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Krishnamoorthi pushes cheaper ethanol blend as oil prices rise
The E15 blend sells for 10 to 30 cents less per gallon than standard gasoline ensuring cheaper year-round access for drivers.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Sat, 14, Mar 2026
- 00:37 EDT
- 21
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi / REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi went on the offensive against U.S. President Donald Trump over rising oil prices and pushed for year-round nationwide E15 sales to help lower prices.
Addressing a press event at a Chicago gas station on March 13, Krishnamoorthi’s comments came amid a sharp rise in global oil prices following disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz as a consequence of the ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, with Brent and WTI crude benchmarks exceeding $100 per barrel.
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Joined by Jon Hurst, the director of public policy for the Illinois Corn Growers Association, Rep. Krishnamoorthi said, “In addition to this conflict’s growing human and financial costs, it is also making life more expensive for families here at home. While ending the war must be our foremost priority, we should also be using every tool available to bring costs down.”
He added, “Allowing year-round E15 sales would give drivers a cheaper option at the pump while supporting Midwest farmers and strengthening American energy production — helping Illinois families weather the current price shocks and reducing long-term costs.”
The E15 blend sells for 10 to 30 cents less per gallon than standard gasoline because 15 percent of it is ethanol, ensuring cheaper year-round access for drivers.
Additionally, the blended ethanol is largely sourced from corn grown by Midwest farmers, ensuring added benefit to the agricultural economy.
Currently, such a move is blocked by federal fuel rules, which restrict nationwide E15 sales during the summer months unless temporary waivers are issued.
Krishnamoorthi, in his press briefing, urged the Trump administration to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to allow E15 sales this summer, highlighting it as a stopgap measure required while Congress works toward a permanent nationwide solution allowing year-round E15 sales.
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