EPA waives gas regulations to address surging fuel prices
The vehicles’ gas tanks were filled at the Costco Wholesale store in Bayonne, New Jersey, on March 21, 2026.
Gary Hershorn | Corbis News | Getty Images
HOUSTON — The Trump administration on Wednesday temporarily waived regulations on the types of gasoline sold during the summer months in an effort to ease rising fuel prices during the Iran war.
The Environmental Protection Agency has lifted restrictions on the sale of E15 gas, a fuel blended with 15% ethanol. Sales of E15 are restricted in about half of the United States from June to September due to regulations designed to reduce air pollution.
EPA also issued a waiver to remove all federal barriers to the sale of E10 gas blended with 10% ethanol. The agency is suspending federal enforcement of certain state fuel requirements, allowing the production and distribution of gasoline with 9% to 15% ethanol content.
The waivers will go into effect May 1 and last until May 20, Zeldin said.
“EPA waivers will attempt to prevent disruption to America’s fuel supply by keeping E15 and E10 on the market and providing Americans with more fuel options,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin told reporters at S&P Global’s CERAWeek conference in Houston, Texas.
“We will continue to monitor supply with industry and federal partners,” the EPA administrator said. “The agency will stand ready to extend emergency fuel exemptions as ongoing issues continue to demonstrate the need for action.”
Since the start of the U.S. war against Iran, gasoline prices have risen more than 30 percent to $3.98 per gallon due to a major disruption in oil supplies, according to data from travel association AAA.
Prices at the pump have reached the highest levels since 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shook global energy markets.
Diesel prices rose more than 40% to $5.37 per gallon. The fuel is used by trucks and freight trains that transport products to market. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC on Monday that the administration plans to increase diesel supply.
“We have some ideas on diesel that we can bring more diesel to the market,” Wright told CNBC’s Brian Sullivan in an interview. “I think we’ll see that happen before long.”
