The Environmental Protection Agency is moving to increase the nation’s gasoline supply ahead of Labor Day by temporarily relaxing federal fuel requirements, with Trump administration officials saying the emergency measure should help bring down prices at the pump.
The EPA, working with the Department of Energy, will implement a temporary emergency fuel waiver beginning Sept. 1, according to information provided to Breitbart News.
The waiver will permit the sale of E10 gasoline — fuel containing 10 percent ethanol — at a higher Reid Vapor Pressure, or RVP, than normally permitted during the summer.
RVP measures gasoline’s tendency to evaporate. Higher-RVP gasoline evaporates more readily, which can contribute to increased emissions during hot weather. Federal regulations therefore generally require lower-RVP fuel during the warmer months. Requirements loosen as temperatures fall, in part because higher volatility helps engines start in colder weather.
The administration is effectively moving up that seasonal transition by two weeks.
The waiver will run from Sept. 1 through Sept. 15, when the normal summer control season ends and the seasonal restrictions begin to loosen anyway.
Officials estimate the temporary change could increase the domestic gasoline supply by hundreds of thousands of barrels per day. Their argument is straightforward: Putting additional fuel into the market should place downward pressure on gasoline prices.
That could provide some relief at a time when drivers are paying substantially more than they were a year ago.
AAA currently puts the national average at approximately $4.10 per gallon. A year earlier, it was roughly $3.13.
Drivers on the West Coast are dealing with even higher prices. California’s statewide average is approaching $5.60 per gallon.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the administration is using the waiver as part of its broader effort to address gasoline affordability and supply.
“President Trump has prioritized ensuring American families have affordable gasoline and energy,” Zeldin said in a statement to Breitbart News. “Throughout this administration, EPA has taken decisive action like issuing RVP waivers to provide relief at the pump and fortify our gasoline supply chain.”
“Today, we continue this work with our federal partners to increase supply and lower gas prices for all Americans,” he continued. “Across the administration, we will continue to execute President Trump’s agenda and provide Americans with a prosperous and affordable nation.”
Energy Secretary Chris Wright made a similar argument, saying additional gasoline supplies should translate into lower consumer prices.
“Increasing the supply of gasoline means lower prices for American families,” Wright said.
He described the joint EPA and Energy Department action as another attempt by the Trump administration to use existing federal authority to reduce regulatory constraints on the fuel market.
Wright said the administration is “using every available tool to cut red tape, increase the supply of gasoline, and lower prices at the pump.”
“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are advancing commonsense policies that prioritize energy addition and put the American people first,” he added.
