Renewable Biofuels Are Vital to an All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy

by William Feehery (The Hill/DuPont Industrial Biosciences) ... One of the most vital and immediate tools at our disposal in the campaign for energy independence is renewable fuel. It is the only technology that can address the de-carbonization of the transport sector in the near term, which is what is so necessary and so challenging. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a bi-partisan law encouraging the development and use of alternative renewable fuels, is a critical policy that provides a vital cushion for U.S. drivers against volatile shifts in the global oil market. Since 2005, it has required oil companies to make increasing amounts of biofuel available to consumers as part of America’s fuel mix.

The need for this policy remains as strong today as it was a decade ago. Sure, U.S. oil drilling peaked during the fracking boom, but even then we still imported about a third of our oil. After 100,000 oil industry layoffs last year, it’s fairly clear that America’s energy security can’t rely on one volatile sector. Biofuels provide the simplest, most cost-effective solution that can seamlessly integrate into our fuel supply now, not in the distant future.

But renewable energy isn’t a short-term patch that can be deployed every time tensions flare in the Middle East. It requires a long-term commitment by policymakers to ensure that American consumers have freedom and choice whether that is at the gas pump or in the electricity outlet. That’s why anyone who claims a spot at the all-of-the-above alter should be working to build up America’s biofuel capacity by supporting the RFS.

Most importantly, protecting the RFS means protecting consumers. There are benefits at the pump: READ MORE and MORE (Morning Consult)

Excerpt from Morning Consult: Other policy options, including the deployment of electric vehicles, will play a major role in reducing emissions. However, even with a continuous commitment by policymakers, consumers and industry, phasing out the current fleet of internal combustion engines and building the energy infrastructure required to power a new generation of vehicles will span multiple decades. To have an immediate and lasting impact on global emissions, it is essential that policymakers embrace tools like the RFS that can go to work immediately, replacing the fuel in today’s gas tanks with sustainable, clean-burning alternatives. READ MORE