The Trump administration said Wednesday that it would temporarily suspend some anti-smog restrictions on summertime gasoline blends, in an attempt to ease the recent spike in fuel prices stemming from the war with Iran.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued emergency waivers to allow expanded sales this summer of a gasoline blend known as E15, which consists of 15 percent ethanol. More than 3,000 stations across the country offer E15, which sells at a discount to other gasoline blends but is often restricted from June to September because of concerns that it can exacerbate smog in hotter weather.
“We are fortifying the domestic gasoline supply chain and providing Americans relief at the pumps ahead of the summer driving season,” said Lee Zeldin, the E.P.A. administrator, speaking in Houston at the annual oil and gas industry conference known as CERAWeek by S&P Global.
Analysts said the E.P.A.’s moves could shave 10 to 25 cents per gallon from the cost of gasoline in some parts of the country as the typical summer price increases begin. That would only partly counteract the effects of the war with Iran, which has restricted global crude oil supplies and caused gasoline and diesel prices to spike in the United States.
The E.P.A. is allowed by law to waive summertime restrictions on E15 if it determines that America’s fuel supplies are at risk. The Trump administration issued the same waiver last summer, as did the Biden administration each year after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
“Based on the information we possess, we foresee potential for a disruption to the American fuel supply,” Mr. Zeldin said.
The E.P.A. also waived all federal restrictions on selling a more common gasoline blend known as E10, which contains 10 percent ethanol. Both waivers will go into effect May 1.
The rules on ethanol can require refineries and retailers in some states to switch over to more costly blends in the summer that have lower volatility and evaporate more slowly in the heat. Those requirements are meant to limit smog, which can exacerbate respiratory problems like asthma.
Since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February, gasoline prices have risen roughly 34 percent, to a national average of around $3.98 per gallon. The Trump administration has faced growing pressure to ease the pain at the pump.
Ethanol is made from corn and other crops and has been mixed into some types of gasoline for years as a way to reduce the nation’s consumption of oil. While blending more ethanol can help ease pressure on domestic gasoline supplies, efforts to allow year-round E15 have previously faced opposition from some environmentalists as well as oil companies, who fear that greater use of ethanol will cut into their sales.
E15 can be cheaper not just because ethanol often costs less to produce than regular gas, but also because of additional incentives to encourage ethanol sales, said Patrick De Haan, an analyst at GasBuddy, an app that tracks gas prices. A 2005 law signed by President George W. Bush offers certain incentives for the sale of ethanol.
But E15 is not available at every gas station, as it requires slightly different equipment to pump than traditional gasoline. And it is only approved for vehicles made in 2001 or later and for “flex fuel” models, according to the Energy Information Administration.
“E15 is probably available in less than 5 percent of stations nationwide,” Mr. De Haan said. “People might be on this wild goose hunt looking to save 10 or 15 cents.”
The waiver may only keep prices down temporarily. Many analysts say that oil and gasoline prices will remain elevated as long as the fighting in Iran continues to paralyze ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that typically accommodates 20 percent of the world’s oil supply.
“The benefit is actually similar to the benefit of things like the release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve,” which the government authorized earlier this month, said Kate Gordon, a former senior adviser in the Energy Department during the Biden administration who is now chief executive of California Forward, a nonprofit group that advocates for sustainability. “It’s not a long-term fix.”
Brad Plumer is a Times reporter who covers technology and policy efforts to address global warming.
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