8/11/2019 Ad: Our Message to President Obama

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As you enjoy some restthis week, we wanted to share some im-portant news about advanced biofuels.

First, the good news: in no small part due to your efforts to transition

America to a clean energy future, we are launching four large, com-

mercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants. Using groundbreaking tech-

nology developed by Americas most innovative companies, these

four facilities will convert agricultural residue into the lowest-

carbon motor fuel in the world.

Now, the bad news: the companies and investors looking to deploy the

next wave of cellulosic ethanol facilities have put U.S. investment on

hold because the EPA is proposing to dramatically change how the

Renewable Fuel Standard works.

EPAs proposal doesnt just cut the amount of renewable fuel in the

gasoline supply. It fundamentally changes how the annual targets

are calculated. Instead of basing the targets on our industrys abil-

ity to produce and deliver fuel, the proposal would allow the targets

to be reduced if the oil industry refuses to make renewable fuels

available to the consumer.Oil companies largely control retail fu-eling infrastructure through a complex maze of contracts with dis-

tributors that often restrict the sale of alternatives.

As designed, the Renewable Fuel Standard attracted U.S. invest-

ment because it changed this dynamic. If the program moving for-

ward reflects rather than mitigates the oil industrys unwillingness to

market renewable fuel, the policy will cease to be effective and drive

our industry overseas.

Thats why just increasing the biofuels volumes this year or next

will not solve the problem. The solution must preserve the original

structure of the program, incentivizing oil companies to provide

fuel choice to the American consumer and support the retail infra-

structure to sell more renewable fuel.

You have always been a strong champion of advanced biofuels and

we know it is not your intent to undercut investment. Its not too

late to get the final rule right, so together we can make the United

States the leader in producing the cleanest fuels in the world.

Heres to renewed energy, Mr. President.

And heres to continuing torenew Americas energy, too.

Switchgrass photo Great Lakes Bioenergy Research CenPaid for by Fuels America.