Feinstein, Coburn Seek to Eliminate Corn in Biofuels Mandate

[FarCenter]

A duo of strange bedfellows introduced legislation Thursday that would significantly reform—and reduce in scope—the renewable fuel standard, a mandate that requires increasingly large amounts of biofuels to be blended with gasoline.

The bill, introduced by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Tom Coburn, R-Okla., would eliminate the corn-ethanol portion of the RFS but retain the smaller mandates that require volumes of advanced biofuels not derived from feedstock, such as cellulosic. Feinstein and Coburn have worked together in the past on eliminating subsidies for the corn-ethanol industry.

In a rarity for energy policy, this legislation is attracting support right out of the gate from both sides of the aisle. Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Bob Corker, R-Tenn., Kay Hagan, D-N.C., Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., are also cosponsors.

Another unlikely pair—Sens. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and David Vitter, R-La.—is working on separate legislation that also seeks to keep the advanced-biofuels goals of the program intact while removing altogether or reducing the corn-ethanol part. Timing on this legislation is unclear, a spokesperson for Cardin said Wednesday.

The RFS, enacted in 2005 and strengthened significantly in 2007, requires refiners to blend 16.55 billion gallons of biofuels in 2013. Most of that—13 billion—will be corn ethanol. The mandate has come under intense scrutiny from a diverse group of stakeholders, ranging from the oil and refining industries, to livestock and food groups, to environmentalists.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/feinstein-coburn-seek-to-eliminate-corn-in-biofuels-mandate-20131212

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Having seen firsthand the results of the Corn Boom, I gotta agree with them--

much as it hurts to be on the same page with DiFi about anything at all.

I'm surrounded by fields of Frankencorn, and the bulldozers are out ravaging what little is left of the woodlands in the area in order to increase the field acreage.

[FarCenter]

2. In MI they are ripping up apple, cherry orchards and grapes that were decades old to plant corn.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Yeah, it's really nuts.

And now we got these ethanol plants around everywhere.

Kinda like gigantic moonshine stills…

Now that I think of it, if ya wanted to hide a 'shine operation, you could float Chicago with the output one one of those babies. Make Capone look like a piker.

[FarCenter]

4. You could make all those popular flavored vodkas

[Dawson Leery]

5. Eliminate corn subsidies.

[Jackpine Radical]

6. Abso-fuckin'-lutely; unfortunately,

this might be a somewhat unpopular proposal in the Midwest.

[doc03]

7. It's about time the damn ethanol fucks up

engines and using food for fuel is just plain stupid.