Iowa Senate Urges Renewable Fuel Standard Support

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Iowa Senate Wednesday passed Resolution 118, which calls for support of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) through 2022.

The bipartisan legislation calls upon the U.S. Congress, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), President Barack Obama and the future president to support the RFS moving forward, which names the legislation — originally introduced in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 — as one of the nation’s single most important policies.

The RFS requires renewable fuel to be blended into transportation fuels in increasing amounts each year, escalating to 36 billion gallons by 2022.

“Under the RFS, renewable fuels have access to a retail market in the face of a vertically integrated petroleum market; and whereas, the RFS represents a congressional promise to American biofuels producers, farmers, communities, and investors that the blend levels of the RFS will increase each year; and whereas, this congressional policy support the RFS will continue to build on the long-term capacity of the renewable fuels industry and will encourage the development of new types of clean fuels,” politicians said in a statement to support Resolution 118.

According to Washington, D.C-based Growth Energy, which represents the producers and supporters of ethanol, the resolution points to the promise made to American biofuels producers, farmers, communities, and investors that blend levels of the RFS will continue to increase through 2022 and calls on the president and the EPA, as well as the future president and administration to continue supporting the policy.

“The RFS has been a tremendously successful bipartisan policy that’s worked to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by producing our own clean American fuel and in leading the innovation of 21st century solutions to our energy needs," said Tom Buis, co-chair of Growth Energy. "We need to keep this momentum going and I commend the Iowa Senate for passing this resolution."