EPA Announces New Biofuel Rules
The EPA says corn ethanol and soy biodiesel can meet new greenhouse-gas emission standards that the agency announced today.
As expected, the second renewable fuels standard, or RFS2, included provisions for measuring "indirect land use" emissions, when calculating fuels' greenhouse emissions. That provision accounts for land being cleared in other countries as a result of ethanol crop growth in the United States. The industry opposed that provision, saying there was no way to make an accurate measurement.
But the agency said better data and new measures developed during the rule's comment period showed efficiently grown corn and soy could be in line with standards even though they did not appear to meet standards when the rule was first proposed last spring.
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said better data lowered the impact of international land use changes and the new formula actually helps advanced corn- and soy-based biofuels.
Jackson said under the EPA’s latest calculations, soy biodiesel meets the standards and so do natural gas-fired ethanol plants using newer technologies.
The agency also updated guidelines for complying with a Congressional mandate to increase overall biofuel production to 36 billion gallons by by 2022, with 21 billion gallons due to come from advanced biofuels.
The advanced biofuel production target for this year is 6.5 million gallons, and the agency said ethanol and other renewable fuels must account for 8.25 percent of total gasoline sales in 2010. Congress has mandated that 13 billion gallons of renewable fuels be produced this year.
The combined biomass diesel output target for 2009 and 2010 combined was set at 1.15 billion gallons.
About this story
Now on Clean Skies
Top Stories
Recovery Act Funding: Favoring Foreign over Domestic?
04:11 | 03/08/10
CS Sunday: ARPA-E, Podesta and Green Locomotive
28:29 | 03/07/10Related Items
Salazar: Birds are 'Messengers' on Climate Change
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says birds are a key indicator of the effects of climate change.
- 2 days ago
Bill Snape Discusses Outlook For EPA's Tailoring Rule
Bill Snape of the Center for Biological Diversity discusses the EPA's tailoring rule.
- 05:03
- 03/09/10
Chu: U.S. Lags in Clean Tech Race
Energy Secretary Steven Chu says the U.S. lags behind other countries in the race for clean technology even though it has the greatest "innovation machine" in the world.
- 03/09/10
High Court Won't Hear Emissions Case
Supreme Court has let stand a lower court ruling that enviro's say closed a loophole to allow major industrial polluters to exceed federal standards.
- 03/08/10
Growing crops for ethanol is
Growing crops for ethanol is great, the only problem is that we have to reduce the fields for the food crops. That way your bread will become more expensive....
We should make use of grass for ethanol first, like the one left after corn is separated.
Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers Store
It's good that we're finally
It's good that we're finally pushing for biodiesel. Everyone should be driving a diesel and we should just do away with ethanol all together.
Duda Diesel Biodiesel Supply Store