WASHINGTON – The American
Petroleum Institute (API) is taking its message that the federal Renewable Fuel
Standard (RFS) is costing consumers, The Hill reports. The ads, which are
running in the Washington, D.C., area, as well as in several states, are on
radio and television, plus print and online.
The “significant campaign”
talks about how consumers will pay for RFS. “By mandating higher ethanol content in
gasoline than is safe, it threatens American consumers, the investments they’ve
made in their vehicles, and our economic well-being,” said Bob Greco,
downstream director for the institute.
Biofuel groups are hitting back: “This is just more of the same from Big Oil. They will stop at nothing to
maintain their near monopoly on the liquid fuels market, even if it means
saddling consumers with ever increasing prices at the pump,” said Tom Buis, CEO
of Growth Energy.
The API media blitz is
hitting just as Congress
is holding hearings about biofuel-blending regulations. The institute wants to
repeal the rule entirely because E15 is not good for car engines. Earlier, API
asked the U.S.
Supreme Court to reverse a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency
on E15, but the higher court refused
to hear the case.
One of the first ads
touches on that concern, warning that E15 and higher blends could harm engines.
But a full repeal is not likely, although some lawmakers have sided with API on
the issue. “We want a repeal bill to move this year,” said Greco. “But we also
recognize that this Congress is not moving as quickly on a lot of issues as it
should.”