Letter
Dear Majority Leader Thune, Minority Leader Schumer, Speaker Johnson, and Minority Leader Jeffries:
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture NASDA represents the Commissioners, Secretaries, and Directors of agriculture in all fifty states and four territories. NASDA members are co-regulators with the federal government and strong nonpartisan advocates for American agriculture.
NASDA supports the year-round sale and use of E15 fuel. In September 2025, NASDA sent a letter1 urging swift passage of the bipartisan Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 (H.R. 1346 and S. 593). On January 7, 2026, NASDA joined over 70 other agricultural organizations in calling for an immediate legislative solution for nationwide, year-round E152.
We are now seeking to reiterate the timeliness and urgency of advancing a legislative solution to expand nationwide, year-round access to E15. The January 2026 World Agricultural Supply & Demand Estimate (WASDE) report confirmed that, in 2025, U.S. corn and sorghum farmers harvested exceptional crops. In particular, U.S. corn farmers harvested a record 17-billion-bushel crop and are now facing their highest remaining stocks in nearly a decade.
Without sufficient demand opportunities, these bumper crops risk compounding the economic crisis currently threatening rural America due to rising input prices and market uncertainty. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, nationwide, year-round E15 could generate new demand for more than 2 billion bushels of U.S. corn and sorghum3. Now is the time for Congress to act to provide improved stability and predictability for U.S. corn and sorghum farmers, as well as provide relief to consumers through the reduced prices at the pump that accompany higher ethanol blends.
For years, the year-to-year uncertainty that attends the temporary emergency waiver process has stymied critical biofuel infrastructure investments and constrained American energy independence. By ensuring the immediate availability of nationwide year-round E15, you would be supporting the timely creation of new markets for American farmers, reducing our energy dependence on foreign countries, expanding consumer choice, and eliminating inefficient federal regulatory barriers.
We thank you for your consideration of this request and urge swift passage of a legislative solution that provides permanent, nationwide, year-round access to E15 fuel.
Sincerely,
Ted McKinney
Chief Executive Officer
C.C.
The Honorable Shelley Moore Capito
Chair, Committee on Environment and Public Works
The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse
Ranking Member, Committee on Environment and Public Works
The Honorable Brett Guthrie
Chair, Committee on Energy and Commerce
The Honorable Frank Pallone
Ranking Member, Committee on Energy and Commerce
1 https://www.nasda.org/nasda-sends-letters-in-support-of-bipartisan-nationwide-year-round-e15-legislation/
2 https://www.nasda.org/coalition-letter-urging-congress-to-allow-year-round-e15-sales/
3 https://ethanolrfa.org/media-and-news/category/news-releases/article/2026/01/new-usda-crop-report-underscores-urgency-of-adopting-year-round-e15-legislation
