If Oklahoma U.S. Sen. James Lankford gets his way, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard program will be history. At a recent hearing of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal management, the Senator said it’s time Congress repealed the entire RFS program.
“The ethanol Renewable Fuel Standard mandates have been unrealistic from the start, and that is exactly what this week’s GAO report affirmed,” said the Senator as he chaired the subcommittee hearing. He referred to a report form the Government Accountability Office that indicated the RFS program was not likely to meet its targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding the US renewable fuels sector.
“The EPA’s inability to release ethanol fuel blend requirements has created significant uncertainty and great challenges for blenders and biofuel producers,” continued the Senator. “The RFS program isn’t meeting the greenhouse gas emission goals, it is unsustainable, and it yields few benefits while it has inflicted substantial costs on consumers. The renewable fuel standard mandate simply doesn’t work.”
Listen to Sen. Lankford’s opening remarks at the Senate subcommittee hearing.