Last week, we received word from a Reuters report said that President Joe Biden was considering retroactively lowering the Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for 2020 and 2021. This news quickly drew the ire of biofuels companies, supporters, and organizations across the country. If realized, the President would have the EPA lower the 2020 RVO to 17.1 billion gallons and 2021?s number to 18.6 billion. This is down from the over 20 billion gallons that were finalized before the pandemic. One Iowa Senator is not willing to let this happen quietly or without a fight.
Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst talked with the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network about the proposal, and the effects it will have on Iowa farmers and biofuels producers. She says that this proposal if realized, would wave more gallons than President Trump?s Administration did using Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE).
Senator Ernst says she has not heard of any concrete reasoning behind the President?s proposal. She admits that driving was down because of COVID, but the proposal would be an even larger burden on an industry that clawed its way through the pandemic. She says it is a blow to all the work that has been done in support of biofuels.
Ernst says she does not understand why an Administration that campaigned so hard on environmental issues, and that continues to push for environmental reforms, can?t see the asset they have available right now. No matter what the plans are for the next thirty years. The Senator added that this goes completely against the message that President Biden gave to Iowans on the campaign trail.
Ernst says that the only ones who stand to benefit from this kind of move are big oil companies.
You can hear Senator Ernst?s full remarks about this topic and more on this week?s edition of Weekend Ag Matters.
