## EMANUEL CLEAVER, II ' http://WWW.HOUSE.GOV/CLEAVER

FIFTH DISTRICT, MISSOURI TW I'TTER.COM/REPCLEAVER FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE HOUSwG AND INSURANCE SuBCOMMiTTEE FACEBOOK.COM/EMANUELCLEAVER II QVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE 

## E lonigrYliti of #lte linifPd _ oNttfeii ^nu^r nf +R^,prr^enftttiul`,^ December 2, 2013 The Honorable Gina McCarthy Administrator Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, N W Washington, D.C. 20460

Re: 2014 RFS Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0479 Dear Administrator McCarthy: I am writing to express my concern with the EPA's recent decision to reduce the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requirement for 2014 below the legal requirement. I understand that the RFS statutory roadmap may be out of date and need adjustment to reflect recent data. Those adjustments can provide certainty for investment in the industry. However, new RFS goals should be developed in a way that continues to show strong support for biofuels, rather than damaging the policy's political support and stifling investment. Lowering the RFS requirement by almost 3 billion gallons for 2014 is an overcorrection that will undermine investor confidence in biofuels and lower investment in the industry. The requirement proposed for 2014 is 16 percent less than the averages expected in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and would be the first time that the target volume was decreased from the previous year. The ethanol industry is a significant contributor to Missouri's economy, creating jobs and revitalizing rural communities. The state's corn and ethanol industries contributed $12 billion in economic value and $2.2 billion in local, state and federal taxes from 2000-2011. Ethanol plants offer well-paying jobs in rural areas, as well as a dedicated market for feedstocks for hundreds of local farmers. These plants are often the best economic opportunity available in rural areas. E85 fuel can be the bridge to meeting our biofuel mandates while advanced biofuels ramp up. Greater investment in E85 pumps and stations is needed to allow drivers of the 16 million flex fuel vehicles currently on the road in the United States to increase their consumption of E85. Only about 2,500 fuel stations, out of the 115,000 stations around the nation, have at least one pump dedicated to E85. Additionally, not enough pumps are located in areas with high numbers of flex fuel vehicles. Most pumps are in the Midwest, while flex fuel vehicles are clustered in the Midwest, Texas, and the East Coast. A robust RFS mandate is crucial to providing incentive for this infrastructure investment to take place.

PLEASE REPLY TO: 2335 RAYBURN HOB 101 WEST 31SI STREET 211 WEST MAPLE AVENUE 1923 MAiN STREET ^ WASHINGTON, DC 20515 KANSAS C,ITY, MO 64108 INDEPENDENCE, MO 64050 E] HIGGINSVILLE, MO 64037 (202) 225-4535 (PHONE) (816) 842-4545 (PHONE) (816) 833-4545 (PHONE) (660) 584-7373 (PHONE) (202) 225-4403 (FAx) (816) 471-5215 (FAx) (816) 833-2991 (FAx) (660) 584-7227 (FAx) 

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## I respectfully request that EPA revise this proposal to ensure continued investment in the

renewable fuel industry. The RFS lowers the cost of fuel and reduces the resources spent by our military. Without revision, the proposal will stifle investment in new plants and advanced biofuels, damage rural economies, and raise our dependence on foreign oil.

S' cerely ^



## m n 1 Cleave

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—r;^ er of Congress