ASA: House-passed E15 legislation rewards petroleum refiners who don’t comply with RFS

The American Soybean Association issued a statement in response to the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of H.R.1346, the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act.

ASA said while it continues to fully support year-round access to E15 and policies that strengthen domestic biofuels demand and create new market opportunities for farmers, the bill passed May 13 contains more than just E15 provisions.

Based on the findings of the recent Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri and Congressional Budget Office analyses, which also consider the permanent small-refinery exemptions (SREs) included in the bill, the House-passed legislation would result in reduced net farm income and negative economic impacts for soybean growers and the broader agricultural economy.

Moving forward, ASA said it will continue working with lawmakers and stakeholders to advance solutions that enable year-round E15 without rewarding petroleum refiners who do not comply with the Renewable Fuel Standard at the expense of a critical domestic market for U.S. soy.

“Year-round E15 legislation must be pursued with a collective goal of strengthening farm income and supporting markets for both soybean and corn farmers,” ASA stated.