U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (R-Dist. 15) | Contributed photo
U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (R-Dist. 15) | Contributed photo
Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) recently expressed his readiness to lead the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on which he is the senior member, in pushing for Renewable Fuel Standard reform.
Shimkus said Illinois' 15th District is home to a huge ethanol refinery, plus a second refinery near his hometown of Collinsville. Between the two refineries lie farmlands filled with corn and soybeans. Illinois agriculture provides 274 million bushels of corn for the ethanol industry – approximately 678 million gallons of fuel. Illinois also produces soybean-based biodiesel.
Shimkus has prior experience working with his colleagues to include renewable fuels in fuel standards. Shimkus worked tirelessly to include biodiesel and ethanol in the RFS in the Energy and Policy Act of 2005. The RFS program was expanded under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Shimkus has sponsored several successful legislative initiatives, including the 1998 law allowing government fleets to use biodiesel fuels and the 2005 law requiring a minimum volume of renewable fuels in transportation fuel.
Shimkus said the clock is ticking on RFS. The statutory schedule sets annual volume levels, and those levels will peak at 36 billion gallons of fuel in 2022.
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