Aug. 8 marks the 15-year anniversary of Congress enacting the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program authorized under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and expanded under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) in 2007. American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings released the following statement on the overall success of the program over its 15-year history, but also the mismanagement of the RFS by the Environmental Protection Agency:
“Congress was right to enact the Renewable Fuel Standard because it has indeed resulted in cleaner air, lower priced fuel for motorists, and economic development in rural America. Since the RFS was signed into law, the ethanol industry has experienced improved market share and a growing number of co-products, as well as technology innovations that have driven efficiencies and shrunk the carbon footprints of plants. Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency has turned the keys of the program over to refiners, who have taken the RFS on a joy ride which has limited the program’s upside potential.
“This is why in addition to constantly defending and protecting the RFS, ACE has been laying the strategic groundwork necessary to leverage ethanol’s low carbon value in the market through new clean fuel policies at the state and federal level.
“We will continue working to get the RFS back on track while also proactively promoting new clean fuel policy solutions to further benefit our climate, drivers, and rural economy.”
ACE is powered by people who have built an innovative industry that sustainably delivers clean fuel and valuable food for a growing world. These farmers, ranchers, Main Street businesses, scientists, investors, and renewable fuel producers work together to inform consumers and elected officials that in addition to helping keep gas prices low, creating jobs, improving the economy, displacing foreign oil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, ethanol delivers a great deal of human good.
