Organizations urge Biden administration to change emissions policy

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More than 100 trade groups representing transportation sector businesses recently sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging the administration to scrap a proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tailpipe emissions standards for light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles.

The organizations expressed concern over the EPA’s focus on electric vehicles to achieve compliance and the need to preserve consumers’ access to affordable, reliable and efficient transportation.

“We share the goal of reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the broader economy and, specifically, those from energy production, transportation, and use by society,” the letter said. “EPA’s proposals inhibit the marketplace from identifying the most efficient, lowest cost opportunities to reduce GHG emissions from vehicles and greatly restrict consumer choice.

“A diversified portfolio of vehicle and fuel technologies that meets the multitude of transportation needs of Americans and makes meaningful GHG reductions can be achieved while also allowing new zero-emission vehicle, and specifically battery electric vehicle, technologies to advance. Improved crop yield, innovative biofuel and refined product processing, and manufacturing efficiency tied with carbon capture each represent promising advancements for current liquid and gaseous fuels to continue to accelerate emissions reductions.”

Signatories include convenience store and truck stop operators, corn growers, ethanol producers, farm bureaus, motor truck associations, refiners, and petroleum marketers and fuel dealers.