IRFA Encourages Biofuels Supporters to Make Their Voices Heard on Proposed RFS Levels
July 24, 2017
Contact: Cassidy Riley
515-252-6249
Comment period ends August 31st
JOHNSTON, IOWA – The EPA recently launched the comment period for the proposed 2018 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) levels for conventional (corn) ethanol and advanced biofuels and the 2019 level for biodiesel. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) is calling on all biofuels supporters to participate and has launched an online portal to make it easy to be heard.
“The good news with this proposed rule is the President kept his promise to protect corn ethanol by maintaining the 15-billion-gallon statutory level,” said IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw. “But we are by no means taking that for granted. Big Oil will be fighting to lower the corn ethanol number in the final rule so we need to flood the EPA with supportive comments.
“And we must fight to raise the biodiesel level. The proposal to flatline biodiesel at 2.1 billion gallons is far below the 2.9 billion gallons of biomass-based diesel consumed in 2016. With many Iowa plants running below capacity, there is no doubt the U.S. biodiesel industry can easily outproduce the current proposal.”
Renewable fuels champions wishing to sign a petition supporting ethanol or biodiesel can go to iowarfa.org/rfs. The comment period sunsets on August 31st.
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association represents the state’s liquid renewable fuels industry and works to foster its growth. Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production with 43 ethanol refineries capable of producing 4 billion gallons annually – including nearly 55 million gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production capacity – and 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce over 350 million gallons annually. For more information, visit the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association website at: www.IowaRFA.org.
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