thelog.com House Energy and Commerce
Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R- Mich., said his panel is working on “comprehensive reforms” to the law. “The status quo is no longer work-
able,” Upton said. Also in the proposal, the require- ment for the amount of next-genera-
tion biofuels from nonfood plant sources, called cellulosic fuels, has been reduced for the fifth time in five years. The original law required 1.75 billion gallons of this fuel, which offers huge reductions in greenhouse gases compared with oil. For 2014, refiners would be required to blend 17 million
gallons. That’s because companies have not
yet been able to generate these fuels, which are far more complicated to produce than conventional biofuels, at high volumes. The target for next year does represent an increase from last year’s 6 million gallons, though, and
The Log • January 17 - 30, 2014 • 15
cellulosic fuels are the only category of biofuel to increase under the 2014 pro- posal. Two new cellulosic biofuel refineries are expected to begin pro- ducing fuel early next year. — Dina Cappiello and Mary Clare
Jalonik; Jonathan Fahey contributed to this report from New York.
BoatU.S. Expresses Boater Concerns at EPA Ethanol Hearings
Boat owners’ group represen- tative decries potential for misfueling and engine failure.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The blending of ethanol into the nation’s gasoline supply was the topic of a hearing held Dec. 5 by the EPA to discuss the 2014 standards for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program. Last month, the EPA released next
year’s proposed standards, which would reduce the amount of corn ethanol mandated under the RFS for the first time since the law was implemented. This was a small but tide-changing victory for boat own- ers, whose vessels cannot operate with ethanol above a 10-percent blend level without serious harm or safety concerns. BoatU.S. Government Affairs pro-
gram manager Nicole Payla Wood — along with a coalition of representa- tives from environmental groups,
fuel and manufacturing associations, as well as food, restaurant, poultry and meat producers — testified at the Dec. 5 hearing to lower the Renewable Fuel Standard. “We believe in a national renew- able fuels policy, but one that is both safe for boaters and sound for the environment,” Wood said. “However, until the current ethanol mandate is removed, there is little room for investment in other renewable fuels that may not have the current nega- tive impact of corn-based ethanol.” Wood explained that the real suc- cess would come if Congress changes the law to recognize today’s decreas- ing fuel usage in the U.S. In her testimony, Wood advised
the EPA, “We want to commend the EPA for taking a giant step toward addressing the current-day realities of the Renewable Fuel Standard with the drafting of the 2014 proposed renewable volumetric obligations. We applaud their pivotal recognition of
the shrinking demand for fuel and hope this sends a signal to Congress of the dangers that an impending blend wall presents to the average consumer. The EPA is trying to do its part for the consumer in addressing these market changes, and now is the time for Congress to do so, as well.” Wood added: “As the Renewable
Fuel Standard policy pushes higher blends of ethanol gasoline into the market, there is an increased poten- tial for misfueling and engine failure that needs to be made clear. Not all Americans can afford to drive tow vehicles made after 2001 — and, for boaters, these higher blends are poi- son to our marine engines.” There is a critical safety and soundness issue related to the use of higher blends of ethanol in marine engines that cannot be denied, Wood said. “More than half of BoatU.S. members fuel their boats at roadside gas stations. With 11 states now approved to sell E15 — a fuel that no
marine engine is warranted to run on — the opportunity for misfueling is growing. And what may result in a roadside breakdown for a car can quickly lead to a search-and-rescue mission or search and recovery in a boat. “We think it’s also important to point out that EPA’s role in the Renewable Fuel Standard is to imple- ment the policy, not reform the law,” Wood said. “Although there are implicit waiver authorities written into the law, the EPA shouldn’t have to use that authority to modify policy to meet the realities of the current marketplace every year. It is the responsibility of the EPA and Congress however, to ensure that the fuel they approve for our consumers is a safe and reliable fuel for our engines, all engines. It is our hope that Congress will now accept the baton, and continue their work on a permanent fix for the Renewable Fuel Standard.”
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