Vilsack: USDA will stick to ethanol distribution, advanced biofuels development
November 12, 2013 | 06:18 PM
With the Environmental Protection Agency likely to announce this week a proposed reduction in the federal requirement for blending ethanol into fuel in 2014, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said today that USDA will focus on its responsibility to increase availability of ethanol, particularly higher level blends.
The proposed rule on how many gallons of ethanol it will require blenders to put into gasoline and diesel in 2014 was not announced today, as some had expected, but will be announced “soon,” an EPA official told The Hagstrom Report today. The official and Vilsack both emphasized that the rule is proposed rather than final and will be subject to public comment.
After a speech to the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, Vilsack told reporters that EPA had consulted with USDA as is required by law, but that he did not know when EPA would announce the 2014 requirements.
Vilsack declined to comment on EPA’s proposal, but sounded resigned to a reduction in the mandate.
“I’ve been a supporter of the renewable fuels industry, but I won’t tell the administrator how to run EPA,” Vilsack said, adding that Gina McCarthy, the EPA administrator doesn't tell him how to run USDA.
Vilsack said that USDA will continue to try to broaden the distribution channel for ethanol, particularly for the E85 blend.
“The oil industry has made it harder to access the higher blends,” Vilsack said, adding that it is his goal to make E85 available beyond the Midwest to the 9 million to 10 million flex fuel vehicles that can handle it.
Vilsack added that USDA will continue to encourage aviation and marine use of biofuels and remains committed to advanced biofuels. “No one is satisfied with the pace” of advanced biofuels development, he said.
The Washington Post featured two stories last week on problems in cellulosic ethanol.
The proposed rule on how many gallons of ethanol it will require blenders to put into gasoline and diesel in 2014 was not announced today, as some had expected, but will be announced “soon,” an EPA official told The Hagstrom Report today. The official and Vilsack both emphasized that the rule is proposed rather than final and will be subject to public comment.
After a speech to the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, Vilsack told reporters that EPA had consulted with USDA as is required by law, but that he did not know when EPA would announce the 2014 requirements.
Vilsack declined to comment on EPA’s proposal, but sounded resigned to a reduction in the mandate.
“I’ve been a supporter of the renewable fuels industry, but I won’t tell the administrator how to run EPA,” Vilsack said, adding that Gina McCarthy, the EPA administrator doesn't tell him how to run USDA.
Vilsack said that USDA will continue to try to broaden the distribution channel for ethanol, particularly for the E85 blend.
“The oil industry has made it harder to access the higher blends,” Vilsack said, adding that it is his goal to make E85 available beyond the Midwest to the 9 million to 10 million flex fuel vehicles that can handle it.
Vilsack added that USDA will continue to encourage aviation and marine use of biofuels and remains committed to advanced biofuels. “No one is satisfied with the pace” of advanced biofuels development, he said.
The Washington Post featured two stories last week on problems in cellulosic ethanol.
