U.S. EPA urged to keep cellulosic ethanol amount

Nov. 3, 2009, Johnston, IA – The Iowa Renewable Fuels
Association (IRFA) has released a letter urging the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) to maintain the full advanced biofuel volume requirements for 2010
as set forth by the revised renewable fuels standard (RFS) schedule in the Energy
Independence and Security Act of
2007. The letter, addressed to Office of Transportation and Air Quality
Director Margo Oge, was prompted by Oge’s comments at a recent conference in
which she acknowledged the possibility of EPA reducing the required volume of
cellulosic biofuel for 2010.

In response to Oge’s remarks, IRFA President Denny Mauser
states, “The IRFA believes strongly that any action to reduce an RFS volume
requirement must be taken only as a last resort. If the EPA ultimately
concludes that the ‘last resort’ of reducing the cellulosic biofuel carve-out
within the advance biofuels category is absolutely necessary, IRFA urges EPA to
increase the undifferentiated advanced biofuels requirement by the same amount
that cellulosic ethanol is reduced. Any adjustment to the cellulosic
requirement should not impact the overall volume requirement of the RFS
schedule.”

“By following this course of action, EPA can assure that the
RFS schedule continues to meet the explicit volume requirements set forth by
the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 for years 2010 and
beyond. Similarly, by adding these waived gallons to the required gallonage
for undifferentiated advanced biofuels, EPA would be allowing this amount to be
met by other advanced biofuels such as biomass-based diesel replacements or
even unforeseen volumes of cellulosic biofuel. There is clearly no
shortage of total advanced biofuels production capacity to meet this
requirement.”