Leading on Biofuels

Nebraska is a biofuels powerhouse - the second and third largest producer of ethanol and corn, respectively, in the country.

With 25 active ethanol plants and a capacity of more than 2.5 billion gallons, the importance of biofuels to our state economy cannot be understated. Biodiesel production in Nebraska has seen exponential growth as well. Thanks to innovation and technological developments, biodiesel production has grown from 25 million gallons in 2004 to 2.9 billion gallons in 2019. Ethanol has an economic impact of $5 billion in Nebraska, and in turn the industry directly employs more than 1,400 Nebraskans.

I am proud to be named as one of the co-chairs of the Biofuels Caucus in the House of Representatives for the 117th Congress. The Biofuels Caucus has historically been both active and impactful in promoting the availability of these energy sources. As the only Nebraskan to co-chair the caucus I am committed to ensuring our state’s voice is always part of the discussion.

The Biofuels Caucus has already acted this year to support the essential work of the industry. Last month I joined my fellow co-chairs in leading a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency expressing our opposition to efforts to approve several small refinery exemptions (SREs). The SRE program allows refineries to be exempt from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) if the RFS causes economic hardship. However, these petitions in question would have run counter to the 10th Circuit Court’s ruling in 2020 that exemptions can only be granted as extensions and therefore did not qualify for the SRE program.

Now, more than ever, transparency in fuel markets is vital for our farmers and biofuels producers. For this reason, I recently cosponsored the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act to ensure all parties can make production decisions knowing they can rely on the EPA to fairly and evenly enforce the RFS. This bill aims to impose an annual deadline of June 1st for small refineries to submit small refinery exemptions.

In recent years, the demand for ethanol has reached record heights, and as we approach nearly one year of the coronavirus pandemic, we need to make sure the biofuels industry is not left behind. As the only Biofuels Caucus co-chair to also serve on the Ways and Means Committee, I have the unique opportunity to highlight biofuels issues in the policy areas of tax, business, and trade. I aim to level the playing field with current trading partners to find new opportunities by expanding our reach into foreign markets while I work to protect the Renewable Fuel Standard, generate jobs, and provide support for our rural communities.