Washington, DC — “How about ethanol and biodiesel?” That’s essentially the question that the Iowa Congressional Delegation is asking right now in response to record gas prices.
Congressman Randy Feenstra of Hull has led Senator Chuck Grassley, Senator Joni Ernst, Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks , Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, and Congresswoman Cindy Axne in sending a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan urging the Biden Administration to prioritize American energy independence amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine and record-high fuel prices at home.
As the top ethanol-producing state in the nation, the lawmakers are specifically requesting that the Administration promote and incorporate Iowa-made ethanol and other biofuels in an American energy strategy that significantly reduces U.S. reliance on foreign oil and gas imports.
In their letter to Administrator Regan, the lawmakers wrote, “According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Russia ranks as the world’s third-largest producer of petroleum and other liquid fuels, producing an average of 10.5 million barrels per day in 2020. The United States and our allies across the globe are now looking to decrease our reliance on Russian oil. As conflict continues in the region, we urge the Biden administration to expand the production and potential export of domestic ethanol and biodiesel to meet global energy needs.”
The lawmakers say that as a domestically produced, renewable fuel source, ethanol and other biofuels strengthen our national security and achieve the Administration’s climate goals. They continue, “Bolstering our domestic energy production through policies that prioritize the increased use of America’s ethanol and other biofuels will ensure a reliable and stable source of energy for years to come.”
In light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the entire Iowa Republican delegation has explicitly called on the Biden Administration to cease all imports of Russian oil, gas, and other fuels and resume drilling leases on federal land. President Biden has since rejected such demands and maintains that his Administration will continue to purchase Russian oil and gas, while curtailing domestic energy production.
You can read the full letter HERE.
