The Sconi

President Joe Biden is now pushing a strategy that actually embraces fossil fuels in a desperate attempt to curb still sky-high gas prices.

Earlier this month, the White House unveiled a plan that paves the way for the year-round sale of E15 gasoline, or gas with a 15% ethanol content. 

"I am announcing that the Environmental Protection Agency is planning to issue an emergency waiver to allow E15 gasoline — gasoline that uses more ethanol from home-grown crops — to be sold across the U.S. this summer in order to increase fuel supply and lower prices," Biden tweeted on April 12. 

President Joe Biden | whitehouse.gov

The runaway gas prices come at a time when inflation is as high as it's been over the last four decades. Critics point out that to date none of the president's plans for slowing the gas price surge involve increasing domestic production.  

E15, which is often produced from heavily subsidized corn, is a type of gas that uses a 15% ethanol blend and 85% gasoline. With the White House promoting the plan as one that can save families 10 cents per gallon of gas on average, the fuel is set to be sold across the country this summer with the goal of lowering driving costs for many.

But not everyone sees the plan actually doing what it's being touted to do. 

In addition to speculating that the saved 10 cents won't ever materialize for most drivers, a recent report on TheDrive.com noted that the increased amount of ethanol in E15 will decrease gas mileage in most cars, causing drivers to actually spend more on gasoline. 

In addition, a recent ARS Technica report said that E15 has been proven to lower fuel efficiency in cars and can contribute to smog, which is why it is typically banned from being sold during summer months under the Clean Air Act due to air pollution concerns.

There are also infrastructure concerns to consider, given that many vendors are not willing to invest in a product that cannot be sold year-round, a recent NPR report said. As it is, the Department of Energy estimates that E15 gas is only available at approximately 2,300 fueling stations across the country.

In Wisconsin, only 245 stations sell E15, a report on E85prices.com said. The site tracks the cost and availability of the alternative fuel. 

Biden’s previous attempts to control surging gas prices include the release of as much as180 million barrels of crude oil from the country's Strategic Petroleum Reserve over the next six months.