Representatives Angie Craig and Cindy Axne Lead Statement on Biden Administration Announcement on Renewable Volume Obligations

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Angie Craig and Cindy Axne led a group of House colleagues in releasing the following statement on the Administration's announcement regarding proposed changes to Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Representatives Mark Pocan and Ron Kind joined Craig and Axne in releasing the statement.

"After months of unnecessary delay, we are glad that the EPA has released the long-overdue Renewable Volume Obligations. The 2022 number sets the biofuels industry on the right path moving forward. And the end of the abuse of Small Refinery Exemptions – which provide relief to oil companies at the expense of family farmers – is welcome news. These decisions will help lower prices at the pump for hardworking Americans and accelerate the positive role that biofuels can and must play in our effort to decarbonize the transportation sector, tackle climate change and drive economic growth across rural America.

However, the proposed decision to retroactively lower the 2020 RVO target does not reflect a sufficient commitment to renewable fuels and family farmers. As we have emphasized in repeated conversations with the Administration, now is the time to invest in renewable biofuels and the communities they support – not to prioritize the interests of fossil fuel companies that continue to ignore the law of the RFS. We look forward to conversations about changing the proposed 2020 RVO number to better reflect the role biofuels must have in our clean energy economy."

Representatives Craig, Axne and Pocan are all Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Biofuels Caucus.

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