It is time for the U.S. government to get out of the business of picking technological winners and losers. A glaring example is the outdated federal mandate known as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) – last modified in 2007 – it has restrained the potential growth of the alternative fuels market. While well meaning, the RFS requirement that only renewable feedstocks like corn be used to produce ethanol is spiking food and feed prices and violating the administration’s widely-supported “All-of-the-Above” approach. In light of the economic challenges facing the U.S., we should be using all of our energy resources and ingenuity to expand the market, create jobs and reduce our dependence on petroleum imports.
