A Need for Certainty
Industry representatives engage Washington
at annual Biofuels Summit
More than 150 leaders from almost every biofuel-producing
state in the United States attended Growth Energy’s Biofuels
Summit, the association’s annual advocacy conference in
Washington, D.C., which was held September 11-14, 2017.
Biofuel industry members had 240 meetings with congressional
representatives and their staffs to urge support for protecting
the Renewable Fuel Standard’s (RFS) renewable volume
obligations for 2018. Growth Energy once again encouraged
representatives to approve a legislative fix for the Reid Vapor
Pressure (RVP) restriction that places barriers on consumers’
fuel choices during summer months.
Growth Energy representatives also voiced their concerns
about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)
apparent backpedaling on advanced biofuels
and cellulosic biofuel production,
recommending targets lower than
those finalized in 2017. “The industry
According to the
needs to have certainty about
EPA, by 2022 the
blending targets,” said Emily Skor,
Renewable Fuel Standard
CEO of Growth Energy. “It’s critical
will reduce carbon
to our progress.”
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pollution by
138 metric tons.
Biofuel industry representatives
reiterated the facts that the RFS is
lowering the country’s dependence
on foreign oil, improving air quality,
and providing consumers with more
affordable fuel options that also are good for
engine performance.
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How was the message received? “We had mostly positive
feedback,” Skor said. “We will continue to communicate with
our members this fall and gather input from them about their
meetings with congressional members and staffs.”
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