Should the Renewable Fuel Standard Be Reformed?

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute argues against reforming or repealing the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), asserting that the policy has successfully reduced petroleum dependence and stimulated the rural economy. While acknowledging challenges such as land use change and the 'blend wall,' the author contends that these issues should be addressed through the Farm Bill and EPA flexibility rather than statutory changes, which could jeopardize billions in private investment in next-generation biofuels.

• Between 2008 and 2012, the United States replaced petroleum-based fuels with more than 59 billion gallons of renewable ethanol and 2.7 billion gallons of renewable biodiesel, which is equivalent to approximately four months of U.S. gasoline consumption.
• The RFS has contributed to land use changes by increasing the price of corn and soybeans, leading some producers to convert grasslands and former Conservation Reserve Program lands into row crops. This process increases greenhouse gas emissions through the release of carbon dioxide from soils and the use of nitrogen fertilizers.
• The author argues that food price increases are not primarily driven by biofuels; USDA data indicates that food inflation in the U.S. slowed after 2008 and that the cost of oil as an input for transportation and processing was a more significant factor than biofuel production.
• The 'ethanol blend wall'—the saturation of the gasoline market at a 10% blend rate—may be overcome by the current price gap where ethanol is at least 30% cheaper than gasoline on an energy equivalent basis, encouraging the sale of E15 and E85 blends.
• Corn ethanol is currently approaching a 50% life cycle greenhouse gas emission reduction compared to gasoline, exceeding the RFS goal set for conventional biofuels for the year 2022.
• The RFS has catalyzed the development of advanced biofuels, with 160 commercial-scale projects planned, under construction, or completed, representing nearly $5 billion in private investment since 2007. By 2016, an additional 0.6 to 1.1 billion gallons of capacity could be installed.
• Next-generation biofuels offer significantly higher GHG reductions than corn ethanol; for example, Argonne analysis estimates life cycle emissions for corn stover, switch grass, and miscanthus are 96%, 88%, and 108% lower than gasoline, respectively.

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} }