STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – House Majority Whip Julie Willoughby today praised the Trump Administration after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced emergency action to boost fuel supply and help lower prices ahead of the summer driving season. Starting May 1, EPA will temporarily expand allowable fuel sales nationwide and waive federal enforcement of boutique-blend requirements that restrict what gasoline can be sold in certain areas, such as in Maricopa and Pinal counties, where drivers are required to use a more expensive, less widely available summer blend. With this waiver, gas stations in Maricopa and Pinal counties will be able to sell conventional gasoline during the waiver period, which is generally more affordable because conventional gasoline is cheaper to produce and easier to obtain, thereby providing relief to drivers in the Phoenix area while the waiver remains in effect.

“Arizona families needed action, and I am glad to see the federal government responding to the fuel-supply risks we have been raising for months,” Majority Whip Willoughby said. “I applaud the Trump Administration for stepping in to strengthen supply, expand fuel options, and help lower costs for drivers in Arizona and across the country. Families in Maricopa and Pinal counties have been paying more because Arizona is forced to rely on a costly boutique fuel produced by only a limited number of refineries. I have been raising concerns for months about California refinery closures, supply disruptions, and the risk that these actions pose to Arizona drivers. This is an important step, but it is only temporary. I will keep fighting for long-term solutions that expand supply, lower costs, and protect Arizona drivers from future shortages and price spikes.”

In January, Majority Whip Willoughby reached out to EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy to begin discussions on emergency fuel relief options for summer 2026 and longer-term reforms to Arizona’s boutique-fuel requirements. She warned that Arizona’s dependence on out-of-state supply, combined with refinery closures in California, was increasing the risk of shortages and price spikes.

Willoughby has also led a focused legislative effort this session to lower fuel costs and improve supply for Arizona drivers, including HB 2400 to suspend the state’s 18-cent gas tax on summer fuel in Maricopa and Pinal counties, HB 2401 to require regular review of lower-cost fuel options that still meet federal air quality standards, HB 2696 to expand long-term infrastructure such as additional pipelines and in-state refining capacity, and HB 2955 to move Arizona away from its costly boutique-fuel mandate and toward a more widely available fuel standard.

Those reforms remain important even after today’s EPA action because the federal waiver is temporary and Arizona’s underlying fuel-supply vulnerability remains. EPA said the waiver will begin May 1, initially run through May 20, with extensions possible if conditions warrant.

Julie Willoughby is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 13 in Chandler, Gilbert, and Sun Lakes. She also serves as the House Majority Whip. Follow her on X at @JWilloughbyAZ.