EPA Releases RFS-2

We released a statement today applauding the release of the federal RFS-2 regulation. Hopefully, this will help put to rest the perpetual and misleading public debate about conventional biofuels being worse than gasoline for climate, so that we can focus our energies on the commercialization of advanced biofuels. Only biofuels pay for indirect, economically-derived carbon emissions in the EPA carbon accounting methodology, which is something that needs serious work. But even with selective enforcement of indirect effects, conventional and advanced biofuels are 20-60% better than gasoline, as required by law.

Statement in Response to Release of Federal RFS-2 Regulation
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 3, 2010

New Fuels Alliance Applauds U.S. EPA’s Commitment to Implementing the Federal RFS in a Timely Manner While Recognizing the Need for Additional Analysis

Boston, MA – The New Fuels Alliance, a national coalition of bio-based fuel companies and stakeholders, releases the following statement in response to U.S. EPA’s release of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard 2 (RFS2) regulation:

“Regulatory certainty is the catalyst for moving forward with the continued evolution of the U.S. biofuels sector. We now know that RFS-2 will apply this year, and that a large suite of both conventional and advanced biofuels meet the stringent greenhouse gas (GHG) requirements of the new program. It is now clear that conventional biofuels made from corn and soybeans reduce GHG emissions, and are a step in the right direction in terms of reducing the carbon footprint of the U.S. transportation fuel sector. It is also clear that we need to focus more energy on commercializing second generation biofuels made from a larger suite of feedstocks and using the most advanced technologies. The Obama Administration’s Biofuels Plan reinvigorates that process,” said Brooke Coleman, Executive Director, New Fuels Alliance.

“While we do not support the selective enforcement of indirect effects, in the form of indirect land use change, U.S. EPA has adopted a program that recognizes the uncertainty in today’s land use science and commits to ongoing analysis. All fuels have indirect effects, and the most immediate concern should be taking into account the market-mediated effects of petroleum and crediting biofuels for the avoidance of the dirtiest types of oil production, including gasoline and diesel fuel made from tar and oil sands. The idea that only biofuels cause indirect, market-mediated carbon emissions is not scientifically defensible. However today’s overall action is a good start,” said Andrew Schuyler, Regional Director, New Fuels Alliance.