RFS Critics Say EPA 'Triennial' Report Bolsters Attacks On Fuels Program

摘要

Critics of EPA's renewable fuel standard (RFS) and its reliance on food-based biofuels says the agency's recently released second "triennial" report on the program's environmental impacts bolsters their claims about the RFS' flaws, saying it proves significant harm and justifies shifting the program's focus to overhauling or terminating it.Biofuels groups, however, says that all forms of energy have some negative environmental impact, and that the report fails to show that conventional gasoline has far worse impacts than fuels covered by the RFS.The dispute over the report's findings marks the latest in a long-running battle over the RFS, which sets annual production goals for renewable and alternative fuels that have lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than conventional gasoline. Biofuels groups say the program's fuel production targets are too low, while the oil sector says they are too high, yet Congress is unable to reach agreement on steps to reform or repeal the program.In addition, tentative steps by EPA to pursue administrative short-term revisions to the RFS appear stalled for now, after the two Republican senators from corn state Iowa pushed back on the plan.