|
Consumers should dictate
biofuel use, not government
By Rep. Dan Kristiansen
Recently, I was contacted
by a Sedro-Woolley antique car collector frustrated about state mandates
which require gasoline and diesel to contain ethanol and biodiesel. It
turns out ethanol is not compatible with many older engines, nor with
marine engines. Apparently that's the tip of the iceberg of problems now
emerging with these mandates.
Senate Bill 6508 seemed
like a good idea to the Legislature in 2006 because Washington is one of
the largest wheat-producing states in the nation. Lawmakers thought
expanded use of biofuels would create a new commodity market that would
boost our state’s farm communities and provide new jobs. However, I had
serious concerns about government leaping ahead of the private sector by
forcing an artificial market, as well as effects mandates could have
against consumers.
The bill required at least
2 percent of gas and diesel sold in Washington be ethanol or biodiesel
beginning in December 2008, or when it was determined that the state's
feedstock could satisfy that requirement. Mandates would be ramped up as
more feedstock and seed-crushing capacity became available. The measure
also required state agencies to use a minimum of 20 percent biodiesel in
diesel-powered vehicles by June 1, 2009.
I support expansion of
safe, clean alternative energy sources, including biofuel use, to reduce
our dependence on foreign and domestic oil. However, I also
believe in a bottoms-up approach, in which consumer demand should
determine the best timing for biofuel expansion as an option to regular
fuel. I opposed SB 6508, as did many of my Republican colleagues,
because it involved a government top-down approach that dictated
unreasonable deadlines and requirements we knew Washington could not
meet, even under the best of circumstances.
Three years after the hype
that persuaded Washington to aggressively jump in with untested biofuel
mandates, our concerns are playing out and reality is setting in.
Commodity prices have
skyrocketed. Diesel has fallen. West Coast canola-based biodiesel is
about $3.42 per gallon, before taxes. Conventional diesel is still under
$2, before taxes. Even with federal subsidies, many biofuel refiners are closing,
including a Hoquiam plant where 24 workers were recently laid off.
Worldwide biofuel mandates
are affecting food and livestock feed prices, creating an economic
burden for families. Although one segment of agriculture has benefitted,
another is suffering higher prices.
One study has determined
biofuel production may even create more carbon than it saves, prompting
the question, "Why bother?"
Finally, Washington did
not meet the June 1 requirement for biodiesel to make up 20 percent of
state agencies’ fuel use. Usage has barely surpassed 2 percent. The
governor says she still wants the state to meet its usage requirement.
She's willing to spend more time and money to not "lose the momentum."
Rather than pouring
millions of taxpayer dollars into an uncertain future, we should step
back and re-examine government's role. The answer to alternative energy
sources is not more government mandates. Government needs to step out of
the way and let the private sector develop at its own pace, with supply
and demand creating a sustainable market that doesn’t jeopardize food
supply, ensures stability for growers and producers, and provides an
additional option from which consumers can choose.
# # #
EDITOR'S NOTE:
State Rep. Dan Kristiansen, R-Snohomish,
represents the 39th Legislative District, and also serves as chairman of
the Washington House Republican Caucus. He can be contacted at (360)
786-7967 or from his Web site at:
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Kristiansen.
For more information, contact:
John
Sattgast, Senior Information Officer: (360) 786-7257
|