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House bill considers making corn starch ethanol an advanced biofuel

A bill introduced in the US House this week aims to level the playing field for corn starch ethanol.

The Fuels Parity Act introduced by Representatives Nikki Budzinski and Eric Sorensen of Illinois, Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma and Wesley Hunt of Texas would allow ethanol from corn starch to be classified as an advanced biofuel.

Dave Loos with the Illinois Corn Growers Association tells Brownfield it would give corn farmers more access to the domestic market.

“I think it’ll be a lower cost competitor to the other advanced biofuels. So therefore, the refineries would tend to use more corn starch ethanol in meeting their requirements under the Renewable Fuels Standard.”

The bill would also modernize the Renewable Fuels Standard by requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to use the Argonne GREET Model to determine the greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels.

Loos says they have pushed to implement these improvements for several years, and it is encouraging to see bipartisan support from both Corn Belt and Oil Patch states.  

“What I’m seeing, when it comes to liquid fuels, is more and more conversations between corn ethanol and the oil industry in making sure that we have a future in the transportation sector by working together.”

National Corn Growers Association President Tom Haag and Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor both applaud the legislation saying it recognizes the declining carbon intensity of today’s ethanol and helps level the playing field by eliminating regulatory hurdles.