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But a coalition of pro-ethanol governors and mayors say the rules are stifling sales of the biofuel.

During the summer fuel season, stations are prohibited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from selling E15, a form of fuel with a higher concentration of ethanol than is standard. Earlier this week a group of seven Midwestern governors including Minnesota’s Mark Dayton and Iowa’s Terry Branstad urged EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to make an exemption for E15 – one they say already exists for standard fuel with 10 percent ethanol.

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“We write to ask you to remove a significant regulatory obstacle that is preventing large-scale availability and use of E15 and mid-level ethanol blends,” they said. As governors of ethanol-producing states, we share common goals of eliminating unnecessary regulatory barriers.”

Now a $2 billion-a-year industry, ethanol producers have been putting increased pressure on the government to widen sales of ethanol. Earlier this year the EPA agreed to raise biofuel mandates to levels that would push the concentration of ethanol in the nation’s fuel supply above 10 percent – something the oil industry has long claimed would damage car engines.

Now gas station chains including Murphy USA and RaceTrac are offering E15 at some of their locations for use in standard cars. Approximately 330 gas stations nationwide currently sell E15, according to the ethanol trade group Growth Energy.

Today, the date on which the summer fuel season officially comes to an end, politicians including Dayton, Branstad and Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Jennifer Roberts proclaimed Ethanol Day or E15 Day to raise awareness around the issue.

“Across the country, policymakers and consumers are recognizing how renewable fuels grow the economy, protect our environment, and dramatically reduce America's dependence on foreign oil,†Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor said in a statement.