In his testimony, Werner said the EPA's proposed tailpipe emissions rule "undervalue and overlook the future contributions that American-made biofuels can make in achieving enhanced vehicle efficiency and carbon emissions reduction."

He said Minnesota-made biofuels have a proven track record of reducing carbon emissions while continous technology investments are targeted at acheiving net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner.

Werner said incentivizing the use of higher blends of ethanol like E15 and E85 can reduce emissions from the 281 million internal combustion engine vehicles on the road now.

"That is why we are disappointed that the proposed rule takes a 'one-size-fits-all' approach in setting emissions standards that will prevent automakers from pursuing technologies like Flex Fuel Vehicles and Plug-In Hybrid Flex Fuel Vehicles that can acheive similar or better environmental performance on a lifecycle basis," he said.

Werner urged the EPA to move forward with a truly technology-neutral final rule by dedicating market space to the adoption of vehicles that can operate on higher-octane, lower-carbon liquid fuels.

Read Werner's full testimony here.