The Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency waiver allowing gas stations to sell gasoline with 15% ethanol over the summer. The decision was made to keep the price of gas low amid uncertainty over the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Most gasoline sold in the U.S. contains 10% ethanol. However, the sale of a gasoline blend with 15% ethanol is usually banned in the summer over concerns that the higher concentration of ethanol could worsen smog conditions in warm weather.
The EPA said that allowing the sale of the 15% blend should not have a significant impact on air quality.
"Allowing E15 sales during the summer driving season will not only help increase fuel supply, but support American farmers, strengthen U.S. energy security, and provide relief to drivers across the country," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement.
The higher ethanol blend gasoline is usually about 25 cents cheaper, though vehicles travel about four to five percent less on E15 gasoline than gasoline without any ethanol, according to the data from the Department of Energy.