Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper criticized recycled legislation introduced last week by
Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) that “abolishes the corn ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).”

“Perhaps Senators Feinstein and Toomey are confused about the RFS. There is no ‘corn ethanol mandate’ under the program and there never has been. Yet, the senators are again seeking to bolster the fossil fuels industry by trying to kill one of the most successful environmental and climate policies ever enacted by Congress,” said Cooper. “We are confident that, as with past attempts, this legislation will go nowhere.”

Cooper called the name of the legislation, the “Restore Environmental Sustainability to Our Renewable Energy (RESTORE) Act,” ironic because it would “force more petroleum into our nation’s fuel supply.”

“Whether it’s oil spills in the Gulf, increased carbon emissions, or earthquakes in fracking country, what is environmentally sustainable about today’s oil industry?” said Cooper. “On the contrary, renewable fuels like ethanol reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40-50% compared to gasoline, while also slashing harmful tailpipe pollutants like particulate matter and carbon monoxide.”