Harkin Applauds Actions By Obama And EPA To Expand Biofuels Production And Use

Press Release

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today praised the Obama Administration for forming a cabinet level biofuels working group and issuing a proposed rule to carry out federal regulations for much greater biofuels use in motor fuel. Both are major actions focused on cutting our nation's dependence on imported oil.

"The announcements made today send a positive message to the biofuels industry and show that the Obama administration is serious about addressing our dependence on foreign oil," said Harkin. "Administration Jackson and President Obama have made it clear that they are committed to producing clean, green and safe sources of energy that never run out."

Earlier today, USDA announced that President Obama is creating a Biofuels Interagency Working Group. The group brings together the leaders of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency for the purpose of developing the nation's first comprehensive biofuel market development program, coordinating infrastructure policies impacting the biofuels industry and identifying new policy options to improve the environmental sustainability of biofules feedstock production. President Obama also encouraged Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to take steps to promote biofuels and renewable energy by acting on provisions that Harkin worked to include in the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, the farm bill.

"In forming this working group, President Obama is bringing key leaders together to create a new level of focus on aggressive actions that make full use of, and expand on, the biofuels policies we enacted in the farm bill. These include provisions that make loan guarantees for the development of biorefineries; expedite funding to biofuels producers to encourage production of next-generation biofuels and other non-corn feedstocks; and expand the Rural Energy for America Program," said Harkin.

The second action today was the announcement of a proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) rule signed by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. This rule will take aggressive action towards increasing the supply of renewable fuels to 36 billion gallons by 2022, which will reduce foreign dependence by more than 297 barrels a year. Today's proposed rule intends to address changes to the RFS program as required by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). The rule would establish new specific volume standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel that must be used in transportation fuel each year. The revised statutory requirements also include new definitions and criteria for both renewable fuels and the feedstocks used to produce them, including new greenhouse gas emission (GHG) thresholds for renewable fuels.

"The Renewable Fuel Standard is essential to breaking our over-dependence on oil. To do that, we need new domestic fuels as well as new vehicle technologies. With the RFS, we put ourselves on a clear path of producing and using steadily increasing levels of a variety of biofuels over the next 13 years," said Harkin. "As to the lifecycle greenhouse gas provision of the rule signed today, I am skeptical about the science around it and have previously urged the EPA to make sure that the science is sound before enacting such a provision. I am pleased that their announcement today recognizes the need for a thorough analysis and review of this issue prior to any final decision."

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