Sioux Falls, SD – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Climate Crisis released its report providing recommendations for future legislation in Congress to tackle climate change.
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings issued the following statement:
“ACE commends the Select Committee for including a recommendation in its report that Congress should develop a technology-neutral Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) which would reward farmers and biofuel producers for using climate-smart practices.
"It is gratifying so many in Congress are recognizing that increasing the use of ethanol is part of the solution to further reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
"Properly crafted low carbon fuel policy built on top of the Renewable Fuel Standard’s success in beginning to break our country’s reliance on petroleum is one of the most meaningful things Congress can do to address climate change.
“The Select Committee’s recommendation for a new LCFS follows the strategic spade work ACE has been doing to leverage ethanol’s low carbon benefits in the market.
"In 2018 we issued a white paper “The Case for Properly Valuing the Low Carbon Benefits of Corn Ethanol,” illustrating how lifecycle modeling needs to better reflect modern-day farming practices and ethanol production technologies and why increasing ethanol use is part of the solution to further reduce GHG emissions.
In 2019 ACE helped lead a diverse set of stakeholders in developing a framework to encourage new low carbon fuel markets in the Midwest.
Our January 2020 report, “A Clean Fuels Policy for the Midwest,” describes how properly crafted policy can spur low carbon fuels, reduce costs to consumers, and provide meaningful economic benefits to farmers and biofuel producers.
“The Select Committee’s report not only cites our Midwest Clean Fuel Policy framework as a positive example of progress, it also mirrors our recommendations to reflect the best-available science for lifecycle assessments and reward farmers and biofuel producers using climate-smart practices that reduce carbon emissions, store soil carbon, and reduce nitrous oxide emissions.
“While the Select Committee also recommends what it describes as a ‘zero-emission vehicle’ standard, we believe a new vehicle program needs to be technology-neutral and include production of more Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) that can take full advantage of carbon-negative ethanol fuels.
“We appreciate the collaborative nature of the Congressional process so far and look forward to constructively engaging in supporting solutions that benefit our climate, drivers, and our rural economy.”
For more information, please contact Katie Fletcher at 605-306-6107.