EPA made thoughtful move on ethanol mandate

By Dawn Carlson

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The Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa applaud the Environmental Protection Agency for its significant analysis of the renewable fuel supply and considering a reduction in the amount of ethanol that refiners would need to blend into the U.S. motor fuel supply in 2014, as recently reported in the media.

According to the article, draft documents from the EPA show it is reconsidering biofuel mandate levels from the 2007 Renewable Fuel Standard, lowering

2014 requirements from 18.15 billion gallons initially required to 15.21 billion gallons.

This 2007 mandate requires refiners to buy alternative fuels made from corn, soybeans and other renewable products to reduce the country's dependence on foreign energy.

As Iowa fuel retailers, we wholeheartedly support biofuels and feel it is extremely important that development of these fuel options takes into account consumers' interests.

With overall fuel purchases down significantly during the past few years, it is no surprise that the EPA is rethinking the amount of ethanol that must be blended by refiners.

Furthermore, according to data released earlier this month by the Energy Information Administration and the International Energy Agency, this year, the United States is projected to become the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas.

This news comes in tandem with many locations in Iowa seeing the lowest prices in two years for mid-grade gasoline.

As a network of more than 2,000 independent retailers who sell motor vehicle fuels to you, your friends, neighbors and businesses across Iowa, we strive to provide consumers with the products they want at a fair price.

It's important that consumers' interests are protected, and we think the EPA is taking steps in the right direction by looking closer at how much of the U.S. fuel supply needs to be

blended with biofuels in 2014.

Our organization commends the EPA for keeping a thoughtful, consumer- and fact-based analysis at the forefront of their decision-making process on fuel standards.

Decisions that make sense for consumers make sense for Iowa.

l Dawn Carlson is the president and CEO of the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa.Dawn@PMCofIowa.com