On Sept. 7, the Bush administration proposed a Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) Program designed to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil by doubling the use of renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. The program, authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, will promote use of fuels largely produced by American crops. The new regulation proposes that 3.71 percent of all the gasoline sold or dispensed to U.S. motorists in 2007 be renewable fuel. Last December, EPA issued a rule implementing the Energy Policy Act's default standard of 2.78 percent for 2006, which will continue to apply through this calendar year. The RFS program is designed to cut petroleum use by approximately 3.9 billion gallons a year in 2012 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 14 million tons annually.
"Consumers will be better served if the market, rather than politics, determines future use of fuel-blending components, including renewables. Given widespread agreement that there will be a continuing need for these materials in the future, as there is today, government intervention to mandate their inclusion only raises the cost of manufacturing the nation's gasoline and diesel supplies," Slaughter said.
For more information on the proposal, go to http://www.epa.gov/otaq/renewablefuels.
Read the full story in Environmental Protection magazine.
