Lankford-Requested GAO Reports Prove RFS Standard Is Unrealistic and Ineffective

Press Release

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released two reports requested by Senator James Lankford (R-OK) a year ago on the long term feasibility of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. The first report shows that the RFS program is unlikely to meet its targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding the US renewable fuels sector. The second report shows that low expected production volumes make it unlikely that advanced biofuels can meet increasing targets.

On Thursday, at 2:30pm ET, Lankford will chair a Senate Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management hearing to examine both of these reports.

"The renewable fuel standard mandates are unrealistic and have caused higher fuel prices for consumers," said Lankford. "The RFS mandate is unattainable, so it has led to arbitrary EPA regulations, uncertainty and great challenges for refiners and biofuel producers. The RFS is typical of many federal programs where expectations are not met, yet we continue down a path of federal mandates instead of simply recognizing that the directive will not work. We should repeal the RFS and allow ethanol producers to continue to provide their quality product to the market without the mandates, billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, and artificial RIN markets."

The report also shows that advanced biofuels--fuels that achieve the most greenhouse gas reductions--aren't being produced at the necessary levels, and they likely will not be by 2022. Also, less than 5 percent of the 3 billion gallon cellulosic advanced biofuel RFS target was produced in 2015, and additional investments for commercialization seem unlikely.

Source