Politics

Biofuels Makers Push Back on RFS Cuts

By Alex Brown and National Journal
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 22: A biodiesel pump is seen at Dogpatch Biofuels on March 22, 2013 in San Francisco, California. According to a report by San Francisco based nonprofit group Next 10, California continues to be the nation's leader in venture capital funding for green technology, green tech patents and the growth in clean power generation, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions despite a growth in population. (National Journal)

With a possible scale-back in the works for next year's renewable-fuel standard, some in the biofuels industry are making a late push to defend the current ethanol mandates, Bloomberg reports.

A proposed reduction by the Environmental Protection Agency is under review by the Office of Management and Budget, which has met 22 times with outside groups to discuss the standard. Eleven of those meetings were with renewable-fuel makers.

"The worst thing that the Obama administration would be doing is creating uncertainty for the industry," said Javier Garoz, chief executive of Abengoa Bioenergy. "You would be killing the industry for no reason."