WASHINGTON, DC — Following the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) press conference announcing the misleading, cherry-picked data cooked up by the Coordinating Research Council (CRC) on E15, Tom Buis CEO of Growth Energy released the following statement:
“Today’s study is no surprise. This is a classic example of ‘he, who pays the piper, calls the tune.’ Oil companies are desperate to prevent the use of higher blends of renewable fuels. They have erected every regulatory and legal roadblock imaginable to prevent our nation from reducing our dependence on oil. For Big Oil, this is about market share. To see what’s driving them, ‘follow the money,’ as every gallon of renewable fuel that enters the market reduces Big Oil’s market share. Obviously they have deep pockets in which to fund studies that can at best be described as incomplete and cherry picking.
“While CRC cites a lack of testing, the reality is that E15 is the most tested fuel to date, with more than six million miles of testing by the Department of Energy and over three million miles run on the demanding race tracks of NASCAR without any engine problems or damage.
“In fact, the Department of Energy strongly rebuked the original CRC study on E15 last year noting, ‘The CRC failed to establish a proper control group, a standard component of scientific, data-driven testing and a necessity to determine statistical significance for any results…We believe the choice of test engines, test cycle, limited fuel selection, and failure criteria of the CRC program resulted in unreliable and incomplete data, which severely limits the utility of the study.’
“E15 is voluntary and it provides consumers with savings and choice at the pump. It is a higher performance fuel, with increased octane levels and is less expensive and cleaner burning than traditional gasoline. It is time Big Oil gets out of the way of progress and supports a free and open marketplace for the consumers they claim to champion.”
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About Growth Energy
Growth Energy represents the producers and supporters of ethanol who feed the world and fuel America in ways that achieve energy independence, improve economic well-being and create a healthier environment for all Americans now. For more information, please visit us at www.GrowthEnergy.org, follow us on Twitter @GrowthEnergy or connect with us on Facebook.