As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to finalize 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) to meet the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), Representatives Bob Goodlatte (VA-6), Jim Costa (CA-16), Steve Womack (AR-3), and Peter Welch (VT-AL) announced today that 218 Members of the House of Representatives have expressed concerns regarding the current ethanol mandate:

“There is one thing a bipartisan majority of Members of the House can agree upon – there is a serious problem with the RFS.  It is telling that 218 members from both sides of the aisle, representing communities across the nation, have spoken out against the current RFS and called for reform.  The flawed ethanol mandate has a real impact on the American economy, and legislation in the House to reform the RFS has drawn the support of more the 50 organizations representing a diverse range of issues.  There is clearly a growing appetite to reform the ethanol mandate, and it is time for the EPA to address lawmakers’ concerns.  Any day now, the EPA is expected to announce the final rule governing 2014 RFS levels.  As the final rule is written, we urge Administrator McCarthy to carefully consider the concerns of a majority of House lawmakers in any decision and take action to reduce the burden of the RFS for 2014.”  

In April 2013, Reps. Goodlatte, Costa, Womack, and Welch introduced H.R. 1462, the RFS Reform Act, which eliminates corn-based ethanol requirements, caps the amount of ethanol that can be blended into conventional gasoline at 10 percent, and requires the EPA to set cellulosic biofuels levels at production levels.  In October, they sent a letter signed by 169 Members of the House to the EPA requesting a reduction of RFS levels for this year. 

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