By Erin Voegele, Biomass Magazine.

On March 8, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., introduced companion bills that aim to dismantle the Renewable Fuel Standard and sunset blending obligations for conventional, advanced, cellulosic, and biomass-based diesel fuels.

The acts, titled the “Growing Renewable Energy through Existing and New Environmentally Responsible Fuels Act,” or more simply, the “GREENER Fuels Act,” would phase out the corn ethanol mandate, cap ethanol blending at 9.7 percent, create a fee of 10 cents per renewable identification number (RIN) to support an environmental initiative, and alter the cellulosic mandate. The National Corn Growers Association and several other groups are speaking out against the bill, with the NCGA noting “this legislation seeks to kill our most successful American renewable energy program.”