JAY INSLEE


Governor

STATE OF WASHINGTON


Office of the Governor 

The Honorable Gina McCarthy 

Administrator 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW 

Washington, DC 20460

The Honorable Sylvia Mathews Burwell 

Director, White House Office of 

Manaement and Budget 

725 l7tStreetNW 

Washington, DC 20503 

Dear Administrator McCarthy and Director Burwell: 

I write to strongly encourage the Administration to adopt a 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard 2 

(RFS2) rule that will continue to promote investment and growth in American and Washington 

State advanced biofuels industries and that will further support important state and federal clean 

energy development and carbon-reduction goals. 

The RFS is a landmark federal program that has played an invaluable role in diversifying U.S. 

vehicle fuel markets and increasing the competitive viability of cleaner and more sustainable 

energy resources. But these exciting and innovative developments, which offer the promise of 

reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in key sectors like transportation and strengthening 

American energy security, will only be realized if federal policy continues to support them. 

For instance, the domestic biodiesel industry has experienced impressive growth under the RFS. 

Far from just meeting expectations, the industry now supports more than 60,000 jobs and nearly 

$17 billion in total economic impact nationwide - and includes a number of innovative 

Washington State companies. However, setting reduced or stagnant RFS2 2014 fuel requirement 

levels would serve to dis-incentivize investment in this and other advanced biofuels industries, 

like renewable natural gas (RNG) and cellulosic and algae-based fuels, and would slow or 

perhaps reverse the development of cleaner alternative fuels that are helping the United States 

reduce its GHG emission and increase its fuel and energy-resource diversity. Inadequate fuel 

requirement levels would pull important policy supports out from under these blossoming 

industries, would likely lead to reduced investment and financing, and could result in plant 

closures, worker layoffs, and other negative economic impacts. An inadequate 2014 RFS2 rule 

would adversely affect businesses in my state. 

Furthermore, reduced or stagnant RFS2 fuel requirement levels would also impair state policy 

actions - such as the recent agreement entered into by the Pacific Coast Collaborative states of 

Washington, California, and Oregon, arid British Columbia - to further promote alternative, lowcarbon fuels and economic growth in their jurisdictions. 

P.O. Box 40002 OIympa, Washington 9O5040002 (360) 902-4111 • www.governor.wa,gov
The Honorable Gina McCarthy 

The Honorable Sylvia Mathews l3urwell 

November 14, 2013 

Page 2 

Therefore, I urge you to continue to support these fragile and growing industries with a 2014 

RFS2 rule that includes, or does not vary far from, the existing 3.75 billion gallon level for 

advanced biofuels and the 1.7 billion gallon requirement for biodiesel. 

I appreciate your consideration of this request and look forward to working with your agencies 

and others in the Obama Administration to advance federal and state policies that will promote 

greater economic prosperity and energy security, as well as address the dangerous threat of 

climate change. 

The Honorable Tom Vilsack, Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture 

The Honorable Howard Shelanski, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs