MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Kansas Corn Growers Association (KCGA) joined five other state corn associations and other biofuels groups in a petition challenging the EPA’s recent greenhouse gas (GHG) tailpipe emissions rule for cars and trucks which seeks solutions solely through electric vehicles. KCGA supports actions to reduce GHG emissions but opposes arbitrary regulatory actions attempting to mandate a single technology to meet those goals.
“EPA’s emissions rule is basically a mandate for electric vehicles. The clean ethanol fuel produced from our crops is already reducing tailpipe emissions as much and more than electric vehicles,” said KCGA President Brent Rogers of Hoxie. “In today’s economy, Americans are looking for affordable green solutions. Ethanol fuel blends already lower the price of fuel and lower tailpipe emissions. Liquid fuels with ethanol are the affordable greenhouse gas solution for the affordable vehicles that are used by nearly every American driver today.”
This legal challenge by the corn and biofuels groups is the result of an unprecedented move from the EPA to transform the future of the U.S. transportation industry, declaring electric vehicles the clear winner. Kansas Corn and the cosigners point out that such a significant policy shift requires an act of Congress with clear intentions to change the future of internal combustion engines, liquid fuels, and electric vehicles. This challenge to the EPA’s authority and the reasoning behind it are consistent with past climate control policies.
“If the policy goal is to address the challenges of climate change, we need regulations that recognize and encourage all low carbon technologies able to contribute to the goal. If EPA’s goal is to unilaterally phase out liquid fuels, it must seek congressional authorization to do so. EPA must recognize all pathways to reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector—including liquid fuels,” Kansas Corn CEO Greg Krissek said.
In the petition, the corn and ethanol groups ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to set aside EPA’s final GHG standards for passenger cars and light trucks. This new standard aims to mandate a single technology—electric vehicles—to reduce emissions. In the petition, the corn and biofuel groups state that policies written to exclude any technologies other than electric stifle the innovation that could create real sustainable change for the future.
“It is deeply frustrating that EPA would ignore biofuels as a climate solution, and instead attempt to mandate the use of electric vehicles that are dependent on the power grid to charge their batteries made with rare earth minerals mined on the other side of the world. It makes more sense that green solutions would come from the green plants we grow on our American family farms,” Rogers said.
The Kansas Corn Growers Association represents its members in regulatory and legislative issues that impact corn, and promote the use of corn and its products.
The Kansas Corn Growers Association joined five other state corn associations and other ethanol interest groups in a petition challenging the EPA’s recent greenhouse gas (GHG) tailpipe emissions rule for cars and trucks which seeks solutions solely through electric vehicles. KCGA supports actions to reduce GHG emissions but opposes arbitrary regulatory actions attempting to mandate a single technology to meet those goals.
“EPA’s emissions rule is basically a mandate for electric vehicles. The clean ethanol fuel produced from our crops is already reducing tailpipe emissions as much and more than electric vehicles,” said KCGA President Brent Rogers of Hoxie. “In today’s economy, Americans are looking for affordable green solutions. Ethanol fuel blends already lower the price of fuel and lower tailpipe emissions. Liquid fuels with ethanol are the affordable greenhouse gas solution for the affordable vehicles that are used by nearly every American driver today.”
This legal challenge by the corn and biofuels groups is the result of an unprecedented move from the EPA to transform the future of the U.S. transportation industry, declaring electric vehicles the clear winner. Kansas Corn and the cosigners point out that such a significant policy shift requires an act of Congress with clear intentions to change the future of internal combustion engines, liquid fuels, and electric vehicles. This challenge to the EPA’s authority and the reasoning behind it are consistent with past climate control policies.
“If the policy goal is to address the challenges of climate change, we need regulations that recognize and encourage all low carbon technologies able to contribute to the goal. If EPA’s goal is to unilaterally phase out liquid fuels, it must seek congressional authorization to do so. EPA must recognize all pathways to reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector—including liquid fuels,” Kansas Corn CEO Greg Krissek said.
In the petition, the corn and ethanol groups ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to set aside EPA’s final GHG standards for passenger cars and light trucks. This new standard aims to mandate a single technology—electric vehicles—to reduce emissions. In the petition, the corn and biofuel groups state that policies written to exclude any technologies other than electric, stifle the innovation that could create real sustainable change for the future.
“It is deeply frustrating that EPA would ignore biofuels as a climate solution, and instead attempt to mandate the use of electric vehicles that are dependent on the power grid to charge their batteries made with rare earth minerals mined on the other side of the world. It makes more sense that green solutions would come from the green plants we grow on our American family farms,” Rogers said.
The Kansas Corn Growers Association represents its members in regulatory and legislative issues that impact corn, and promote the use of corn and its products.
— Kansas Corn Growers Association