Should the Renewable Fuel Standard Be Reformed?

The document defends the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), stating it has reduced petroleum dependence by displacing gasoline with over 59 billion gallons of renewable ethanol and 2.7 billion gallons of biodiesel between 2008 and 2012. While acknowledging issues like land use change and GHG emissions from nitrogen fertilizer, it argues these are better addressed through the Farm Bill than RFS reform. The author highlights the growth of next-generation biofuels, noting 160 commercial-scale advanced biofuel projects representing nearly $5 billion in private investment since 2007, and warns that changing the statute now would halt this progress and prolong petroleum dependence.

• Between 2008 and 2012, the U.S. replaced petroleum-based fuels with more than 59 billion gallons of renewable ethanol and 2.7 billion gallons of renewable biodiesel, with ethanol now displacing nearly ten percent of U.S. gasoline by volume.
• The RFS has contributed to land use changes, such as converting grasslands and Conservation Reserve Program lands to row crops, which increases soil erosion, destroys biodiversity, and releases carbon dioxide from soils.
• The author contends that environmental harms related to land use should be addressed by strengthening Farm Bill conservation policies and tying federal crop insurance subsidies to conservation compliance rather than by rewriting the RFS.
• Contrary to claims that the RFS drove up food prices, USDA data indicates that food inflation in the U.S. slowed significantly after 2008, and the price of oil was a more significant factor than biofuel production.
• The 'blend wall' for ethanol may shift above ten percent because ethanol is currently at least 30 percent cheaper than gasoline on an energy equivalent basis, making higher blends like E15 and E85 more attractive to consumers.
• Advanced and cellulosic biofuels offer significant GHG reductions compared to gasoline: corn stover is estimated at 96 percent less, switch grass at 88 percent less, and miscanthus at 108 percent less.
• Since 2007, there have been 160 planned, under-construction, or completed commercial-scale advanced biofuel projects, involving nearly $5 billion in private investment.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2013). Should the Renewable Fuel Standard Be Reformed? https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/should-the-renewable-fuel-standard-be-reformed

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Should the Renewable Fuel Standard Be Reformed? 2013. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/should-the-renewable-fuel-standard-be-reformed.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Should the Renewable Fuel Standard Be Reformed? |date=5 November 2013 |url=https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/should-the-renewable-fuel-standard-be-reformed |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2013should, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Should the Renewable Fuel Standard Be Reformed?}}, publisher = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2013}, month = nov, url = {https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/should-the-renewable-fuel-standard-be-reformed}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }