The meeting with reporters preceded the launch of a new ad campaign in the Washington, D.C., area, encouraging lawmakers to reform the RFS.
Americans United for Change announced its own ad campaign Thursday to urge EPA to drastically increase the renewable mandate level. That group’s commercials will appear March 23 during Sunday talk shows on major networks.
The RFS decreases reliance on overseas oil, helps meet the country’s fuel needs, saves consumers money and creates jobs, Americans United for Change said in a statement.
But Greco is concerned that a proposal late last year from the EPA to reduce the RFS mandate will distract lawmakers from repealing it. The agency missed the Nov. 30 deadline to make a final rule, and has not committed to permanently reducing the level.
“While we obviously want EPA to do the right thing, we don’t want Congress to be distracted by that, and take their eye off the fact that even if EPA does do the right thing in the final rule, it will be at least six months late, and it’ll be non-sustainable,” Greco said. “Don’t let this proposal distract you from the need to fundamentally address the problems with the RFS.”
The EPA is supposed to finalize RFS figures by Nov. 30 for the coming year. It has not yet finalized a 2014 standard, but when it does, the standard will be retroactive.
The agency proposed in November to reduce the mandate for ethanol and other fuels to 15.21 billion gallons, down from 16.55 billion in 2013. Greco said he is not sure if the final rule will keep a similar level or if EPA would increase the mandate, as groups like the Renewable Fuels Association have asked.