Washington, DC (November 15, 2013) – The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, expressed disappointment with the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed change to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) that would, for the first time, reduce the levels of domestically produced, advanced biofuels that are required to be blended into America’s fuel supply.
The EPA’s proposed requirement for the year 2014 calls for significantly less renewable fuel than the RFS originally intended and also less than what the advanced biofuels industry has indicated it will produce. The proposal would require approximately 13 billion gallons of conventional ethanol and 2.2 billions gallons of advanced biofuels to be blended with petroleum-based gasoline next year. Those figures are significantly less than the 2013 requirements for 13.8 billion gallons of conventional ethanol and 2.75 billion gallons of advanced biofuels.
“The way to move the country forward is not to roll back requirements and goals for renewable fuels. There’s no doubt that America’s biofuels industry has been moving the country forward – creating jobs in rural communities, providing choice at the pump and reducing our dangerous dependence on imported oil,” said Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director of the Algae Biomass Organization. “The EPA’s decision to require fewer gallons of renewable fuels than last year is a clear step back and sends a chilling signal to investors who are looking to finance the future of the American biofuel industry, putting our economic and environmental security at risk.”
The ABO and its members plan to provide comments on the rule to the EPA during the two-month period that precedes a final decision on the 2014 blend requirements.
With new production facilities planned or operating around the U.S., the algae industry is rapidly emerging as an opportunity to address many of the energy, food, economic, and environmental challenges facing the world today. Algae have the power to simultaneously put fuels in vehicles, recycle CO2, provide nutrition for animals and people and create jobs for millions of Americans. Algae’s ability to produce high yields and grow in saltwater and on marginal lands mean that they can be cultivated on large scales without harmful impacts on freshwater supplies or valuable agricultural land. More information can be found at www.allaboutalgae.com.
About the Algae Biomass Organization
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website: www.algaebiomass.org.
This month’s Biomass Magazine includes a column from ABO’s Executive Director Mary Rosenthal on the importance of pushing legislation that would allow renewable energy companies to organize as Master Limited Partnerships.