Biofuels Under Attack

Biofuels Under Attack

Biofuels Under Attack. I’m Greg Martin as Line On Agriculture presents the Harvest Clean Energy Report.

You’d think that by helping to develop alternative fuels that help ease the burden of our energy needs, the bio fuels industry would be welcomed with open arms. Matt Carr, Managing Director of the Industrial & Environmental Section of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the Washington, DC-based trade association for the biotechnology industry says that just isn’t the case.

CARR: We’re seeing some pretty serious attacks on really fundamental policy foundation for developing advanced biofuels here in the U.S., the Renewable Fuels Standard. We’re seeing attacks from the petroleum refiners and some of the large multi-national food companies taking aim at the renewable fuels standard and we see this really as a direct threat to the economic security of rural America and that’s why we’re sounding the alarm on this.

Carr explains.

CARR: The petroleum refiners have put in a petition to the EPA asking EPA to release them from their obligations under the Renewable Fuels Standard so the RFS asks all the fuels suppliers in the country to blend in biofuels in increasing volumes year after year and the petroleum refiners are asking the EPA to let them out of their obligation for the most promising biofuels, the so called cellulosic biofuels that are made from next generation feedstocks, purpose grown energy crops and waste products.

The biofuels industry is just beginning to mature and become a very viable industry.

CARR: Well that’s exactly why we’re so concerned. We’re really on the cusp of seeing a whole new wave of biofuels facilities come online. We’ve had the first generation - biofuels developers have really taken that first step brought us to the point now where ethanol, primarily from corn represents 10% of the gasoline market.

Its the next generation fuels that are really under fire and Carr says people need to act.

CARR: We’re writing to EPA on behalf of our roughly 100 member companies who are developing these biofuels and we’re saying please don’t let the oil refiners off the hook. Hold them accountable and we urge every American to do the same. Write to EPA, email them, send them a letter and say that you believe in the RFS and the importance of this policy and their enforcement of it.

For additional information on clean energy, visit harvestcleanenergy.org. That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.???www.harvestcleanenergy.org 

Previous ReportWhere's Winter?
Next ReportSoilWeb