Posted June 24, 2014
Congressman James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the “Phantom Fuels Elimination Act” that would repeal the corn ethanol mandate under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), according to a National Hog Farmer article by Scott Shearer available here. Ethanol Producer Magazine also published an article available hereand Lankford issued a statement available here.
The legislation would require the remaining mandate to be fulfilled with domestically produced fuels, such as biodiesel, advanced biofuel, and cellulosic biofuel.
In a statement released by his office, Lankford claimed the RFS is “needlessly overburdening American consumers, energy refiners and producers.”
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) spoke out against the bill stating it is a “short-sighted effort to undercut the continued growth of renewable fuels by eviscerating the [RFS],” according to Ethanol Producer Magazine.
“Ethanol puts money back in the hands of consumers, including Rep. Lankford’s constituents in Oklahoma. The rationale behind this legislation is baseless. This phantom exists and is haunting Rep. Lankford’s increasingly scared oil industry,” Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the RFA, said.
The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) required energy refiners to increase the amount of ethanol required to blend into gasoline. The EISA also outlined gradual increases in the additive mandates in the futures, which was based on the assumptions that Americans would consume more gasoline in the future, according to Lankford’s statement.
“My bill will hopefully solve yet another problem caused by this Administration’s blind insistence that ‘Washington knows best.’ If the demand for ethanol-based gasoline is there, the American consumer will demand it. However, our government can best help us reach North American energy independence by allowing the American energy industry to continue to do its job without unworkable regulations like the RFS,” Lankford said.
For a copy of the Phantom Fuels Elimination Act, please click here.
For more information on the Renewable Energy, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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