NCGA supports senators' efforts on Renewable Fuel Standard

Leaders with the National Corn Growers Association recently applauded 39 senators in a bipartisan group who wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency about the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2017.

The letter asked the EPA to guarantee the positive outcomes of the final blending targets in the standard. They argued the standard should encourage the prosperity of the American biofuel industry and support economic opportunity. If not, U.S. businesses will begin to invest more in overseas operations.

“U.S. corn farmers thank these leaders for their work to ensure the EPA finalizes a more robust RFS that returns the program to statutory levels,” the NCGA said. “NCGA challenges the assumptions used by the Agency in setting the 2017 conventional biofuels targets as well as its authority to reduce the levels under current circumstances.”

The letter is because of the EPA’s 2017 proposal that required refiners to mix 14.8 billion gallons of conventional biofuels (like ethanol) in the upcoming year. This amount doesn’t uphold the 15 billion gallon standard that Congress has established.

“America’s corn farmers and ethanol refiners have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to reach the 15-billion-gallon statutory volume in a sustainable, cost-effective manner,” the letter said. “With USDA projecting another record corn crop and carryover levels not seen for decades, America’s farmers have met the challenge Congress put forth to produce enough corn to feed and fuel the nation. Now, the EPA should follow the statutory requirements and carryout the will of Congress as well.”