Ethanol and biofuels advocates urge EPA to protect America’s choices at the pump.
Biofuel advocates spoke out during an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) public hearing on proposed 2018 targets under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), held on Aug. 1.
Supporters urged the EPA to make more ethanol and other biofuels available to consumers in next year’s fuel mix to protect America’s choices at the pump, the rural economy, U.S. energy security and the environment.
“I want to thank Administrator Pruitt and the EPA for getting this proposal out in a timely fashion,” said Kim Reynolds, Governor of Iowa. “It’s so important for Iowa farmers and producers, and it’s a welcome change from the past few years. While I am thankful that the corn ethanol level was set at the statutorily required 15 billion gallons, I urge the EPA to raise the advanced biofuel, biodiesel and cellulosic volumes. The RFS is a bold policy, and Iowans and the industry as a whole have always risen to the challenge.”
“First and foremost, I commend EPA for its on-time proposal,” said Pete Ricketts, Governor of Nebraska. “The importance of creating certainty and the stability that comes with it cannot be overstated. Releasing these volume proposals in a timely manner allows for planning and stability in the market. We are heartened to see the rule proposed by EPA allows for continued use of 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels to meet RFS requirements. The proposal is consistent with the President’s statements of support for the corn ethanol industry and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s commitment to implement the program in a way that honors Congressional intent.”
“For cellulosic ethanol, there is no question that the task for forecasting volumes for the next calendar year is difficult,” said Jan Koninckx, global business director for advanced biofuels at DuPont Industrial Biosciences. “However, in 2016 and 2017, EPA did a much better job of forecasting the cellulosic volume than for any of the prior years AND this past Friday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed upholding EPA’s process and the outcome. Given this result, there should be no question that EPA must revisit the process used in the current proposal for cellulosic ethanol and follow its own guidance and process used for the 2016 and 2017 cellulosic RVOs.”
“EPA cannot use a methodology that limits future market space to a prior year’s performance,” Brent Erickson, executive vice president of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s (BIO) Industrial and Environmental Section. “That would have a chilling effect on new cellulosic production.”