Washington (Platts)--7Jan2010/558 pm EST/2258 GMT

Organizations representing nearly all of the retail gasoline providers and automakers in the US asked the Environmental Protection Agency Thursday to reconsider its apparent inclination to authorize a higher ethanol content in gasoline.

The groups said that more testing is needed to make sure the blend would not damage engines.

"As a diverse group of stakeholders who want biofuels to succeed in the US and who remain committed to finding the right market solutions for sustainable biofuel use, we are writing to express our concern that EPA may decide to allow E15 based on limited or inadequate data, as implied in its November 30 letter to Growth Energy," the groups said in a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.

EPA told Growth Energy, a biofuels lobbying group, that the agency would approve a waiver of the Clean Air Act authorizing an increase in ethanol content from 10% to 15% of gasoline by mid-2010, should results of ongoing tests "remain supportive."

Among the groups signing the letter to EPA were the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the American Petroleum Institute, the Petroleum Marketers of America and the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America.

The groups also asked EPA to reopen a public comment period on the E15 issue to allow further consideration of new test data prior to any agency decision.

--Bill Loveless, bill_loveless@platts.com