A resolution expressing support for the designation of May 2023 as "Renewable Fuels Month" to recognize the important role that renewable fuels play in reducing carbon impacts, lowering fuel prices for consumers, supporting rural communities, and lessening reliance on foreign adversaries.

Bill: 118-sres-213
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE]
Introduced: 2023-05-15
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Alternative and renewable resources

Climate change and greenhouse gases

Commemorative events and holidays

Energy prices

Rural conditions and development
Latest action: action_date: 2023-05-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text: CR S1653)

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-05-15
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This resolution supports the designation of May 2023 as the Renewable Fuels Month. It also recognizes the role renewable fuels play in reducing carbon impacts, lowering fuel prices, supporting rural communities, and lessening the reliance of the United States on foreign adversaries.</p>

tv_txt: III 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 213 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 15, 2023 Mr. Ricketts submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of May 2023 as “Renewable Fuels Month” to recognize the important role that renewable fuels play in reducing carbon impacts, lowering fuel prices for consumers, supporting rural communities, and lessening reliance on foreign adversaries.

Whereas the United States is the largest producer of biofuels in the world, which contributes to the domestic economy, creates jobs, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions; Whereas ethanol is a renewable fuel made of biomass from plant materials; Whereas, in 2022, more than 78,800 jobs in the United States were directly associated with the ethanol industry, with an additional 342,800 indirect and induced jobs supported across all sectors of the economy; Whereas the ethanol industry created $34,800,000,000 in household income and contributed more than $57,000,000,000 to the gross domestic product of the United States; Whereas ethanol and feed co-product production provide a valuable market for United States corn, as a typical dry mill ethanol plant adds nearly $2 of additional value to every bushel of corn processed; Whereas ethanol use reduces greenhouse gas emissions by between 44 and 52 percent compared to gasoline, and, by displacing hydrocarbon substances like aromatics in gasoline, ethanol also helps reduce emissions of air toxins, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, and exhaust hydrocarbons; Whereas, in 2022, ethanol helped protect the energy independence of the United States by displacing more than 600,000,000 barrels of crude oil; Whereas 1/3 of every bushel processed by an ethanol plant is used to make distillers grains, one of the most efficient animal feeds available; Whereas biodiesel is a drop-in replacement for petroleum-based diesel fuel that is produced from renewable resources such as recycled cooking oil, soybean oil, distillers corn oil, canola oil, and animal fats; Whereas renewable diesel is an advanced biofuel, made from the same feedstocks as biodiesel, that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, while meeting the same standard specification for diesel fuels as petroleum diesel; Whereas producing a total of 6,000,000,000 gallons of biodiesel and renewable diesel would support 187,000 full-time equivalent jobs, with more than $8,800,000,000 in wages and $61,600,000,000 in total economic impact; Whereas biodiesel and renewable diesel can be used in existing diesel engines without modification and are available now throughout the United States; Whereas, while advanced biofuels like biodiesel and renewable diesel must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent compared to petroleum diesel, depending on the feedstock used, biodiesel and renewable diesel provide average reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of 74 percent and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80 percent; Whereas biodiesel emits 80 percent less particulate matter than petroleum-based diesel, improving air quality and health outcomes; Whereas the production of biodiesel and renewable diesel adds to the total domestic fuel supply, reducing the price of all diesel fuel at the pump; Whereas, without the Renewable Fuel Standard helping to drive production of biodiesel and renewable diesel, the value of soybeans grown by farmers in the United States would decrease by 13 percent; Whereas sustainable aviation fuel is made from renewable biomass and waste resources and can deliver the performance of petroleum-based jet fuel; and Whereas sustainable aviation fuel can be blended with conventional jet fuel and the use of sustainable or blended aviation fuel requires no infrastructure or equipment changes: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1) supports the designation of May 2023 as Renewable Fuels Month ; and (2) recognizes— (A) the important role renewable fuels play in reducing the carbon impact of the United States; (B) the ability renewable fuels have to lower fuel prices for consumers; (C) the support to rural communities that renewable fuel industries provide; and (D) the opportunity that the production of renewable fuels provides to lessen the reliance of the United States on foreign adversaries.