Tag Archives: renewable-fuel

Why the Renewable Fuel Standard is Good for the Climate

by Posted on December 12, 2013

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Why the Renewable Fuel Standard is Good for the Climate

Posted 12 December 2013 in

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Despite well-financed opposition from the oil industry, the Renewable Fuel Standard enjoys strong support across the political spectrum, from conservative lawmakers like Senator Chuck Grassley to progressive groups like the Center for American Progress (CAP). Yesterday, CAP published a new issue brief making the environmental case for the Renewable Fuel Standard. As they note:

The RFS is a valuable policy that is creating a market for cleaner-burning biofuels that will reduce carbon pollution in the transportation sector and help address the urgent threat of climate change.

CAP also recognizes the importance of the RFS for sustaining investment in advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol:

The development of advanced biofuels will only continue with the market certainty provided by the RFS, which enables companies to invest in the development and commercialization of cellulosic and advanced biofuels that are half as dirty as conventional fuels. Without the RFS, the diversification of fuel sources, the investment in advanced biofuels, and the effectiveness of U.S. climate policy will be severely limited.

Despite this clear evidence that the RFS is a vital part of our climate policy, the Obama Administration has proposed scaling back on renewable fuel in 2014. If you agree that this is the wrong decision, take one minute to send a letter to President Obama in support of the Renewable Fuel Standard.

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Why the Renewable Fuel Standard is Good for the Climate

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Oil industry sues EPA over biofuel mandate

by cur07jqm Posted on October 10, 2013

Oil industry sues EPA over biofuel mandate

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Old gas pumps, new fuel mandates.

Oil companies are fighting efforts to boost the percentage of biofuels in gasoline. And they’re not the only ones — some green groups are opposed to the biofuels boost too.

The American Petroleum Institute filed a lawsuit this week that seeks to overturn the EPA’s renewable-fuel mandate, which requires that gas contain a minimum percentage of biofuel. There’s particular controversy over requirements for use of cellulosic ethanol, which can be made from crop waste but is not currently being produced in large supply.  From The Hill:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Renewable Fuel Standard in August, long after the agency’s statutory deadline in November of last year. The industry has repeatedly called the standards unworkable. …

The standards require refiners to use millions of gallons of cellulosic ethanol this year, but the API argues that only 142,000 gallons have been made available to refiners thus far for blending.

Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, scoffed at the assertion, arguing that the standard can easily be met.

But the Environmental Working Group opposes the new mandates too. Here’s what EWG Vice President Scott Faber told Congress in July:

To date, the [Renewable Fuel Standard] has failed to deliver the “good” biofuels that could help meet many of our environmental and energy challenges. Instead, the RFS has delivered too many “bad” biofuels that increase greenhouse gas emissions, pollute our air and water, destroy critical habitat for wildlife and increase food and fuel prices. …

To allow [cleaner] second-generation biofuels to gain a foothold in the marketplace, Congress must reform the RFS to phase out the mandate for corn ethanol.

As Mother Jones reported a few months ago, “The only group that really seems to like the new rule is the ethanol lobby.”

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.Find this article interesting? Donate now to support our work.Read more: Business & Technology

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Oil industry sues EPA over biofuel mandate

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What’s the alternative?

by Posted on August 26, 2013

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What’s the alternative?

Posted 26 August 2013 in

National

Today, the Washington Post editorialized against the Renewable Fuel Standard, relying on tired, oil industry arguments against the only policy that’s reducing our nation’s reliance on fossil fuel.

But since we’ve already published several posts fact-checking these sort of editorials, we’re not going to dive into the particulars of this column. Instead, we wanted to respond specifically to the Post’s policy recommendation:

The Post editorial board admits that their own preferred policy alternative, a carbon tax, would be difficult (if not impossible) to get through Congress. We wholeheartedly agree. In fact, without the low-carbon alternative fuels supported by the RFS, such as cellulosic ethanol, a carbon tax would be completely unworkable (both politically and economically).

So what’s the Post’s solution? Lawmakers should “choose another policy that encourages conservation and innovation without absurd central planning.” Conveniently enough, they do not offer a second alternative. While it’s easier to simply wish away the complex politics that surround our energy policy, we’re happy to remind lawmakers that the Renewable Fuel Standard already encourages conservation and innovation by helping reduce GHG emissions, making ethanol cheaper than gasoline and spurring the creation of the cellulosic ethanol industry. And while some would like to pretend that the pre-RFS status quo represented a nostalgic time of perfect market competition, we recognize that without the century of subisidies and preferential treatment enjoyed by the fossil fuel industry, alternative fuels face a much steeper uphill climb. The Renewable Fuel Standard is not “absurd central planning.” It’s a market-based solution to a long-standing economic challenge.

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What’s the alternative?

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What a strange coincidence…

by Posted on July 26, 2013

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What a strange coincidence…

Posted 26 July 2013 in

National

The other day, we noticed this ad on the Renewable Fuel Standard sponsored by the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (aka the fossil fuel lobby). As usual, they got most of the facts wrong, but here’s the funny thing: we were actually working on something similar. Isn’t ours so much nicer (and so much more accurate)?

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What a strange coincidence…

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Higher prices at pump – despite oil glut

by Posted on July 2, 2013

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Higher prices at pump – despite oil glut

Posted 2 July 2013 in

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We applaud biofuels support in President Obama’s Climate Action Plan

by Posted on June 25, 2013

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We applaud biofuels support in President Obama’s Climate Action Plan

Posted 25 June 2013 in

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Fuels America commends President Obama’s commitment to reducing our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions through the development and deployment of advanced transportation technologies like renewable fuel. The Administration’s Climate Action Plan is a great blueprint for transitioning America from oil to cost-effective, homegrown alternatives.

Today, the U.S. continues to consume almost 20 million barrels of oil per day, more than any other country. This addiction not only makes American consumers vulnerable to a commodity dictated by global markets and external forces like OPEC, but is also a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The transportation fuel sector accounted for about 31 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions, in 2011, with nearly two-thirds of those emissions stemming from gasoline consumption for personal vehicle use.

Renewable fuel is already part of the solution. In 2012, the 13.2 billion gallons of ethanol produced in the U.S. reduced greenhouse gas emissions from on-road vehicles by 33.4 million tons. And the industry is working to rapidly develop the next-generation of renewable fuel that will further reduce carbon emissions.

The President’s support of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) recognizes that renewable fuel is already addressing climate change, while reducing consumer pain at the pump, enhancing national security, and fostering economic development.

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We applaud biofuels support in President Obama’s Climate Action Plan

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What exactly is DDGS?

by Posted on June 12, 2013

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What exactly is DDGS?

Posted 12 June 2013 in

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Last week, US Department of Agriculture Secretary Vilsack spoke at the National Press Club calling for farmers to respond to the impacts of climate change and start adapting now. Across the country rising temperatures, crippling droughts and severe storms are changing American agriculture. Farmers are experiencing shortened growing seasons and prohibitive environmental factors. Without a strategy to both mitigate this disaster and adapt to ever changing conditions, the American agriculture industry will suffer.

Luckily, America’s farmers are on the case. As we’ve documented previously, the ingenuity and innovation of our agriculture industry has produced impressive results when it comes to sustainability. According to a report by Field to Market, over the course of 30 years corn production has doubled while land use has actually decreased by a third and water use by one-half.

The Renewable Fuel Standard has encouraged another kind of efficiency. Dried distiller grains or DDGS, is a co-product of ethanol production that serves as a nutritious, low-cost feed for livestock. In fact, over one-third of the corn used in ethanol production returns to the food system in the form of DDGS. Last year more than 39 million metric tons of animal feed was produced at ethanol plants and more than half of that feed was used in the beef industry, bringing down the cost to both the farmer and consumer.

The impact of extreme weather on the nation’s agricultural industry could be catastrophic without significant effort from the community. The Renewable Fuel Standard is the one policy in the United States that encourages domestically-produced alternatives to oil to help mitigate the disasters of fossil fueled climate change. It also benefits the agricultural community by promoting sustainable practices and lowering costs.

The American farmer is resilient, but Secretary Vilsack is right; we need to be ahead of the game, armed with policies like the RFS to allow for continued mitigation, adaptation and sustainable farming practices.

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What exactly is DDGS?

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Study finds no direct correlation between the Renewable Fuel Standard and rising food prices

by Posted on June 12, 2013

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Study finds no direct correlation between the Renewable Fuel Standard and rising food prices

Posted 12 June 2013 in

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Opponents of renewable fuel have tried to claim over and over again that the Renewable Fuel Standard is to blame for rising food prices. But a new study from ABF Economics pours cold water on this false premise. Here’s what you need to know about the RFS and food prices:

  1. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) isn’t directly correlated to food prices.
  2. According to a recent study from the World Bank, rising food prices are actually driven by energy costs, specifically oil. As they put it, “Of all the drivers of food prices, crude oil prices mattered the most.”
  3. Not only has the RFS not been directly correlated to food prices, the Consumer Price Index shows that retail food prices have gone up more slowly since the RFS kicked in five years ago (See Table 1 on page 4 of the report).
  4. The RFS is also helping to lower feed cost for farmers and ranchers, as they work to feed America. Ethanol production results in a byproduct (known as “dried distillers grain” or DDGS) that is used as highly-nutritious animal feed. Higher-quality feed means livestock and poultry producers can use less of it, and DDGS have increased the availability of animal feed by 21 percent compared to the use of corn alone.

Read more from the Renewable Fuels Association on the ABF Economics study.

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Study finds no direct correlation between the Renewable Fuel Standard and rising food prices

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New enzyme technology produces more ethanol with less corn

by Posted on June 11, 2013

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New enzyme technology produces more ethanol with less corn

Posted 11 June 2013 in

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RFS & Environmental Benefits: Our Response to the House Energy & Commerce Committee White Paper

by Posted on May 24, 2013

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RFS & Environmental Benefits: Our Response to the House Energy & Commerce Committee White Paper

Posted 24 May 2013 in

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The bottom line:

Changes to the RFS will only destabilize the current investment environment, slow the development of renewable fuel, and protect the oil industry from competition, effectively locking in our current greenhouse gas emission profile from the transportation fuel sector for decades to come.

According to the EPA, greenhouse gas emissions attributed to transportation accounted for about 31 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion in 2010, with nearly 65 percent of those emissions stemming from gasoline consumption for personal vehicle use.
Renewable fuel has already displaced petroleum in 10 percent of our gasoline supply, with 13 billion gallons in 2012
In 2012, the use of renewable fuel slashed greenhouse gas emissions by 33.4 million metric tons
The RFS will do even more to reduce oil in our transportation fuel supply and bring increasingly low carbon alternatives to market, so long as it remains in its current form, particularly as the production of cellulosic and advanced renewable fuel increases

Read the full letter to Reps. Upton and Waxman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee on the environmental benefits of the Renewable Fuel Standard.

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RFS & Environmental Benefits: Our Response to the House Energy & Commerce Committee White Paper

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