Monday, June 2, 2003 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 46   FRONT PAGE REAP Calls for More Robust RFS Policy Tells NY, California to Get Serious with Aggressive RFS The Renewable Action Project, a national grassroots coalition of environmentalists, private foundations, government agencies, renewable energy advocates and producers, asked Congress to implement a more robust Renewable Fuels Standard. REAP also told the New York and California delegation that an aggressive RFS is the best way to reduce climate change gases, reduce petroleum use and create a sustainable economic development from coast to coast. REAP reiterated its call to lawmakers to quickly adopt and to now further fortify efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions following a new study released by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. The study by the non-profit organization said ethanol’s low carbon content and its ability to immediately blend into the existing petroleum infrastructure are reasons to quickly implement their use. “Ethanol and other fuels that can be blended with petroleum fuels offer the greatest promise for reducing transportation greenhouse gas emissions during the next 15 years,” said the study. According to the report, “corn based ethanol reduces full fuel-cycle GHG emissions by slightly more than 30 percent in comparison with gasoline.” In addition, the authors emphasized that increasing ethanol production from cellulose feedstocks can reduce net fuel-cycle GHG emissions to zero. “Ethanol’s role in combating Climate Change is one of many reasons to implement an aggressive Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS),” said Will Coleman, legislative director of REAP. REAP is calling for a more robust RFS beginning at 3.5 billion gallons and increasing to 10 billion gallons by 2012. “The Senate should get serious about addressing Climate Change and our increasing fuel needs, and institute a RFS that means something,” said Coleman. “The California and New York delegations need to get over the politics of the coasts versus the Midwest and recognize that an aggressive renewable fuels policy is good for the nation as a whole. They should stop playing games with the RFS and demand an aggressive renewable fuels policy that insures that renewable fuels will be produced and used from California to New York.” “Let’s be honest, California and New York combined are the biggest emitters of CO2 gases from the transportation sectors. We need ethanol in every gallon of gasoline to truly have an impact on climate change –not just in the Midwest.” Coleman added, “New York and California can be the leaders in new cellulosic ethanol development. Both states are in need of truly sustainable economic development. It is time to put parochial geographic rivalries aside and recognize the real benefits of an aggressive Renewable Fuels Standard.” REAP has engaged in various efforts to promote the use of renewable fuels, ranging from pressuring major oil companies to replace the gasoline additive MTBE with ethanol to participation in state and federal regulatory activities. [PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION] Published by DTN Energy Services, L.L.C. Copyright © 2003 DTN Energy Services, L.L.C.. All rights reserved. All Rights Reserved and all of the releases provided are protected by copyright and other applicable laws, treaties, conventions. All reproductions, other than for an individual user's reference, is prohibited without prior written consent. Contact DTN Energy Services, L.L.C. at: www.dtnenergy.com or call Toll Free 1.800.779.5779 Forward to a Friend