy.
• This ban on E15 sales during the summer is a barrier to a higher blend of ethanol.
• Ethanol saves consumers money and is better for the environment.
• EPA approved E15 for use in all vehicles 2001 and newer, which is nearly 90 percent of vehicles on
  the road today.
• Outdated fuel regulations for Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) requires retailers in the Kansas City Metro
  area to stop selling E15 during summer months.

Environmental Benefits:

• E15 has a lower RVP than E10 and, therefore, results in lower evaporative emissions, resulting in
  lower Ozone levels, the pollutant of greatest concern in the Kansas City Metro area.1
• Blending more ethanol displaces and dilutes the most harmful hydrocarbon components in
  gasoline such as aromatics. The additional ethanol blended to make E15, therefore, reduces
  exhaust emissions.
• According to a recent USDA study, ethanol results in 43 percent fewer greenhouse gas (GHG)
  emissions than gasoline. Increasing ethanol blending from 10 percent to 15 percent further reduces
  GHG emissions.2

Economic Benefits

• E15 gives consumers more choice at the pump and a lower priced fuel option.
• E15 is between 3 and 10 cents less expensive per gallon than regular gasoline, which is E10.
• Year round E15 would increase demand for Kansas ethanol. Kansas has 11 ethanol plants, that
  produce more than 550 million gallons of ethanol per year, these plants purchase more than 195
  million bushels of Kansas grown corn and grain sorghum. Each of these plants employs an average
  of 45 people at an average salary of $59,000+.
• Increased demand for Kansas ethanol would increase demand for Kansas grown corn and grain
  sorghum.
• Ethanol plants also produce distillers grains, a high protein feed co-product, which benefits the
  Kansas livestock industry

1 Source: https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-the-consumer-and-fuel-retailer-choice-act
2 Source: https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/04/02/usda-study-shows-significant-greenhouse-gas-benefitsethanol