Washington, DC – Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra says the renewable fuel recommendations from the Biden Administration are a combination of positives and negatives.
Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, supports the EPA’s recommended ethanol production mandate.
In the past, the federal government granted some oil refineries waivers, so they did not have to blend ethanol into gasoline. Feenstra says one downside of the E-P-A’s plan is the agency is recommending the production goal for soybean-based biodiesel remain the same for the next three years.
The EPA is also proposing a new program for electric vehicle manufacturers. It basically would create renewable fuel credits for the electricity used to make EVs.
Others have suggested the electric vehicle industry could be an ally to ag interests battling the oil industry’s aim to get rid of the Renewable Fuel Standard. The EPA will host a virtual hearing on January 10th to give the public a chance to comment on its three-year plan related to ethanol, biodiesel and electric vehicle production.