Great news for American drivers came on Friday as EPA Administrator - after consultation with Energy Secretary Chris Wright - acted to suspend the EPA’s summer blending fuels requirement related to the summer haze reduction program under the Clean Air Act. I posted the X post below on this topic Saturday morning.
Full Text:
Dumping gasoline summer blend program to cut gas prices is the right move at the right time.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, in consultation with DOE Secretary Chris Wright, just issued an emergency fuel waiver that expands the gasoline supply and will help lower prices at the pump in a real way.
Key points:
Ends the summer-blend gasoline requirement early by allowing higher Reid Vapor Pressure E10.
This is exactly the kind of decisive, common-sense action that could only happen in a Trump presidency—thanks to courageous leaders like Zeldin and Wright who put American families first.
The EPA’s summer haze (RVP) program was justifiable when it was implemented in the 1990s. But advances in emission control technologies in modern cars have rendered it largely a waste of billions of dollars every year.
The requirements force refiners to manufacture dozens of specific blends for specific regions of the Lower 48, raising costs.
Then the logistics of delivering the right blend in precise volumes on a just-in-time basis to specific metro areas add massive complexity and expense to the entire transportation system.
Recent estimates that the spring switchover from winter blends to summer blends alone adds 15 to 50 cents per gallon to the average cost of gasoline, right as summer driving season ramps up. That’s real money out of the pockets of working Americans trying to make ends meet.
This waiver is the right move now for Californians and every other American in the continental U.S.
An even better next step would be for Administrator Zeldin to organize a formal study on eliminating the outdated summer-blend program entirely.
We can be certain Governor Gavin Newsom will condemn Secretary Wright’s and Administrator Zeldin’s action with his usual pedantic rhetoric about climate change.
It will be a perfect chance for him to point the finger of blame for the high gas prices he himself has imposed on California drivers at his favorite political bogeymen: President Trump and “Big Oil.”
The governor is nothing if not consistent.
Lower prices. More supply. America first. Real leadership.
Now, rescind this useless program entirely to consolidate the gains for America’s drivers.
[End]
Here’s the EPA announcement in its entirety:
EPA, in Consultation with DOE, Expands Gasoline Supply to Lower Prices at the Pump
Emergency Fuel Waiver to Unleash Hundreds of Thousands of Gasoline Barrels Per Day
August 20, 2026
Contact Information
EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, in consultation with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and in accordance with the Clean Air Act (CAA), issued a temporary emergency fuel waiver that will increase the nation’s gasoline supply and help lower prices for American families.
Beginning on September 1, 2026, EPA’s waivers will allow the sale of E10, gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol, at a higher Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP). This action will increase the domestic gasoline supply by hundreds of thousands of barrels per day by effectively ending the summer-blend gasoline requirement early. With the increase of domestic gasoline supply on the market, Americans can expect to see reduced gas prices. As required by the CAA, EPA and DOE evaluated the current situation and determined that granting the waiver was in the public interest.
“President Trump has prioritized ensuring American families have affordable gasoline and energy. Throughout this administration, EPA has taken decisive action like issuing RVP waivers to provide relief at the pump and fortify our gasoline supply chain,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “Today, we continue this work with our federal partners to increase supply and lower gas prices for all Americans. Across the administration, we will continue to execute President Trump’s agenda and provide Americans with a prosperous and affordable nation.”
“Increasing the supply of gasoline means lower prices for American families,” said DOE Secretary Chris Wright. “Today’s action is another example of this Administration 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.”
EPA remains committed to securing a robust fuel supply and lowering costs for American families, farmers, and manufacturers by reducing reliance on imported fuels and strengthening U.S. energy independence through commonsense rulemaking. The agency is issuing today’s waiver notice in advance to give industry adequate time to transition its fuel distribution systems.
Today’s actions will remain in place through the end of the summer control season on September 15, 2026. The action also waives state level controls in Texas, Arizona and California that extend beyond September 15, 2026, for the maximum period allowed of 20 days. As the EPA has done all summer, we will be monitoring gasoline supplies in those states and will be prepared to extend the waiver through a subsequent action as long as necessary to ensure adequate supplies of gasoline to consumers.
Since May 1, 2026, EPA’s emergency fuel waivers have been in effect to remove fuel restrictions across the country. The agency’s action has lowered gas prices in the states that have followed EPA’s suit and waived their requirements. In stark contrast, blue-state politicians in New York and California have not adopted these standards, driving up prices for their own residents. The agency will be ready to extend the emergency fuel waivers as long as the fuel supply circumstances warrant such action.
For more information on this announcement, please visit EPA’s Fuel Waivers webpage.
Now if we could just get rid of the E10 mandate - a colossal waste of money and resources that degrades fuel mileage while damaging small engines.
This is interesting positioning for Trump. The next president has to come in and either permanently change policy to remove these expensive requirements or he/she has to reinstate them and immediately increase prices. Smart move on his part.