Grassley, Bipartisan Group of Senators Call for Strong Renewable Fuel Standard

As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) works toward finalizing its proposed rule on biofuels volume requirements for 2014 and subsequent years under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Thune (R-SD), Al Franken (D-MN), and Mark Kirk (R-IL) are leading a bipartisan group of 37 senators in calling for a strong RFS. The EPA's latest proposal would create uncertainty for ethanol and biodiesel producers and undermine job creation. In a letter to the EPA, the senators urged the agency to reverse course from the 2014 proposed rule and maintain a strong RFS to drive innovation and growth in America's economy while helping reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

"The RFS has already proven to be an effective driver of alternative fuels and economic development," the senators wrote. "It has strengthened agriculture markets and created hundreds of thousands of jobs in the new energy economy, many of which are in rural areas. The biofuels volume requirements for 2014 and beyond have serious implications for our economy and energy security. We encourage you to ensure a final proposal continues to work toward achieving the RFS's long-term economic and renewable energy goals."

The RFS requires that transportation fuel sold in the United States contain an increasing amount of renewable fuel each year through 2022. While the volume of biofuels that transportation fuel must contain each year has already been set by Congress, the EPA proposed a lower level than Congress intended for 2014. The EPA recently stated it will finalize the biofuels volumes for 2014, 2015, and 2016 by November 30, 2015, but it has not indicated what the volume levels will be. Once the EPA finalizes the required 2014 level, refineries will be able to determine whether they met last year's biofuels requirements or need to purchase additional renewable fuel credits in order to come into compliance. Moving forward, the senators are calling on the EPA to ensure that the RFS continues to drive further adoption of biofuels.

Last year, the senators met with EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and sent a letter to McCarthy with 25 other colleagues to urge changes to the administration's proposed 2014 RFS rule, which would hurt the nation's agriculture economy and energy security.

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