Survey shows US voters don’t want to shift RFS point of obligation

In Washington, a majority of American voters believe that shifting the point of obligation under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) from refiners to wholesalers and fuel retailers would harm the economy and hard-working Americans, according to a survey released Wednesday by NATSO, the national trade association representing truckstops and travel plazas, the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA), and the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).

The survey, conducted by Penn Schoen Berland (PSB), found that 86 percent of voters believe that changing the compliance requirements under the RFS, which is intended to reduce emissions and increase the use of ethanol and other renewable fuels, would increase gasoline and diesel prices at the pump. This change would hurt every driver in the United States, and, in turn, increase the price of many products for American consumers.

The findings also revealed that 81 percent of voters are concerned that shifting the cost from refiners who make fuel to wholesalers and retailers who sell it would increase fraud and the cost of overseeing the system.