Biden’s Plan To Ease Gas Prices Will Save Drivers a Few Cents at Some Pumps…2 Months From Now

President Joe Biden’s latest gambit to combat high gas prices will save some drivers a few cents at the pump—two months from now. But consumers might not see much in the way of savings at all, since they’ll be buying dirtier, less efficient fuel that will require more frequent fill-ups.

Biden on Tuesday said he will direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue an emergency waiver allowing so-called “E15” gasoline to be sold between June 1 and September 15, when it is usually prohibited due to concerns about how the fuel contributes to air pollution.

Most gasoline sold in the U.S. is blended with 10 percent ethanol, a type of alcohol made from corn, thanks to a mandate originally created during the George W. Bush administration. Higher blends—like “E15,” which is 15 percent ethanol—are a bit cheaper, but they burn less cleanly and provide marginally less energy. Though originally pitched as an environmentally friendly alternative to supposedly dirtier fossil fuels, studies have shown that ethanol actually emits more greenhouse gases. Nevertheless, the federal government has spent years subsidizing the production of ethanol, in no small part because politically powerful agricultural lobbies are big fans of the stuff.

It also happens to be a bit cheaper than traditional gasoline, which is why the Biden administration is suddenly so keen on it. “E15 is about 10 cents a gallon cheaper,” Biden said Tuesday as he announced the emergency environmental waiver while touring an ethanol production facility in Iowa. “And some gas stations offer an even bigger discount than that.” – READ MORE