The Cass County Board of Supervisor’s, today (Wednesday), voiced their support for a proposed Resolution pertaining to the U-S Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). A draft of the Resolution was presented to the Board for their review and changes as necessary. The Resolution, as currently written, states in-part, that the RFS “Has been created to reduce dependence on foreign sources of crude oil and to foster development of domestic energy resources.”

A change to the proposed resolution by Supervisor Mark Wedemeyer, would remove a section that states “Renewable fuel resources should provide significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.” Wedemeyer says he doesn’t subscribe to the theory of “Global warming.”

John and Brad Hartkopf, representing the Renewable Fuels Industry, spoke before the Board prior to their taking the Resolution under consideration. John Hartkopf said they have been trying to educate the public and presidential candidates on the importance of the issue.

He said “Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable bio-fuels and ethanol and production.” The renewable fuels industry he says, brings 73,000 jobs to Iowa, a $5-billion payroll and $13-billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In the original law passed in 2005 and renewed in 2007, “There is seven-years left in that law, and that last seven-years is primarily for market access. So this market can be expanded to other states. And that was the intent of the law…the purpose of the law is the protection of the United States from foreign oil…environmental protection, and to grow Iowa’s and [the] Midwest’s agriculture industry.”

Hartkopf said the RFS of course has seen opposition from the oil industry, and there are misconceptions about who benefits from renewable fuel. He said Renewable Fuels has not received federal tax credits since 2011, but the oil industry still receives $4.8-billion in tax credits.”

He says the main thing they want to the public and presidential candidates to understand, is the economic benefit to the State and how critical the RFS is in continuing that benefit. The Board is expected to approve the amended resolution during its meeting on Dec. 31st.