News
RFS defended by ethanol groups in House hearing
The leaders of Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association have defended the Renewable Fuels Standard in a draft bill before the House Energy Committee and the environment subcommittee. Emily Skor, Growth Energy CEO says despite mismanagement, the RFS is an overwhelming success and the draft bill does nothing to address the EPA’s failure on refinery waivers, “Repealing the RFS is unnecessary and will further destabilize a struggling farm economy and ethanol sector. Moreover, the draft does nothing to stop the EPA’s continued misuse of the small refinery exemption authority.”
Geoff Cooper, CEO of the RFA, says ending the RFS by 2022 would reduce ethanol demand, “We simply cannot support the RFS program as the draft envisions without a much stronger signal to the market that ethanol’s role in our fuel supply will continue to grow.”
Chet Thompson, president of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, says the RFS, in its current form, is not sustainable and they cannot support an E20 mandate.
Wesley Spurlock, former president of the National Corn Growers Association, NCGA, says not only do farmers benefit from the RFS, consumers and the environment benefit from corn-based ethanol which has 43% lower Greenhouse Gas emissions than gasoline.
The EPA will be given broader discretion in 2022 to set liquid fuel volumes for 2023 and beyond.
AUDIO: Hearing excerpt ~
Add Comment