ACE: Senate Infrastructure Package Falls Short for Low-Carbon Biofuels
(American Coalition for Ethanol/GrainNet) American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings issued the following statement on the lack of investment in low-carbon biofuels in the bipartisan infrastructure package the U.S. Senate passed today (Aug. 10):
“The Senate’s infrastructure bill is a missed opportunity to capitalize on ethanol’s ability to deliver significant short- to mid-term gains toward decarbonizing the transportation sector by supporting vehicles and retail infrastructure for higher ethanol blends.
“If Congress wants to achieve immediate climate benefits from clean energy infrastructure, it should provide incentives for retailers to sell E15 and E85 and for automakers to resume the production of flexible fuel vehicles.
“We thank Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) for attempting to amend the bipartisan infrastructure legislation with provisions to encourage the use of higher blends of ethanol and ensure E15 can be available year-round.
“We urge the House of Representatives to take up these cost-effective provisions when it considers the infrastructure bill.” READ MORE
Big Win For $1T Infrastructure Bill: Senate Shows It Can Act (GrainNet)
ACE: Low-Carbon Ethanol Available Now to Make Meaningful Reductions in GHGs to Reach Climate Goals (GrainNet)
Infrastructure package neglects biofuels, includes CCS support (Ethanol Producer Magazine)
SENATE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL’S TUNNEL VISION ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES MISSES CARBON REDUCTION OPPORTUNITY WITH BIOFUELS (Iowa Renewable Fuels Association)
Biofuels backer says infrastructure bill is bad for Midwest economy, farmers (Radio Iowa)
Jeff Angelo: This Infrastructure Bill Disrespects Our Farmers (iHeartRadio; includes AUDIO)
BIDEN BIOFUELS, INFRASTRUCTURE STANCE DISAPPOINTS MIDWEST GROWERS, SAYS ILLINOIS LAWMAKER (NewsDakota.com; includes AUDIO)
REP. FEENSTRA DISAPPOINTED IN HOUSE BILL FOR LACK OF BIOFUEL SUPPORT (Raccoon Valley Radio)
Shaw reacts to infrastructure biofuels omission (KIWA Radio)
A 116-page summary of the infrastructure package can be downloaded from the website of Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.
Excerpt from GrainNet:“Pledges to make more electric vehicles in the future will do little to reduce GHG emissions until and unless the way we generate electricity in the United States undergoes expensive and prolonged changes.
“The environmental impacts, technical hurdles, and supply chain roadblocks for critical minerals needed for EV batteries also need to be understood and remedied before EVs could make meaningful reductions in GHGs.
“Meanwhile, nearly 100% of all U.S. light-duty vehicles on the road today use liquid fuels.
“Scientists indicate corn ethanol is already 50% cleaner than gasoline.
“If we want to get serious about tackling climate change sooner rather than later, government officials and automakers ought to be taking steps right now to help ensure motorists have greater access to low-carbon alternatives to gasoline, such as E15 and E85. READ MORE
Excerpt from Iowa Renewable Fuels Association: The bill also included $7.5 billion in funding for an electric vehicle (EV) charger network while ignoring infrastructure needs to increase consumer access to higher blends of biofuels.
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Biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel made here in Iowa are reducing carbon emissions by roughly 50 percent or more today. And unlike EVs, biofuels are on the path to being carbon negative in less than a decade. Coastal elites should embrace multiple solutions to our environmental challenges instead of DC-based ‘one size fits all’ approach. This was a huge missed opportunity to expand consumer access to a low-cost, low-carbon fuel for the vehicles actually on the roads today. READ MORE
