Nearly a dozen years have passed since Congress enacted the Renewable Fuel Standard, a bipartisan initiative that has been working steadily in the background to transform America’s energy mix, ensure competition at the fuel pump, clean our air and provide greater energy security. It is no accident that spikes in the cost of fuel have become further and farther between, despite near ceaseless turmoil in many regions of the world. Oil production has played a role, but we’ve also become the world leader in biofuels, which helps to diminish the impact of rising crude imports from places like Iraq and Nigeria.
Each summer, the Environmental Protection Agency accepts comments from the public before laying down final targets for how much renewable energy will be available to consumers in the year ahead. The window for comments is now open, until August 31, and I urge my fellow Americans to join me in telling regulators to set ambitious goals that will accelerate our progress toward clean, homegrown biofuels that promote self-reliance and reduce the distortion of U.S. national security policy caused by our dependence on imported oil.
Biofuels, like ethanol, are already blended into 97 percent of U.S. motor fuel. Their production also supports hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs, particularly in rural communities where declining farm income has pushed many hard-working families to the brink. Thanks to responsible policies like the Renewable Fuel Standard, American drivers finally can choose to use fuel that’s produced above the ground, not below it. And this isn’t just good for our national security — it’s good for the climate, as well.
According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture, corn-based ethanol produced in America’s heartland reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent, compared to gasoline. And the carbon reduction potential for advanced biofuels can be 100 percent or more. Consumers are catching on to these benefits, and demand for higher blends like E15 (gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol) has swelled. Today, there are over 900 gas stations selling E15 in 29 states, where the fuel often sells for up to 10 cents less than other blends.
The renewable standard makes this all possible, and while it is encouraging that the EPA’s initial proposal would preserve corn-based ethanol targets at 15 billion gallons in 2018, that goal must still withstand an avalanche of pressure from fossil fuel companies. Moreover, the EPA proposed to cut goals for cellulosic and advanced biofuels, which sends a chilling signal to investors in second-generation biofuels. These investments are imperative for our nation to continue building on innovations in first-generation ethanol and to drive new, exciting growth opportunities in rural America, where both grain and cellulosic material, like cobs and stalks, are abundant.
These advancements in technology have always played a major role in ensuring that our military is the greatest force in the world, and that our Armed Forces are ready to tackle every challenge. Just last year, America’s Navy deployed the Great Green Fleet, a carrier strike group powered by biofuels. It represents the latest efforts to keep our war fighters moving, even if gasoline supplies become unreliable. We cannot afford to let up in the drive for innovation.
Homegrown fuels also serve to combat the global unrest and security challenges posed by climate change. No other federal policy has done more to reduce U.S. emissions. That’s why lawmakers, consumers, farmers, scientists, workers, environmentalists and veterans should join together and urge the EPA to protect conventional ethanol goals, and raise final targets for advanced biofuels in 2018.
Gen. Wesley K. Clark, former NATO Supreme Commander, is a board member of Growth Energy, an organization of ethanol supporters.
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