Senate Committee Members Question Goffman on RFS, SREs

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Joseph Goffman expressed support for the Renewable Fuel Standard and the use of biofuels during a May 25 hearing held by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to consider his nomination to serve as assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. He also provided an update on the EPA’s small refinery exemption (SRE) policy.

During the hearing, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, spoke about current high gas prices and their impact on consumers. “If we take advantage of biofuel, we have the ability to pursue an energy strategy that creates jobs and creates reliable and affordable energy to American families—energy that is grown right here in the United States,” she said. “Ethanol is already blended into almost every gallon of gasoline sold in the U.S. and we have abundant supplies, coincidently at a lower price. So, not only is it good for the environment, but it’s also cheaper.”

Ernst expressed concerns over past statements Goffman has made about the RFS, quoting him as calling the program “not successful,” “a bit of a blunderbuss,” and “an uncertainty plagued mechanism for providing subsidies for the ag sector.” Ernst discussed President Biden’s support for biofuels and asked Goffman to set the record straight regarding his position on the RFS by answering a series of yes or no questions on his agreement with Biden’s position on the important role biofuels serve.

When asked by Ernst whether he agrees with Biden’s position that biofuels reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil, Goffman responded by saying “emphatically, yes.” He also confirmed that he agrees with Biden’s positions that biofuels are less harmful to the environment and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; that biofuels have a role to play as the administration works to get fuel prices under control; and that the U.S. cannot achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 without biofuels.

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., also addressed the RFS during the hearing, focusing on the program’s small refinery exemption (SRE) provisions.

Goffman called the SREs a “complicated issue” and welcomed the opportunity to provide the committee with an update of the program. He also noted the federal courts have weighed in on EPA’s administration of the program, which has informed recent actions taken by the agency with respect to SREs.

Goffman noted that numerous SRE petitions are still pending. He said the agency plans to issue a decision on those petitions shortly and “in doing so really be clear once and for all what the law is, what our analysis shows, and provide certainty for all stakeholders in the RFS program as to what the road going forward looks like.”

The Advanced Biofuels Association, the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, the Low Carbon Fuels Coalition, the National Air Transportation Association, Alder Fuels, EcoEngineers, Gevo, Oberon Fuels and World Energy on May 25 sent a letter to committee leadership expressing support for Goffman’s confirmation to the EPA post. The letter highlights Goffman’s stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and problem-solving experience as critical assets to ensuring the EPA regulates transparently and effectively, delivering strong and defensible policy to protect public health and the environment. The letter explains that his ability to solve for meaningful and durable implementation of the law makes Goffman a strong choice to lead the Office of Air and Radiation, where regulatory certainty is particularly important to industries that operate on long-term investment horizons like the advanced biofuels sector.

A full replay of the hearing is available on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works website. READ MORE

Excerpt from Politico's Morning Energy: EPA also recently signaled it is moving forward on a proposal to establish an alternative schedule to retire RINs in a likely bid to provide flexibility for small refiners. EPA Administrator Michael Regan committed to senators last month that the agency was looking for a way to provide certainty to both the agriculture and refining industries on the obligations under the RVO program and how they play into the exemption decisions. READ MORE