Live in the Phoenix-metro area? You probably won’t have access to E15 gas
Arizonans will likely not see any difference in their fuel’s ethanol content despite the EPA’s temporary federal waiver allowing the nationwide sale of gasoline with a higher ethanol blend through the summer.
On March 25, the Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency fuel waiver that allows gas stations across the nation to sell E15, gasoline blended with 15% ethanol. E15 is most commonly sold in the midwest United States where most corn is grown. There are only around 3,000 gas stations nationwide that regularly sell E15, which means only around 2% of retailers in the U.S.
The federal waiver is effective May 1 through May 20, but the EPA said they are ready to issue more waivers if the current fuel crisis continues.
Why gasoline is blended with ethanol
Ethanol helps gasoline burn completely, so less carbon monoxide is released from a car’s tailpipe, according to Cesar Rodriguez, a compliance manager from Arizona’s Office of Weights and Measures (OWM). Ethanol also has a higher octane number than gasoline, so this ensures a car can drive without any knocking sound in the engine.
Ethanol is a renewable fuel derived from corn or other organic plant material. Most gasoline nationwide is required to have some percentage of ethanol blend in accordance with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, according to Troy Bredenkamp, Vice President for Government and Public Affairs of the Renewable Fuels Association, a trade association for the U.S. ethanol industry.
“In the early 2000s, we were going through [a similar] situation, perhaps to what we’re going through right now,” Bredenkamp said. “There was a crisis in the middle east. We were heavily dependent on foreign sources for our oil. …There was a movement in the country to lower that dependence, to become more self reliant.”
E15 is generally only sold up to 20 cents per gallon cheaper than standard blend gasoline, according to oil analyst Patrick De Haan, but it also delivers less mileage than standard gasoline.
The emergency move comes as average prices for regular gas have stabilized at over $4.68 per gallon in the Phoenix-Mesa area for the past month, AAA reports.
“EPA is working with our federal partners to reduce unnecessary costs and uncertainty and ensure that gas prices remain affordable for all Americans through the summer. This emergency action will provide American families with relief by increasing fuel supply and consumer choice,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a press release. “President Trump has prioritized ensuring American families have an affordable domestic energy supply. The Trump Administration has made great strides on this during the first year and will continue to do so.”
Phoenix will likely continue to sell its usual E10 blend through the summer despite the federal waiver, according to Rodriguez. E15 is already difficult to find across Arizona— “Get Biofuel,” a website that locates where ethanol fuels are sold, indicates that only one location in Gila Bend currently sells E15 out of the entire state.
Retailers can not legally sell E15 without properly labeling dispensers, so consumers will know the ethanol content in their fuels at the pump.
How the federal waiver may impact AZ
Aside from ethanol, the federal waiver also removes federal enforcements over all state boutique requirements of E10 sales, the most common gasoline blend with up to 10% ethanol.
“Under these emergency rules, gas companies can move different fuel types between cities more easily,” said Rodriguez.
This led the OWM to waive fuel requirements for Cleaner Burning Gasoline (CBG) specific to Arizona. Arizona is the only state to use AZRBOB, a specialized blend of gasoline that meets air quality regulations. AZRBOB becomes CBG after ethanol is added, according to The Arizona Republic.
The nation switches to cleaner gasoline blends during the summer because of the increased risk of ozone pollution, according to De Haan.
Waiving CBG fuel requirements may relieve costs for residents in the Phoenix-metro area. Without the federal waiver that led Arizona to relieve its CBG fuel requirements, the gasoline pool available for sale in Arizona would be smaller.
“Arizona has its own rules, which can be a little problematic because when every state or different local areas has different rules for gasoline, it really fragments the pool of gasoline available,” said De Haan.
Some democratic Arizona state officials praised the EPA’s decision to waive fuel regulations during the summer. The same day Lee issued the federal waivers, Governor Katie Hobbs thanked him in an X post.
“Thank you to @epaleezeldin for issuing a nationwide fuel waiver following my request for Arizona to receive relief. The price of gas has skyrocketed due to the war in Iran. This important waiver will help create supply certainty, bring prices down and help Arizonans get by,” wrote Hobbs.
This isn’t the first time the federal government has issued a nationwide fuel waiver. The EPA has announced some type of nationwide fuel crisis every summer for the past four years.
In the summer of 2024, the EPA issued the same waiver amidst the war in Ukraine and similar conflicts in the middle east.
“There’s been a legitimate excuse for the EPA to grant an emergency waiver to allow E15 to get through the summer driving season,” said Bredenkamp.
