Take the Renewable Fuel Standard Down to Zero

The Environmental Protection Agency recently issued new rules dictating that 18 billion gallons of biofuels must be blended into America’s 2016 transportation fuel supply. This mandate, known as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), has been a disaster for the country. The only sensible minimum renewable fuel mandate is zero.

A field of dead corn sits next to the Lincolnland Agri-Energy ethanol plant in Palestine, Ill., on July 25, 2012. Scott Olson/Getty Images

The Environmental Protection Agency recently issued new rules dictating that 18 billion gallons of biofuels must be blended into America’s 2016 transportation fuel supply. This mandate, known as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), has been a disaster for the country. The only sensible minimum renewable fuel mandate is zero.

The RFS was created in 2005 to curtail greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the use of fossil fuels. However, the RFS is not defensible based on its impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

Once the life cycle of ethanol is considered (ethanol is the prominent biofuel used to meet the RFS), ethanol does not reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Producing this corn-based biofuel actually creates more greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels.

Producing this corn-based biofuel actually creates more greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels.