The National Corn Growers Association’s president Jed Bower accused several large energy firms of trying to derail a Farm Bill amendment that would allow Year-round E15 sales. Bower, an Ohio farmer and NCGA president, said the companies are posing as small refineries to secure exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard. He framed the effort as one that holds up legislation farmers and rural communities support.
The proposed amendment would also change how the small refinery exemption under the Renewable Fuel Standard is applied, a reform supporters say is necessary to prevent abuse. RFS small-refinery reform is part of the package because the exemption lets refineries claim economic hardship to avoid blending obligations. NCGA and a broad coalition of farm, ethanol and petroleum groups back the amendment as a way to clear a regulatory barrier in the Clean Air Act that currently limits E15 sales in summer months.
Bower named specific companies he says are misusing the exemption: Delek U.S. Inc., Cenovus Energy, CVR Energy, HF Sinclair, Parr Pacific Holdings and Suncor Energy Inc. "There is a tiny minority of major energy corporations ... that are masquerading as small refineries to get Renewable Fuel Standard exemptions they don’t need," he said, arguing those firms are putting profits ahead of consumers and producers. Bower tied the dispute directly to farmers’ financial strain, saying the delay has real costs for growers.
Opposition from firms
Small refinery exemptions were written into the RFS to protect genuinely small operations that can prove compliance causes economic harm. The NCGA and its allies contend that some refineries claiming exemptions report multi-million- or billion-dollar profits, undermining the program’s intent. Those objections are central to why the amendment also targets the exemption process rather than only the E15 summer restriction.
The amendment supporters emphasize consumer benefits from broader E15 availability, saying the lower-cost ethanol blend helps reduce pump prices, especially in peak driving months. Bower repeated that claim, saying wider E15 sales would relieve some pressure on household fuel budgets and support domestic corn demand for ethanol production. Ethanol producers, corn growers and many retail fuel suppliers have publicly backed the change.
Farm Bill push
A coalition of farm, ethanol and petroleum groups has worked to include the language in the current Farm Bill debate to resolve the Clean Air Act limitation that blocks summer E15 sales. Opponents among major refiners argue for preserving the existing exemption framework, saying local economic impacts differ across facilities. Supporters counter that the amendment balances refinery protections with program integrity and retail access to higher-ethanol blends.
NCGA and its partners are pressing lawmakers ahead of a House decision; the organization says the amendment would expand consumer fuel choices and strengthen demand for corn-based ethanol. The House is set to consider the amendment next week.
Photo - dt176nijwh14e.cloudfront.net
