House bill would roll back RFS mandates 

Source: Amanda Peterka, E&E reporter • Posted: Friday, January 23, 2015

Republican legislation introduced this week in the House would significantly scale back the federal biofuel mandate.

Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) on Wednesday introduced H.R. 434, which would eliminate the 2007 expansion of the renewable fuel standard.

Congress passed the first RFS into law in 2005, requiring that 2.78 percent of gasoline used in the United States be ethanol. Two years later, lawmakers expanded the RFS to call for 36 billion gallons of biofuel by 2022 through a combination of conventional ethanol and advanced biofuels.

Burgess’ office did not respond to a request for comment on the introduced bill. The measure is among the first of many expected pieces of legislation this year by ethanol foes who want to unravel the RFS.

Last Congress, the Texas Republican sponsored legislation that would scale back corn ethanol requirements, as well as reverse decisions by U.S. EPA to allow more ethanol to be used in gasoline. The “Leave Ethanol Volumes at Existing Levels Act” was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee but did not receive any hearings or votes.

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