(January 18, 2012) Washington - The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is rejecting the notion that greater efforts need to be made to include fossil fuels in the nation’s fuel supply.  Specifically, the RFA is very critical of efforts by Texas Republican Rep. Pete Olson and other fossil fuel supporters to modify the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to include ethanol and other fuels produced from fossil fuels like natural gas.  Rep. Olson today introduced a bill called the Domestic Alternative Fuels Act of 2012 (H.R. 3773).

“There is nothing renewable about fossil fuels and they have no place in national renewable energy policy.  The RFS has been a very successful tool and remains very critical to the development of truly renewable fuel technologies, like advanced and cellulosic ethanol,” said RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen.  “We shouldn't be changing the rules of the RFS in the middle of the program because it is working.  It is reducing reliance on imported oil.  Scores of companies have made investments based on the program and new investments in next generation fuels will be chilled if the RFS is fundamentally changed before 2022.”

Dinneen continued, “Rather than chasing more fossil fuels down a frack hole, members of Congress seeking to expand fossil fuels’ chokehold on the fuels industry should be supporting efforts like the Open Fuel Standard which would provide consumers with a real choice at the pump and leveling the playing field for fuels by eliminating tax breaks for very mature fossil fuel producers.”