The Biden administration is turning a cold shoulder to biofuels and rural America by encouraging the use of electric vehicles, said farm-state Republicans during a complaint-filled House hearing with EPA administrator Michael Regan on Wednesday. Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon pointed to the so-called WOTUS rule on wetlands protections and declared, “Any goodwill the administration has built with farmers and ranchers is gone.”
Regan said that “we see a tremendous market for biofuels” in the years ahead, with sustainable aviation fuel as a new and lucrative market. He said the EPA would have to issue an emergency waiver, like it did last year, to keep E15 available for the summer driving season. Farm and ethanol groups have pressed the administration to announce its plans for E15 this month.
A week ago, the EPA proposed its strongest-ever air pollution standards for new cars and trucks — so strict that up to two-thirds of vehicles sold in 2032 may have to be electric-powered for carmakers to comply with the rules. The administration says the proposed standards would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cut petroleum consumption, and save consumers money over the long run, although the purchase price of vehicles could go up by as much as $1,200, reported NPR.
“You’re not only leaving biofuels behind, you’re leaving rural America behind,” said Republican Rep. Mike Bost. Charging stations for electric vehicles are rare, Bost said, in his downstate Illinois district. “Sounds like the government is manipulating markets,” he said, overlooking federal mandates that aided the growth of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
Ethanol, the dominant biofuel, is produced mainly in rural areas. More than one-third of the U.S. corn crop is used in making ethanol.
The ethanol industry has accused the EPA of a headlong rush into electrification when biofuels offer another avenue for curbing greenhouse gases. It says the use of high-octane fuels — an opening for ethanol — would reduce carbon emissions.
“Getting the Renewable Fuel Standard program back on track has been a key priority for me since arriving at EPA,” said Regan. The ethanol mandate for this year is the highest ever, and proposals for the 2023-25 RFS “will continue that positive trajectory,” he said.
Asked about the future of biofuels in light of the proposed emissions standards, Regan said, “We see a significant role. It’s called walking and chewing gum at the same time. … We see a tremendous market for biofuels that is complementary to the EV [electric vehicle] fuel future. And we think we can do both.”
Agriculture Committee chair Glenn Thompson was among the Republicans who faulted EPA policies. “Historically, EPA has over-regulated the agriculture industry,” he said, criticizing agency actions on pesticides, electric vehicles, and the so-called waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule describing the upstream reach of water pollution and wetlands protection.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on an Idaho case that would restrict federally recognized wetlands to territory with a direct surface connection to a waterway. Regan said the EPA issued its WOTUS rule last December in the face of “looming litigation” over not having a regulation. A Trump-era WOTUS rule was overturned by a federal judge in 2021.
To watch a video of the hearing or to read Regan’s written testimony, click here.