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RFA identifies opportunities, roadblocks in Ag Innovation Agenda

The Renewable Fuels Association has responded to the USDA’s request for comment on its Agriculture Innovation Agenda.

Jessica Bennett, vice president of government and external affairs, says RFA is appreciative of USDA putting forth the agenda and requesting stakeholder comments. 

“The Ag Innovation Agenda calls for Increased biofuel feedstock production and biofuel production efficiency and competitiveness to achieve market-driven blend rates of E15 in 2030 and E30 in 2050 which we were really excited to see given those are targets we’ve been working toward for some time,” she says.

She tells Brownfield RFA identified opportunities for the industry.

“Such stimulating more demand and reducing more emissions from the current RFS policy along with USDA continuing their investments in infrastructure to expand higher blends,” she says.

Other areas include increasing productivity in crops and ethanol to meet volume requirements sustainably, facilitating greater demand from future policy, and adopting carbon capture, sequestration, and utilization technologies

Bennett says RFA also identified some roadblocks that the USDA could help address including providing Reid Vapor Pressure parity for all ethanol blends, revising E15 fuel survey and labeling requirements, and revising EPA’s lifecycle greenhouse gas analysis of corn ethanol. 

Audio: Jessica Bennett