U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced legislation on June 16 to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
Under the RFS, the Environmental Protection Agency sets the volumes of ethanol and biodiesel that are required to be blended into the U.S. transportation fuel supply. The EPA has overstepped its authority and has mismanaged the fuel standard, missing deadlines for the 2014 and 2015 RFS regulations.
According to Cassidy, the EPA’s mandates overestimate how much ethanol consumers will purchase and the fuel supply can handle, threatening jobs by driving up costs for producers, refiners, farmers and families. He also cited the “food or fuel” debate in his announcement which claims the EPA mandate has led to price increases on corn-based products and meat products produced using corn feed. And, that the RFS also ignores market demand, causing thousands of barrels of ethanol to go to waste.
Cassidy has previously called on Congress to reexamine the mandate, which he stated has hurt Louisiana’s seafood industry, contributing to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico and threatening manufacturing jobs.
Cassidy released the following statement: “Workers, refiners, producers, farmers and ranchers across the country are affected by the Renewable Fuel Standard. More mandates mean less jobs. It means families are paying more for gas and groceries. American energy production is increasing and fuel efficient technologies are improving. Our workers need policies that help move our energy, farming and manufacturing industries forward—that starts by repealing the RFS.”
