EPA says its decision on 15 percent ethanol for 2001-06 models won't come until next year

The Environmental Protection Agency announced this afternoon that it would delay until next year a decision on whether to allow 15 percent ethanol fuel in cars made in model years 2001 through 2006. EPA said the Energy Department would not complete testing on vehicles until the end of the year.

Last month, EPA allowed a blemd of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent unleaded gasoline in cars and light trucks made in model year 2007 or later. The move, "which has already sparked challenges from the petroleum, farm and food industry groups, marked the first change in the fuel standard since EPA approved 10 percent ethanol in the 1970s," notes Alison Winter of Environment & Energy News. "The change in the fuel-blend standard was spurred by an industry group, Growth Energy, which petitioned for the waiver last year in a bid to expand the ethanol market. Without E15, the group said, the ethanol industry would hit a wall as companies produced more of the corn-based fuel than the market could use." (Read more, subscription required)