Ethanol Supporters Send Warning To Congress Regarding RFS

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The fight over the Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates the use of biofuels like ethanol, has shifted to the halls of Congress, with farm and ethanol groups warning lawmakers that changing the mandate could impede investment in biofuels and hurt the rural economy.

Opponents of the Renewable Fuel Standard, led by the American Petroleum Institute, have called for Congress to repeal or drastically reform the measure. They say the biofuels targets are unattainable because Americans have not shown an interest in gas with higher blends of ethanol, motorists are driving less, and cars have become more efficient since the standards were set in 2007.

Farm and renewable fuel industry groups are rallying to defend the renewable fuel mandate, which is the foundation of Nebraska’s ethanol industry.

Earlier this month, dozens of biofuel and agriculture groups sent a letter to Congress urging members of the House to reject efforts to amend, repeal, defund, or interfere with the Renewable Fuel Standard. The American Farm Bureau Federation issued a similar letter.

The letters to Congress specifically mentioned comments made by Republican Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia, who has said he plans to offer an amendment to the 2016 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2822) that would defund implementation of the measure by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Last month, the EPA released a Renewable Fuel Standard proposal through 2016, plus requirements for biodiesel in 2017. The standard sets how much biofuel has to be used in the U.S., and corn-based ethanol is one of the most popular fuels for meeting those benchmarks. The EPA plans to finalize the proposals by November.

The proposals would reduce targets set by Congress, which EPA officials have said are unrealistic.

Ethanol supporters have criticized the EPA, saying it revised the standards too low, and higher targets can be met by promoting fuel with higher ethanol blends. 

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