Novozymes today commented on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to reduce its 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) from the requirements set forth in law.

The proposal would cut conventional biofuel to 13 billion gallons per year from 14.4 and cellulosic biofuels to 17 million from 1.75 billion. This move essentially asks America’s renewable fuel industry to produce less domestic fuel.  It also negatively impacts America’s ability to reduce gas prices, protect the climate, attract private investment and create jobs.

“The Renewable Fuel Standard was signed into law to break OPEC’s effects on the nation: high oil and gasoline prices, American dollars going offshore and environmental consequences our grandchildren will endure,” said Adam Monroe, Novozymes President Americas. “The only way to break foreign control on oil prices and the nation is to introduce a competitive alternative.”

“The RFS was designed as a two-part strategy: Companies like ours would bring breakthrough renewable fuel technology to market, which we’ve done. Oil companies were then required to blend it into the nation’s fuel mix – which they’ve naturally fought at every turn.”

“We cannot put oil’s interests before the nation’s needs. Blending more renewable fuel means more savings for consumers at the pump.” 

Biofuels have already created more than 400,000 good paying jobs, $42 billion in economic activity last year and reduced our foreign oil imports by 25 percent. Advanced biofuels have the potential to support 800,000 careers by 2022 while continuing to enhance the energy security of the United States.

In May 2012, Novozymes opened the nation's largest advanced manufacturing plant for enzymes dedicated to biofuels in Blair, Nebraska. Novozymes chose the United States for the plant’s location over other international locations because of the RFS. The plant was built with $200 million in private investment and created 100 career positions and 400 construction jobs.

Other US advanced biofuel projects that have steel in the ground or are underway driven by the RFS include:

• POET’s Project LIBERTY in Iowa;
• DuPont’s cellulosic facility in Nevada;
• Fiberight’s existing trash-to-fuel plant in Virginia, and its newest plant in Blairstown, Iowa;
• Abengoa’s cellulosic facility in Hugoton, Kansas;
• KiOR’s biomass facility in Mississippi;
• and INEOS Bio’s Indian River BioEnergy Center in Florida.