---

ACE says EPA proposal to reduce RFS betrays commitment to renewable fuels

Posted on 11/15/2013

Sioux Falls, SD (November 15, 2013) – Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President for the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), today issued the following statement after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its’ proposed 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which if finalized would cut ethanol use below levels called for in the law.

“There is nothing positive that can be said about EPA’s proposal to unnecessarily restrict sales of ethanol-blended fuel in 2014.  This proposed rule will increase pump prices, drain billions of dollars from consumer pocketbooks, and transfer billions more to oil company profit statements,” said Jennings. “ EPA’s proposal fundamentally betrays this Administration’s commitment to clean renewable fuels and caves to Big Oil demands to put a ceiling on ethanol use."

“We are deeply disappointed in EPA and will try to help them come to their senses before the final rule is published,by helping the Administration better grasp the role E15 and E85 can play in meeting the 2014 RFS" continued Jennings. “This proposal likely violates the law, would shut down biofuel facilities, put Americans out of work, and chase investment in advanced biofuel overseas to our competitors.” 

“As we said in our October 15 letter to EPA, using the E10 “blend wall” as an excuse to reduce ethanol use rewards oil companies for doing nothing to comply with the RFS or inevitability of higher ethanol blends, and sets a dangerous precedent by taking the teeth out of the most consequential policy Congress has ever enacted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of transportation fuel,” said Jennings. 

---