NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Paul Winters
202-737-8801
pwinters@biodiesel.org
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the National Biodiesel
Board (NBB) released results of an annual national poll of registered voters
designed to measure awareness of and attitudes toward biodiesel and federal
policies that support the industry. The results show a candidate's support for
policies to promote clean energy, including biodiesel and renewable diesel use,
can influence votes.
NBB
CEO Donnell Rehagen stated, "Voters are consistent year-to-year in saying
they support political candidates who champion federal policies to encourage
development and use of cleaner fuels such as biodiesel. Results of our poll
indicate that environmental concerns are growing in importance for voters.
Biodiesel can deliver environmental benefits to address those concerns
today."
Among
the respondents, nearly three-quarters (73%) had previously heard some
information about biodiesel. More than half (57%) of all respondents agreed
that federal policy should encourage use of biodiesel and renewable diesel.
When asked if federal policy should support petroleum, 45% said "no,"
while only 34% said "yes."
When
asked about issues that affect their votes, a strong majority of the polled
registered voters (81%) indicated that a candidate's position on renewable
fuels is important. Overall, 86% of respondents indicated that a candidate's
position on clean energy is important or very important to their voting
preferences. Further, 85% of respondents agreed that it is important that
President Donald Trump keep his promises on the RFS.
Kurt
Kovarik, NBB's Vice President of Federal Affairs, added, "President Trump
recently renewed his commitment to expand use of biofuels, promising to uphold
the Renewable Fuel Standard. It's clearly important to voters that the
president succeed on that commitment and get American workers in the biodiesel
industry back on the job."
When
informed that biodiesel is America's first and most widely available advanced
biofuel and has demonstrated environmental benefits, more than three-quarters
(76%) of respondents supported increased use. High percentages of respondents
agreed that the government should "stand with American workers,
manufacturers, rural economies and businesses" to support a clean fuels
industry (83%) and "follow the law to implement an existing mandate that
creates jobs and economic development across the country" (82%).
Nearly
four of every five respondents expressed support for existing federal programs
that encourage increased production and use of advanced biofuels. Seventy-eight
percent (78%) of respondents support the federal tax incentive for biodiesel,
and 79% support the Renewable Fuel Standard. Additionally, 79% of respondents
would encourage local communities and governments to promote use of biodiesel.
Conducted
September 18-19, 2019, the poll gathered responses from 1,064 registered voters
across the country. The poll was conducted by Moore Information Group on behalf
of the National Biodiesel Board. The results of the poll were consistent with
prior polling in September 2017 and September 2018.
Made
from an increasingly diverse mix of resources such as recycled cooking oil,
soybean oil and animal fats, biodiesel is a renewable, clean-burning diesel
replacement that can be used in existing diesel engines without modification.
It is the nation's first domestically produced, commercially available advanced
biofuel. NBB is the U.S. trade association representing the entire biodiesel
value chain, including producers, feedstock suppliers, and fuel distributors,
as well as the U.S. renewable diesel industry.
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For more about biodiesel, visit www.biodiesel.org.