Ethanol industry advocate Growth Energy praised the introduction of the Defend the Blend Act in the U.S. Senate by a bipartisan group of legislators this week. The bill seeks to prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from retroactively reducing Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs), which the agency issues to establish the amount of renewable energy available to consumers the following year.
Last week, EPA released its draft rule that would lower conventional ethanol volume to 12.5 billion gallons for 2020, retroactively waiving 2.96 billion gallons from what was set for 2020 almost two years ago.
Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor expressed that lowering 2020 RVOs would “impact the entire fuel supply chain, including the farmers, producers, blenders, retailers and responsible refiners who based business decisions on final requirements in place for some time.”
Skor thanked Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.; and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; for introducing the Defend the Blend Act in the U.S. Senate. The legislation would prevent the EPA from retroactively reducing past RVOs, which have already been finalized.
Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor
“We’re grateful to Senators Klobuchar, Grassley, Duckworth and Ernst for introducing the Defend the Blend Act in the Senate, legislation that would offer more certainty in the marketplace, especially after EPA’s recent proposal to retroactively lower 2020 RVOs,” said Skor. “The Renewable Fuel Standard was put into place to blend more low-carbon biofuels into our nation’s transportation fuel supply, and it includes a built-in mechanism that adjusts for changes in fuel demand. Retroactively reducing RVO levels is completely unwarranted and unnecessary, adds uncertainty to the marketplace, and exceeds EPA’s legal authority.”
The Senate legislation is a companion bill to the Defend the Blend Act that was previously introduced in the U.S. House by Reps. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa; Rodney Davis, R-Ill.; Angie Craig, D-Minn.; and Ron Kind, D-Wis.
Growth Energy represents producers and supporters of ethanol working to bring consumers better choices at the fuel pump, grow America’s economy and improve the environment for future generations.
