June 25, 2009 - Washington – Today, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) wrote to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson in support of his amendment to the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454) and offer our support of the underlying bill with this amendment include.

The letter in its entirety follows:

Dear Chairman Peterson:

On behalf of the members of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), I want to thank you and commend you for your strong leadership in negotiating changes to the climate change bill that make that important legislation more palatable to farmers and preserves the integrity of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The RFA is pleased to support the amendment you intend to offer during the House consideration of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454).

The amendment reflects many of the concerns the renewable fuels industry has expressed about the recently released proposed rule implementing the expanded RFS as signed into law as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. As reflected in the amendment, one area of great concern to the RFA is the issue of international land use change being incorporated into lifecycle greenhouse gas analyses required by the RFS. The RFA welcomes an open and robust science-based discussion of the international land use and indirect impacts of all fuels. EPA’s proposed rule, however, failed a basic test that government regulation be based upon science that is transparent, reliable and verifiable. The science of market-mediated, secondary international land use impacts is nascent, at best, and clearly needs time for scientific consensus to develop and less reliance on unproven assumptions. Done correctly, the RFA believes such an analysis will demonstrate a significant carbon benefit is achieved through the use of ethanol from all sources. Your amendment restores the principles of sound science to the regulatory framework for the RFS.

Again, the RFA thanks you for recognizing the potential of home-grown renewable fuels, and providing the agriculture community a pathway that will provide a more stable and sustainable energy future for all Americans. The RFA appreciates your efforts, along with Chairman Waxman, and we look forward to supporting the underlying bill following the adoption of the Peterson amendment.

Sincerely,

Bob Dinneen
President & CEO