PYLE: EPA's Biofuel Fix Is Only a Band-Aid

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released today its 2014 requirements for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The proposed rule scales back the ethanol mandate to the 2012 level of 15.2 billion gallons, down from 16.55 billion gallons in 2013. American Energy Alliance President Thomas Pyle released the following statement in response to the announcement:

“The American Energy Alliance welcomes today’s better-late-than-never announcement that the EPA will scale back the ethanol mandate for next year. With this ruling, even the EPA now recognizes that this program is flawed and fails to take into account existing market realities. Today’s action by the EPA, however, does not take away the need for Congress to act quickly to repeal the law. With this ruling, the “blend wall” may not immediately be hit, but the real problems for consumers have not gone away.

“With this RPS ruling, the EPA is still requiring the production of millions of gallons of phantom cellulosic biofuel, an 800 percent increase from the 2013 levels that were actually produced. Further, the 2.2 billion gallon mandate for “advanced biofuel” is especially absurd considering the practical result is we are merely swapping Brazilian sugarcane ethanol with U.S corn based ethanol in the marketplace.

“If the purpose of the RFS was to to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, it is certainly no longer necessary to worry about that given we are poised to become the world’s number one producer of oil. If the purpose of the RFS was to help the environment, we also know that is doing quite the opposite. In fact, the only ones benefiting from this program are lobbyists for the corn and biofuels industries who falsely claim they are fighting for rural states, farmers, and a cleaner energy source when in reality they are merely lining their pockets with Americans’ tax dollars.  The renewable fuels standard has driven up the cost of both food and fuels, and distorted energy markets to the disadvantage of American consumers.

“The EPA decision today is not a fix, but a band-aid. Congress must work immediately to fully repeal this bad law.”

For an analysis on the 2014 RFS proposal, click here.