WASHINGTON - Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) is asking Congress to "revisit" the renewable fuels standard it enacted in 2007 as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act, joining a growing number of lawmakers who are concerned about the effect food-to-fuel mandates are having on food prices. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) authored an editorial that appeared in Investors’ Business Daily April 25, 2008, in which she announced she would introduce legislation to freeze implementation of the renewable fuels mandate at current levels.

"Recently, the world has been confronted with irrefutable evidence that our current biofuels mandates are having massive and potentially life threatening consequences," Inhofe, the ranking Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said.

Inhofe also called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use its authority under the 2007 energy bill to waive the renewable fuel requirements, the Bureau of National Affairs reports.

In addition, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) asked EPA to waive the renewable fuels standard for 2008. Such a waiver would cut the standard from 9 billion gallons to the 4.5 billion gallons mandated in 2007, Perry's office said.

The 2007 energy law requires large increases in renewable fuels use beginning in 2008 and culminating in a 36-billion-gallon requirement in 2022. The law increased the requirement from the 4.5 billion gallons required in 2007 to 9 billion gallons.
Prior legislation had required renewable fuel use to increase to 7.5 billion gallons in 2012.

EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said April 29 that the Texas request "is going to be taken very seriously."

Asked if a reduction in the renewable-fuels requirement from 9 billion gallons to 4.5 billion gallons would significantly weaken the president's climate initiative, he said it would not. Johnson cited the vehicle fuel economy increase included in the energy bill and various EPA programs to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

Inhofe criticized the Senate environment committee for failing "to hold even one hearing on RFS [renewable fuel standards] this Congress, although it is the primary committee of jurisdiction for the program."