Too much time has passed since Congress has changed the Renewable Fuel Standard and it’s time to re-examine the program, lawmakers said Wednesday.
In a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s energy and power subcommittee, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle said it’s far past time to revise the Renewable Fuel Standard. The standard is the annual congressionally mandated amount of biofuel, usually corn ethanol, added to the nation’s gasoline supply.
Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, said the law must be updated to reflect the realities of the current energy sector.
“The 2007-era assumptions of increasing gasoline demands turned out to be far too optimistic and the volumes that were set forth in the statute do not come close to recognizing today’s market reality when it comes to gasoline demand,” he said.
That’s important because the Environmental Protection Agency, which administers the program, is legally required to mandate that certain amounts of biofuel be added to gasoline, rather than requiring a certain percentage of the nation’s fuel be biofuel.
The oil industry argues that this practice will end up harming vehicle engines because it will push past the blend wall, the point at which oil companies say having too much ethanol in gasoline will damage an engine. Biofuel groups say about two-thirds of vehicles on the road have that kind of damage covered in their warranties.
But, that doesn’t account for many of the other gasoline-powered devices being damaged by ethanol, said Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt.
Welch, who is working with Flores on bipartisan legislation to keep the EPA from introducing more biofuel into the market than is necessary, brought out a carburetor to show how biofuel can dirty a motorcycle’s engine as compared to pure gasoline. He said the Renewable Fuel Standard is hurting normal Americans by breaking their machines.
“The RFS mandate has been a well-intended flop,” he said. “It has not helped the environment, it has hurt it. It has increased food costs in this country and in foreign countries, and it has done an immense amount of engine damage to everyday folks who want to use chainsaws, who want to use lawnmowers, who want to use boat motors.”
Welch added that one of his own chainsaws was ruined from biofuel dirtying the engine.
Janet McCabe, the acting administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation for the EPA, said the agency would be willing to work with Congress on any legislative changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard, but added that she thinks the program is working well.
In May, the EPA proposed adding 18.8 billion gallons of renewable fuel to gasoline in 2017, up from 18.1 billion this year. The proposal would increase the amount of ethanol in gasoline by 300 million gallons and increase the amount of advanced renewable fuel by almost 400 million gallons, according to the EPA.
McCabe said she thought the new amounts were workable. While she dodged questions about whether the law is necessary, due to ethanol’s continued presence in the market with or without the Renewable Fuel Standard, McCabe said the EPA is just trying to do what Congress wants.
“We believe that these proposed volumes are achievable, and consistent with Congress’ clear intent to drive renewable fuel use,” she said, “even as we propose to use the waiver authorities that Congress provided EPA to manage the program responsibly.”
