RFS meeting its goals, BIO analysis shows

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2015 - Over the past decade, the Renewable Fuel Standard’s (RFS) requirement to substitute biofuels for fossil fuels has displaced almost 1.9 billion barrels of foreign oil and reduced U.S. transportation-related carbon emissions by 589 million metric tons, according to a Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) analysis.

Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section, said the analysis shows that the RFS has “demonstrably achieved” the goals set by Congress when President George W. Bush signed the RFS into law 10 years ago this month. Those goals were to reduce reliance on foreign oil and lower carbon emissions from the transportation sector.

“The total reduction in carbon emissions achieved under the program is equal to removing more than 124 million cars from the road over the decade,” Erickson said. He went on to say that it was “unfortunate” that the EPA has delayed issuing new rules for the program and is now proposing to halt growth in the biofuel market.

“The agency’s delay will continue to allow fossil fuels to be used when cleaner, lower carbon biofuels are available, reversing some of the progress made in the past 10 years,” he said. EPA should put the RFS “back on track,” the analysis concludes.

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