If legislation was introduced that would prevent the latest iPhone from being sold and instead require users to return to the days of big brick phones and other technology relics, youd be up in arms. Well, the same thing is being proposed when it comes to ethanol blendsand you still should be up in arms. In May, biofuel critics Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.) introduced H.R. 5180, which would cap ethanol blends in the U.S. transportation pool to no more than 9.7 percent by volume. Its a rather odd and precise number without any logic, other than its the percentage the oil companies wantkeeping ethanol in the neat octane trimming box with which theyre comfortable. By adopting Big Oils biofuel limits, the bill would not just halt ethanols growth in providing a more affordable, high-octane source of fuel to consumersit would retard that progress. But ethanol already exceeds 10 percent of the fuel mix in at least 22 states, including California, Minnesota and South Dakota, where consumers have access to higher blends such as E15 and E85. Higher ethanol blends have had such rapid growth in recent years due to steady industry investment in an effort to provide for more choice at the pump. If the bill was enacted into law, all of that progressincluding cleaner air, greater energy security and cheaper gasoline priceswould evaporate. And all because oil companies want to continue to monopolize the transportation sectorjust as they have done for more than 100 years. The oil industry whines about a so-called blend wall even as they continue to build it themselves by denying consumer access to these higher ethanol blends. The renewable fuel standard was intended to break the stranglehold oil companies have on the motor fuel market by forcing access. This bill would gut the RFS and send Americas energy and climate change policy back decades. On a recent conference call with reporters, the American Petroleum Institute said it plans to continue pushing the Flores/Welch bill for action this or next year and claims support for the effort is gaining momentum. But the Renewable Fuels Association is not sitting on the sidelines. Today, we ran ads in three Capitol Hill papers, urging consumers and fellow lawmakers not to fall for the oil industrys false blend wall argument. We want to inform lawmakers and consumers alike that capping ethanol blends below 10 percent will only benefit Big Oil and will leave consumers without choice at the pump. We plan to continue our education efforts and ensure that the RFSand its numerous benefitsremain in place.
