June 20, 2008

Cattlemen support waiver of Renewable Fuels Standard mandate

(Audio with Jason Jordan, manager of legislative affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association)

In comments filed Thursday with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) supported a petition filed by the State of Texas to reduce federal mandates for production of grain-based fuels. The petition requests that EPA use its statutory authority to reduce the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) mandate for 2008 by 50 percent – trimming the mandate to 4.5 billion gallons of feedgrain-based ethanol, from the current 9 billion gallons.

In the following NCBA audio clip, Jason Jordan, NCBA manager of legislative affairs, explains that while granting the waiver may not bring dramatic relief from skyrocketing grain prices, it would represent one step toward a more realistic policy on grain-based fuel production. 

Jordan says that while Congress may revisit the ethanol production mandates, that process could take a long time. The waiver request represents an opportunity to provide some relief without overhauling the renewable energy legislation. 

Audio Clip #1               :46                    Outcue: "...seen in commodities."