POLICY
Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 Renewable Fuels Standard (in billions of gallons) Year
Advanced Biofuel
Cellulosic Biofuel
Biomassbased Diesel
Undifferentiated Advanced Biofuel
Total Renewable Fuel
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
0.6 0.95 1.35 2.0 2.75 3.75 5.5 7.25 9.0 11.0 13.0 15.0 18.0 21.0
0.1 0.25 0.5 1.0 1.75 3.0 4.25 5.5 7.0 8.5 10.5 13.5 16.0
0.5 0.65 0.8 1.0 * * * * * * * * * *
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.5 1.75 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 4.5 4.5 5.0
9.0 11.1 12.95 13.95 15.2 16.55 18.15 20.5 22.25 24.0 26.0 28.0 30.0 33.0 36.0
* At least 1.0 (specific amount to be determined by the administrator)
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EISA Renewable Fuels Standard The reason for the advanced biofuel and cellulosic biofuel requirement
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(beyond the limitations of corn acreage) is to improve greenhouse gas emissions. In order to qualify as “cellulosic biofuel,” the renewable fuel’s life-
cycle greenhouse gas emissions must be at least 60 percent less than baseline lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of the gasoline or diesel fuel it replaces. Cellulosic biofuels are part of a broader group of “advanced biofuels” that require a 50 percent reduction. EISA also requires starch-based ethanol to clean up its act. Renewable fuels must now meet a 20 percent lifecycle greenhouse gas threshold relative to the gasoline or diesel fuel they displace. It’s possible that these percentages were derived from previous EPA calculations of fuel emissions reductions. In April 2007, the EPA released a fact sheet, “Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Expanded Renewable and Alternative Fuels Use.” The EPA used the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model of lifecycle analysis to estimate the percent change in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, relative to the petroleum fuel that is displaced, of a range of alternative and renewable fuels and then compared them on an energy equivalent basis. Under this analysis, a
ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE JUNE 2008