Senate Hearing on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)

• •The RFS program was originally enacted in 2005 and expanded in 2007.
• •The RFS mandate is scheduled to expire in 2022 under the Clean Air Act.
• •The EPA proposed 3 years of volume requirements (2014, 2015, and 2016) in a single package due to scheduling delays.
• •The 2014 volume requirements were reported as 730 days late, and 2015 requirements were 365 days late.
• •Concerns were raised regarding the potential for engine corrosion and voided vehicle warranties from ethanol blends of 15 percent or higher.
• •The committee discussed reports of fraud involving imaginary biodiesel production within the RFS program.
• •Gasoline demand has leveled off due to vehicle efficiency requirements while RFS mandates have increased.
• •Biofuels are currently reported to be more expensive than gasoline.

The hearing addresses the future of the federal mandate requiring a minimum volume of renewable fuel to be blended into transportation fuel, which affects fuel prices, energy production, and vehicle engine requirements for all U.S. consumers.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.