Op-Ed: Legislature must force approval of cheaper fuel blend. It could save 20 cents a gallon.

Problem Solvers Caucus members Assemblyman David Alvarez (D-San Diego) and Assemblyman Heath Flora (R-Ripon) authored an op-ed calling on the Legislature to force regulatory approval of the E15 fuel blend. E15 would reduce the cost of a gallon of gas by 20 cents and reduce emissions.

Assemblymembers Alvarez and Flora write:

As co-chairs of the California Problem Solvers Caucus, our group of bipartisan Assembly members and senators are committed to advancing policies that will have a real impact on Californians in the immediate term. Our first proposal this legislative session would require the state to implement a new, cheaper fuel blend that could save drivers billions as soon as this year.

The fuel blend, called E15, is a cleaner and cheaper alternative to the fuel being used in California today and it is already authorized for use in the other 49 states. 

The benefits are clear: E15 would reduce gas prices by 20 cents per gallon, according to a study by UC Berkeley and the US Naval Academy. That translates to an annual savings of $2.7 billion each year for California drivers. Not only would this new fuel blend save California drivers at the pump, but it would also improve air quality and reduce emissions. A study by UC Riverside found that the E15 fuel blend lowers particulate emissions — making it a win-win for the environment and public health.

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The financial and environmental benefits of approving the E15 blend are clear and proven. In fact — thanks to the California Air Resources Board’s inaction — California is the only state in the country that doesn’t allow it. 

For more than two years, CARB has inexplicably delayed its rulemaking for the E15 blend. Its refusal to approve the E15 blend has cost Californians more than $5 billion in fuel savings. It’s unacceptable that this unelected state board has stood in the way of a solution that could ease financial burdens and protect the environment.

Our bill, Assembly Bill 30, would require the air board approve the E15 fuel blend by July 1, 2025. If CARB refuses to approve the fuel blend by that deadline, the fuel blend would be allowed by default.

As elected legislators, each representing more than a half-million Californians, we cannot stand idly by while appointed bureaucrats drag their feet on a proposal that would provide immediate savings to our constituents. AB 30, and the tight deadlines it imposes, is our response to this bureaucratic failure. 

The American dream can be achievable — but the state government needs to focus and prioritize policies that provide immediate relief. Lowering the cost of gas by approving AB 30 is a common-sense proposal that will provide drivers immediate relief and signal the Legislature’s intent to prioritize rising costs. 

Click here to read the op-ed in its entirety. 

In December, Problem Solvers Caucus members Alvarez and Flora introduced AB 30, which would require CARB to approve the E15 fuel blend by July 1, 2025. If CARB fails to approve the new fuel blend by the deadline, the bill stipulates that the new blend would become legal and allowable without CARB approval.

Governor Gavin Newsom proposed giving CARB $2.3 million in his January budget in order to help the board finalize its E15 rule making process. 

California is the only state in the country that does not allow the sale of E15. A study by the University of California at Riverside found that the E15 fuel blend would lower particulate emissions - making the fuel blend both cheaper and more environmentally sound.

Finalizing this new cost-effective fuel blend has been a priority of the bipartisan and bicameral caucus since the 2023-2024 legislative session. In a 2024 letter to the Legislature's budget committees, the caucus requested funds to finalize and expedite CARB's rule-making process in order to bring the cheaper fuel blend to market faster.

The California Problems Solvers Caucus was established in 2020, and seeks to find solutions reached through collaboration, not division; mutual respect, not partisan bickering; and will work in service to the people of California. The caucus is made up of both Assemblymembers and Senators, Democrat and Republican.