Renewable Fuel Standard Falls Short on Energy Independence and Emissions Reduction

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), enacted in 2005 and expanded in 2007, aimed to increase energy independence and security by mandating the use of biofuels in gasoline supplies. However, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals that the RFS has not delivered on its promises.

The RFS requires an increasing amount of biofuels to be blended into gasoline each year. Most of these biofuels are corn-based ethanol, which has few environmental advantages compared to gasoline. The GAO found that the nationwide RFS was associated with modest price increases outside of the Midwest, where most of the corn is grown.

The report also notes that the RFS's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions has not been met. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had to reset the required volumes of advanced biofuel production several times due to the high cost of production and lack of commercial availability.