Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor participated in the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit hearing titled “A Look at the Renewable Economy in Rural America.” In her testimony, Skor spoke on the biofuel sector’s important role in driving economic growth and achieving our nation’s climate goals.
“Renewable fuels like ethanol remain the single most affordable and abundant source of low-carbon motor fuel on the planet – and are critical to meeting carbon reduction goals today,” Skor told lawmakers.
During her testimony, Skor emphasized the importance of swift action on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rulemaking on long-overdue annual Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
“A strong RFS will reduce carbon emissions and provide a steady market for U.S. grain,” said Skor. “The annual blending requirements are woefully delayed, and in recent weeks, unsettling media reports indicate that EPA may turn its back on greater biofuel blending. It is critical for ethanol producers and suppliers that EPA immediately propose 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels for 2021 and 2022. The Biden Administration simply cannot meet its climate goals while rolling back low-carbon biofuel blending requirements,” noted Skor.
Moving forward, she urged the Biden administration and Congress to support a strong RFS, accelerated nationwide use of higher blends like E15, accurate carbon modeling of ethanol to better reflect the most current data, sustainable farming innovations, and carbon intensity reductions at our biorefineries, and incentives that provide producers with strong policy signals to further reduce biofuels’ carbon intensity and expand to new transportation markets.
Read Skor’s oral testimony as prepared for delivery here.
Read Skor’s written testimony here.
