Clean Fuels highlights job creation, economic benefits in letter to Biden

Maria Foote, lab technician, at REG's Newton, Iowa, facility. The U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel industry supports 65,000 U.S. jobs and more than $17 billion in economic activity each year. (Photo: Joe Murphy, Iowa Soybean Association)

Clean Fuels Alliance America wrote to President Joe Biden and other administration officials July 13 to highlight the biodiesel and renewable diesel industry’s contribution to job growth in the clean-energy sector.

The letter asks the administration to support tax policy that encourages continued investments, capacity expansion and additional job creation.

“The clean-fuels industry increased production during 2021, making an essential contribution to the nation’s fuel supply,” the letter states. “Our industry plans to continue increasing production this year. The domestic production of low-carbon biodiesel and renewable diesel provides good-paying jobs, adds value for America’s farmers, lowers prices at the pump by extending the energy supply, and reduces carbon emissions on average by 74 percent compared with petroleum diesel.”

The recent United States Energy & Employment Report 2022 shows that the clean-fuels industry added jobs in 2021 at a rate of 6.7 percent and anticipates continued job growth of 5.8 percent in manufacturing during 2022.

Additionally, a recent study from the World Agricultural Economic and Environmental Service showing that U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel production generated a 4 percent decrease in the price of diesel fuel in 2021—a savings of 22 cents a gallon at current fuel prices.

Kurt Kovarik, Clean Fuels’ vice president of federal affairs, added, “America’s biodiesel and renewable diesel producers and their partners in the agriculture sector are making investments to expand production and meet consumer demand for better, cleaner fuels. Our efforts are paying dividends today in emission reductions, savings at the pump, and new jobs and economic growth. We encourage the administration to continue its strong support for homegrown solutions to our economic and environmental challenges.”

The letter is available for download on cleanfuels.org.

The U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel industry supports 65,000 U.S. jobs and more than $17 billion in economic activity each year.

Every 100 million gallons of production supports 3,200 jobs and $780 million in economic opportunity.

Biodiesel production supports approximately 13 percent of the value of each U.S. bushel of soybeans.