An easy way to increase ethanol use and help America's battle for energy independence

By the year 2022 America is required by law to be using 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels a year. That's enough to reduce foreign oil imports by 11.3 billion barrels a year, while saving the U.S. $817 billion that would otherwise go to foreign oil producers. It's enough to create more than one million new jobs, add $1.7 trillion to the Gross Domestic Product and increase federal tax receipts by $209 billion.

We can help meet these goals, which will help America become more energy independent while growing our nation's economy with one easy change in the law. We need to allow service stations to sell a mid level ethanol blend. They already sell a 10 percent blend and an 85 percent blend. We need a 15 percent blend.

E-15 Will Help Ethanol Industry

Many industry observers think the U.S. will not be able to meet the 36 billion gallon goal by 2022 unless they are able to offer a 15 percent ethanol blend. To do so requires some changes in law because currently gasoline sold in the U.S. to meet Clean Air Act rules cannot contain more than 10 percent ethanol.

I recently co-sponsored a bipartisan amendment directing the Environmental Protection Agency to issue a waiver allowing the use of higher blends of ethanol in our gasoline supply. We will continue looking for support for this approach, but believe that he EPA should move ahead anyway on its own to promote renewable energy and energy independence, and allow the rule change.

Last July a number of ethanol supporters in the Senate sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson urging her to allow an ethanol blend between E10 and E15. One of the reasons we cited was the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which included the historic renewable fuels standard calling for the U.S. to use 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2022.

Action is Needed Soon

With those Renewable Fuel Standards and the growth of the American ethanol industry, domestic production of ethanol will soon outpace the amount of ethanol-blended gasoline currently allowed and we will hit what is called a "blend wall."

Boosting ethanol blends to between E10 and E15 is needed soon. It will keep our renewable fuels industry growing; particularly the development of next generation biorefineries, help to meet the Renewable Fuel Standards targets and curb our dependence on foreign oil.

Good for Nebraska

As a co-founder of the Governors' Ethanol Coalition in the 1990s and as a senator representing the nation's Number Two ethanol producing state, I believe a vital ethanol industry is good for our country, good for rural America and good for our national security.

I am also mindful of concerns raised by the livestock industry and those questioning whether the higher ethanol blend can be safely used in vehicles.

Those concerns should be properly addressed. As we do, we must do what we can to clear bureaucratic underbrush away, so that the American people can use more American-made energy and less energy imported from overseas.