Renewable Fuels Association responds to “Big-Oil Funded” University of Tennessee study

In Washington, the Renewable Fuels Association and others responded to a study by the University of Tennessee that called for reforming the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

“Petroleum industry-funded studies like this University of Tennessee report fail to take into account the positive role that biofuels like ethanol play in the fight against climate change,” said Geoff Cooper, RFA senior vice president. “In fact, a number of analyses by entities such as the Department of Energy, University of Illinois, International Energy Agency, Life Cycle Associates, and many others have all shown that ethanol provides major benefits in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And, a recent study by the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Energy Resource Center concluded that the proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency to decrease ethanol use by 1.6 billion gallons in 2015 could increase CO2 emissions by 4,520,000 metric tons for that year, which is the equivalent of putting nearly 1 million additional passenger vehicles on the road.

“Over the past decade the Renewable Fuel Standard has proven time and time again why it is our nation’s most successful energy policy,”  “Its impact on our nation’s energy security, economy, and environment is unmatched. The RFS was passed by a bi-partisan Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush with the goal of ensuring that biofuels have a place in a market that is overwhelmingly and unfairly dominated by Big Oil.

“At the end of the day, the biggest winner, with respect to the RFS, has been our nation’s consumers who have been given more affordable choices at the pump, and have also been provided with a safe, clean source of home-grown energy.”

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