A House Energy and Commerce Sub Committee heard testimony this week on “Driving Affordability: Preserving People’s Freedom to Buy Affordable Vehicles and Fuel” regarding several bills related to lowering emissions from transportation vehicles.
National Corn Growers Association CEO Neil Caskey testified in support of several bills that would leverage the benefits of biofuels to ensure a level playing field in transportation, including the Fuels Parity Act, sponsored by Rep. Marianna Miller-Meeks (R-IA). “As producers of the sustainable, primary feedstock for low carbon ethanol, corn farmers stand behind agriculture’s contribution to low-cost, cleaner, domestic energy,” said Caskey. “Their production improvements will help achieve biofuels with net-zero emissions and higher ethanol blends cost less.”
Listen to Caskey’s opening statement here:
House subcommittee hearing - NCGA CEO Neil Caskey (5:20)
Another witness at the hearing was American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) CEO Chet Thompson, who said they also back the Fuels Parity Act, as well as the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act, both of which would amend the Clean Air Act. “We also support allowing corn starch ethanol to qualify as an advanced biofuel,” said Thompson. “This might surprise some but the RFS has a challenging history and we hope the diverse support for this bill is a model for ways for us to work together going forward.”
Listen to Thompson’s comment here:
House subcommittee hearing - AFPM CEO Chet Thompson (:53)
During the hearing, Rep. Miller-Meeks had the opportunity to explain her bill, as she questioned witness Joseph Goffman with the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Allowing corn to qualify as an advanced biofuel allows internal combustion vehicles to compete with EVs by incentivizing lower emissions from ethanol production,” said Miller-Meeks. “As long as corn starch ethanol can achieve a 50 percent greenhouse gas reduction it should be afforded the same opportunity to be an advanced biofuel just like every other feedstock.”
House subcommittee hearing - Rep. Miller-Meeks (5:13)