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Oregon leads in Renewable Fuels, we need to urge EPA to do the same.

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By Caleb Robyler

Oregon is a major leader in renewable fuel production. Our biofuel facilities support thousands of jobs, helping produce cleaner fuels from agricultural feedstocks. Ethanol also supplies a full 10 percent of America’s motor fuel needs and cuts carbon emissions by an average of 43 percent, according to research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This success is the product of decades of hard work and innovation, as well as sound policies like the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which protects competition at the gas pump. Without it, oil companies would be free to freeze out alternative sources of clean, domestic energy.

Each year, under the RFS, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accepts public comments on how much biofuel should be added to America’s energy mix. That window for comments is only open until August 31, and I urge my fellow Oregonians to make their voices heard.

Right now, the EPA is considering a plan that would freeze last year’s targets on conventional ethanol and slash targets by 73 million gallons for cellulosic ethanol made from farm waste, wood chips, and other earth-friendly feedstocks. Even worse, fossil fuel companies are pushing to roll back targets even more, a choice that would depress investment in Oregon’s biofuel sector.

To keep America at the forefront of renewable energy innovation, it’s vital that the EPA set a path toward growth. Oregonians can show their support for renewables by contacting the EPA directly or by using a comment portal offered by biofuel advocates at FuelsAmerica.org/Action-Center [6]