WASHINGTON, DC — Yesterday, the Iowa Senate passed a bipartisan resolution supporting the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) through 2022 by voice vote. The measure calls on the U.S. Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the President, and the next president to support the policy as passed by Congress in 2005. Senate Resolution 118 names the RFS as one of the single most successful energy policies in our nation’s history and goes on to say, “Under the RFS, renewable fuels have access to a retail market in the face of a vertically integrated petroleum market; and whereas, the RFS represents a congressional promise to American biofuels producers, farmers, communities, and investors that the blend levels of the RFS will increase each year; and whereas, this congressional policy support the RFS will continue to build on the long-term capacity of the renewable fuels industry and will encourage the development of new types of clean fuels…”
The resolution serves as a reminder of the benefits of the RFS to the state of Iowa in terms of economic output and the preservation of Iowa’s agricultural way of life. “The RFS has been a tremendously successful bipartisan policy that’s worked to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by producing our own clean American fuel and in leading the innovation of 21st century solutions to our energy needs. We need to keep this momentum going and I commend the Iowa Senate for passing this resolution,” said Tom Buis, co-chair of Growth Energy.
The resolution points to the promise made to American biofuels producers, farmers, communities, and investors that blend levels of the RFS will continue to increase through 2022 and calls on the President and EPA, as well as the future president and administration to continue supporting the policy. It also comes after a Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll conducted by Ann Selzer and Company, which shows an overwhelming majority of Iowans on both sides of the aisle support the RFS with 71% favoring the policy.
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