Letter to Joseph Biden, President - Feenstra, Iowa Members Urge President Biden to Uphold Promise to Support Biofuels

Letter

Dear President Biden:

As your Administration and Congress continue to discuss infrastructure investments, we write in
strong support of including biofuels in any final legislative proposal. Biofuels are a proven
climate solution that can provide a cost-effective way to lower greenhouse gas emissions while
providing good jobs for rural America.

While campaigning in our state, we heard you promise to "Promote and advance renewable
energy, ethanol, and other biofuels to help rural America and our nation's farmers." Yet, while
unveiling your American Jobs Plan, you failed to include any investments in biofuels which play
a vital role in our nation's transportation sector.

Today's biofuels provide a low carbon fuel and advancements in crop production, carbon capture
technologies, and innovative production processes will only further drive down the carbon
emissions of biofuels. In fact, advancements in biofuels can drive biofuels towards being carbon
neutral or even carbon negative -- something electric vehicles cannot achieve. If provided a level
playing field from the government, biofuels can and will compete in the low carbon
transportation marketplace.

According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) by 2050, 79% of new vehicle sales
will still be gas powered or flex-fuel.1 Just this past year, electric cars made up 2.2% of the U.S.
auto market. While it is likely our country will continue to produce more electric vehicles, it is
clear that American consumers are not sold on them.

Instead, your plan focuses on subsidizing expensive electric vehicles to the tune of $174 billion.
Your plan includes the installation of electric vehicle chargers, calls for the electrification of the
federal vehicle fleet, and provides tax incentives and consumer rebates for the wealthy to
purchase electric vehicles. Consumers who purchase Teslas which make up more than 70% of
the electric car market have average incomes at more than $300,000.2

It is our hope that your Administration will come to the table to support the proven solution that
biofuels provide to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector as quickly as possible.
The Administration should support flex-fuel vehicles and cost-effective infrastructure
improvements that will pave the way to higher biofuel blends. Additionally, the Administration
should demonstrate a strong commitment to biofuels through a strong renewable volume
obligation for 2021, 2022, and beyond. We should ensure that where needed biofuel pumps and
storage tanks can be updated. The Administration should also work towards incentivizing new biofuel technologies and use accurate greenhouse gas modeling that takes into consideration the latest farming and production practices to calculate emissions from biofuels.

You made a promise to Iowans that you would support biofuels, yet the American Jobs Plan falls
well short for our state. Biofuels provide an immediate solution to help decarbonize our
transportation sector while supporting rural America and providing a low carbon, cost effective
choice to consumers. Biofuels should not be treated as a transition fuel, but prioritized as a fuel
of the future.

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