Big Oil vs. The RFS: The Fight Fueling the U.S.

May 13, 2016 – By #South Dakota Farmer UnionThere is a saying “You can’t have too much of a good thing.”Isn’t that the truth? For over a decade, America has reaped the benefits related to the success of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The RFS has delivered a decade of job creation, cleaner air, advancements in energy technologies, and has increased our energy independence. Ethanol has played a significant role in that success.

In fact, the ethanol industry directly supports nearly 86,000 jobs, and indirectly supports over 271,000 jobs nationwide. Those numbers alone could validate the success of the RFS. Adding to that, the ethanol industry added $44 billion with a “b” to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015. So with the clear successes of the RFS, and specifically the ethanol industry, how can special interests like the American Petroleum Institute continue to push for legislation that puts up policy roadblocks to hinder such success?

Just recently, legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives that would do just that. This legislation attempts to place a cap on the volume of ethanol blended into gasoline. Essentially, these lawmakers are attempting to mandate the ethanol blend wall. Sponsors of the bill include: Reps. Bill Flores, R-Texas; Peter Welch, D-VT; Bob Goodlatte, R-Va; and Jim Costa, D-Calif.

Proponents argue that we simply have too much ethanol that cannot be safely blended into our nations fuel supply. Yet again, these groups and individuals ignore the possibilities, present and future, that exist by using higher ethanol blends.

Supporters of the mythical blend wall have continuously ignored the numerous auto owners who have been fueling non-flex fuel vehicles with higher blends like Premium E-30. Not to mention, big oil’s special interests still have no answer for how they plan to meet the CAFE standards considering the limitations of regular gasoline. We do. So do auto engineers like William Woebkenberg, senior engineer for Mercedes-Benz who has stated many times the benefits of engines built specifically to burn high octane fuels like E-30.

With mid-level blends like Premium E-30, engines can been built significantly smaller and still generate “ridiculous power and good fuel economy” according to Woebkenberg. The RFS has been a positive force in both rural and urban communities across the U.S. What is scary, for those in big oil’s corner, is that its full potential has yet to be realized.

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Last Modified: 05/13/2016 6:26:21 pm MDT