Tag Archives: biofuel
E2 Report: Biofuel Industry Will Produce up to 2.6bn Gallons by 2015
September 10, 2012 E2 Report: Biofuel Industry Will Produce up to 2.6bn Gallons by 2015 click to enlarge Biofuel production capacity has increased from 437 million gallons in 2011 to more than 685 million gallons in 2012, according to a new report from Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). By 2015, the industry has the potential to produce 1.6 billion to 2.6 billion gallons of renewable fuel, the report forecasts. According to E2, standards like California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) create an incentive for investors and biofuel companies to continue to innovate and increase biofuel production, which in turn will drive down costs and carbon emissions. The EPA’s RFS2 requires US fuel companies to ensure that about 9 percent of their gasoline is made up of ethanol this year. The California LCFS, part of the state’s AB 32 climate change legislation, requires a reduction of 10 percent in the carbon intensity of California’s transportation fuels by 2020. It provides an incentive to produce advanced biofuels, which come from non-food based sources. E2 reports that California uses about 18 billion gallons of transportation fuel each year, and transportation fuels produce about 40 percent of the state’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. At least 27 new or retrofitted biofuel refineries are expected to come online by 2015 to meet potential demand from the LCFS and the RFS2, according to the E2 report. Three of these will be located in California, with an additional two demonstration facilities in the state. California is already home to eight advanced biodiesel facilities. Nationally, between 18,407 and 47,700 new jobs could be created by the growth in the biofuels industry if the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, along with standards in California and other states, are implemented as planned, the report says. Advanced biofuel production costs will continue to decrease as well, the organization says. According to the report, at capacity companies will produce at $0.60 to $3.50 per gallon, depending on the feedstock and technology. E2 says it’s difficult to compare advanced biofuel production costs directly to petroleum production costs, but says it expects this price range to be competitive. In August, eight biofuels groups formed the Biofuels Producers Coordinating Council , in reaction to calls to limit the RFS2 because of this year’s drought . The coalition aims to defend the renewable fuel standard. Continue reading
Biofuel Producers ‘Must Comply with Carbon Emissions Rules’
July 15, 2013 Biofuel Producers ‘Must Comply with Carbon Emissions Rules’ Biofuel producers must comply with federal greenhouse gas emissions standards, a US appeals court ruled on Friday. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found the EPA had “no basis” for its 2011 rule giving paper and wood product manufacturers, ethanol producers and other biomass facilities a pass on curbing their GHGs. The EPA had put the three-year deferral in place to give it time to study the industry’s CO2 emissions. Industry groups argued regulations and permit requirements would be too costly and said in some cases, such as wood burning, biomass facilities are carbon neutral because trees absorb CO2 before they are cut down. The Center for Biological Diversity filed the suit against the EPA, arguing that the government was treating biofuels’ emissions differently from other sources of gas. The American Forest and Paper Association, the American Wood Council and other industry groups intervened in the case to support the EPA’s temporary CO2 regulation suspension. On Friday, American Forest & Paper Association president and CEO Donna Harman said the court’s ruling “creates great uncertainty” about permitting requirements for biomass facilities and “underscores the need for EPA to finalize its rulemaking on the treatment of biogenic emissions.” American Wood Council president and CEO Robert Glowinski said the trade group hopes the EPA “moves expeditiously” to finalize CO2 regulations for the biomass industry. The EPA said it’s reviewing the decision before determining what next steps to take, Reuters reports. Earlier this month, BP and Royal Dutch Shell cut back on biofuel research , stopping funding on four projects because they say the technology to generate fuel from woody plants and waste will not be economically viable until 2020 or later. Continue reading
