Grassley Urges EPA to Increase Volumes Under the Renewable Fuel Standard, Says Low Levels Will Undermine Next Generation Fuels, Increase Dependence on Foreign Oil
By Senator Chuck Grassley.
en. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to revise and increase its proposed volume obligations for renewable biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2014, 2015, and 2016.
“The RFS has added value to agriculture markets and energized many rural economies across Iowa and the nation,” Grassley wrote to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “It has helped create hundreds of thousands of jobs while lowering prices for consumers at the pump while reducing emissions. It has also increased our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
“Unfortunately, the EPA’s proposal will undermine these efforts. While I recognize the proposal is a modest improvement over the previous proposed rule, without significant improvements, the proposal will lead to job losses and will increase our dependence on foreign oil. It will harm the development of next generation and cellulosic fuels and weaken efforts to build out renewable fuels infrastructure.”