NFU: EPA’s RFS Obligations Are Another Setback for American Farmers
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released its proposed renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for the year 2020. The proposal would set required biofuel use at 20.04 billion gallons next year, a marginal increase over this year’s 19.92 billion gallons. The difference is almost entirely attributable to an expansion of cellulosic biofuel, from 420 million gallons to 540 million gallons. The rule maintains the current 15 million gallon target for corn ethanol.
The RFS, which is intended to drive investments in American-grown biofuels, is an important mechanism for creating market opportunities for farmers, vitalizing rural economies, establishing energy independence, cutting fuel costs for consumers, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the ongoing misappropriation of RFS small refinery exemptions to multinational corporations has eliminated demand for biofuels by 2.6 billion gallons, thus undermining the efficacy of the program.
National Farmers Union (NFU), a strong proponent of biofuels and the RFS, has repeatedly urged EPA to account for the damage caused by the waivers. NFU President Roger Johnson expressed disappointment that EPA failed not only to factor the lost demand into its proposed RVOs but to increase biofuel use at all.
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National Farmers Union advocates on behalf of nearly 200,000 American farm families and their communities. We envision a world in which farm families and their communities are respected, valued, and enjoy economic prosperity and social justice.
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