Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen keeps a signed copy of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which included the original Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), hanging on the wall of his office as a reminder of how far the industry has come since then. It was signed 12 years ago this week by President George W. Bush at a signing ceremony held in New Mexico to honor then-Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Pete Domenici (R-NM), co-author of the bill.
The original RFS called for up to 7.5 billion gallons of biofuel by 2012. Because of the tremendous growth and the numerous benefits, Congress expanded the RFS in 2007, requiring oil companies to blend increasing volumes of renewable fuels with gasoline and diesel, culminating with 36 billion gallons in 2022. In the 12 years since its existence, the RFS has made tremendous progress towards its goals of energy security, clean air and boosting local economies.