Iowa to host hearing on change in renewable fuel standard

Gov. Terry Branstad announced he will lead a group of senior state officials from Iowa and the Midwest to organize and host a public hearing allowing citizens outside of Washington, D.C., the opportunity to testify about the importance of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

The RFS has proven an important policy framework for empowering consumers with additional and lower-cost choices at the pump, diversifying our nation's energy portfolio, reducing harmful transportation emissions, supporting the growth of the Midwest economy, and reducing our dependence on overseas oil, according to Branstad.

Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey and the entire Iowa congressional delegation sent a letter to President Barack Obama, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack in December encouraging federal officials to host a public hearing in Iowa or the Midwest to give more citizens the opportunity to provide perspective and data on the EPA's proposal to reduce volume obligation levels for 2014 in the RFS. The White House, EPA and USDA each declined the invitation and the opportunity to host a hearing on this important issue.

The hearing will be at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 23 at Hall of Laureates, 100 Locust St., Des Moines.Contact and RSVP Information: Interested individuals should RSVP to

Julie.VandeHoef@Iowa.gov. They should include their name, organization, day of event phone number, email address and whether they are interested in speaking at the hearing.