Davids Secures Federal Grant to Help Lower Gas Prices in Kansas

Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded a federal grant to Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores to help lower gas prices in Kansas. The Love’s Ottawa location will receive a portion of the nearly $5 million award to increase the availability of E-15, a cheaper and cleaner fuel option. This investment was made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act, which Davids was the only member of Kansas’ congressional delegation to support.

“While we are seeing positive signs of strong economic growth, hardworking Kansans are still dealing with high costs at the grocery store and gas pump, further squeezing what was already a tight budget for many families,” said Davids. “This new federal investment will ensure we bring gas prices down while also strengthening our energy independence and creating good-paying jobs in rural communities.”

Davids has made lowering gas prices a main focus, successfully pushing the Administration to suspend the federal gas tax. Davids also requested an emergency waiver to allow the sale of E15 during the 2023 summer season in Kansas. Thanks in part to these efforts, average gas prices have dropped from a record $5.00 per gallon in 2022, to under $2.99 per gallon now.

"We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to be one of the ten fueling stations nationwide to receive the USDA Rural Development investment grant,” said Mike Skidmore, Mayor, City of Ottawa. “This grant to our local Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores represents a leap forward in the commitment to environmental sustainability and economic development. By expanding infrastructure for renewable fuels, we're enhancing our energy portfolio and contributing to a cleaner, more sustainable future. This initiative will significantly boost our local economy and set a precedent for renewable energy use in the region, benefiting our community and beyond."

“We are always in support of renewable fuel initiatives that will provide value for our customers and help support the environment with cleaner domestic energy,” said JP Fjeld-Hansen, Executive Vice President, Musket Corp., a Love’s Family Company.

In addition to the actions mentioned above, Davids hasrepeatedlyurged the President and Congressional leadership to move forward on long-term energy and inflation solutions, including fixing our supply chains, making more goods in America, and investing in our clean energy economy. Her recent actions to lower gas prices include:

• Calling on President Biden to help reopen recently closed oil refineries, increasing the supply of gas without sacrificing long-term climate goals.
• Successfully pushing the IRS to increase a tax break for small business owners and self-employed individuals who rely on a vehicle for their business. Watch on KMBC.
• Supporting legislation that allows retailers to sell higher ethanol-blended fuels, like E15, year-round, reducing our country’s reliance on foreign oil.
• Voting to crack down on price gouging by oil and gas companies, which have made record profits in recent years, despite rising gas prices.
• Calling on President Biden to take immediate action to protect American consumers from uncertainty and rising prices due to the war in Ukraine.

Background:

The award announced today stems from the USDA’s Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), which was created by the Inflation Reduction Act. Through these HBIIP awards, business owners are receiving a total of $19 million to expand access to domestic biofuels in 22 states and strengthen America’s energy independence.

The HBIIP provides grants to fueling station and distribution facility owners, including marine, rail, and home heating oil facilities, to help expand access to domestic biofuels, a clean and affordable source of energy. These investments help business owners install and upgrade infrastructure such as fuel pumps, dispensers, and storage tanks. Expanding the availability of homegrown biofuels strengthens energy independence, creates new revenue for American businesses, and brings good-paying jobs to rural communities.

Along with lowering gas prices, the Inflation Reduction Act includes policies to lower health care costs, reduce our country’s deficit, and support Kansas farmers. Specifically, it caps insulin at $35 a month for Medicare beneficiaries, closes tax loopholes on billionaires and the 150 wealthiest corporations to reduce the national debt, and supports climate-smart agriculture practices through clean energy in rural communities.