Agricultural News
Top Executives Criticize RFS Impact on Advanced and Cellulosic Biofuels
Wed, 16 Sep 2015 17:33:21 CDT
Top executives from the advanced and cellulosic biofuels industry released a letter to President Obama on his Administration's Renewable Fuel Standard proposal, showing how it represents a broken promise that undercuts investment in advanced biofuels, sends innovation and jobs overseas and flies in the face of the President's statements in support of clean energy and climate change policy. The names of the signers are listed at the bottom of this release. You can listen to a recording of the call by clicking here.
The call follows remarks by US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy made Tuesday about the climate impact of biofuels and the RFS with Administrator McCarthy asserting that the RFS is a crucial part of America's efforts to combat climate change.
The proposal has been devastating for the development of advanced and cellulosic biofuels. Already, $13.7 billion in investments have been frozen, threatening to send American innovation and investment overseas to countries like China and Brazil.
As President Obama heads into the climate talks in Paris at the end of this year, he will have to answer for how the U.S. can be a world leader on combating climate change when he has gutted the only law directly aimed at addressing climate and clean energy back at home.
On a conference call Wednesday, Adam Monroe, North America President of Novozymes said, "The Obama Administration's proposal eviscerates the RFS by allowing EPA to slash renewable fuel volumes when the oil industry refuses to distribute renewable fuel. Oil companies are not going to compete with renewable fuel if they can avoid the requirement altogether by simply blocking distribution and market access."
Dan Cummings, President, POET-DSM stated, "The new proposal has caused POET to freeze its plans to replicate Project Liberty across a majority of its 27 plant locations because of market uncertainty. As the President heads to Paris in December, the final rule on the RFS decided just days before will determine what President Obama has done about our nation's most effective and only climate law on the books, and whether he is addressing our transportation sector which is responsible for roughly half our GHG emissions."
Vincent Chornet, President, CEO and Co-Founder of Enerkem emphasized how the Obama Administration's decision impacts international interest in U.S. projects, stating, "This proposal forces investment out of America. Advanced biofuels are on the brink of significant growth but the Administration's proposal strands investment and threatens a decade of innovation and progress."
Christopher Standlee, Executive Vice President, Global Affairs, Abengoa Bioenergy stated, "President Obama is asking for our support on his Clean Power Plan, but what is he doing to support the RFS, our country's only law on the books directly aimed at climate and clean energy? In Las Vegas, the President recently asked investors to trust him and put their money in wind and solar. He made that same promise to investors in advanced biofuels years ago. But investors aren't going to invest in innovation of any kind if they are worried about a political bait and switch, particularly if it can happen with a global climate champion."
Full List of Signers:
Christopher Standlee, Executive Vice President, Global Affairs, Abengoa Bioenergy
Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO, Aemetis
Dan Meagher, CEO, Agrivida
Paolo Carollo, Executive Vice President, Beta Renewables
Dr. Andre Koltermann, SVP, Head of Group Biotechnology, Clariant
Hugh Welsh, President, General Counsel, DSM North America
Jan Koninckx, Global Business Director for Biorefineries, DuPont Industrial Biosciences
Vincent Chornet, President and CEO, Enerkem
Craig Stuart-Paul, CEO, Fiberight
Jim Macias, President and CEO, Fulcrum Bioenergy
Thomas Corle, Founding Partner, Leifmark LLC, Inbicon North America Partnership
Bernardo Gradin, Founder and CEO, GranBio
Kevin Wenger, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Mascoma
Anna Rath, CEO, Nexsteppe
Adam Monroe, President, Americas, Novozymes
Jeff Lautt, CEO, POET
Dan Cummings, President, POET-DSM
Delayne Johnson, CEO, Quad County Corn Processors
Mike Hamilton, CEO, Renmatix
Jonathan Wolfson, CEO, Solazyme
Arunas Chesonis, Chairman and CEO, Sweetwater Energy
Jack Bernens, Head of Enogen, Syngenta
Tim Eggeman, Ph.D., P.E., President and CEO, ZeaChem
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