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February 20, 2015
Groups Urge California to Consider Benefits of Ethanol as Part of State’s Low-Carbon Fuel Standard
On February 19, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) held a public hearing on the California Low-Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The standard, which mandates a 10 percent reduction in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels by 2020, has been on hold since 2013. CARB expects to formally adopt the new LCFS by this summer, with major changes expected to the annual reduction targets and how those targets are achieved. Many ethanol industry groups argue the proposed changes to the LCFS will unfairly penalize domestic ethanol producers in favor of Brazilian imports of sugar cane ethanol. The non-profit Energy Future Coalition (EFC) and the Urban Air Initiative (UAI) argue that not only is domestic ethanol the least costly option for reducing the carbon footprint of the transportation sector, but that mid-level ethanol blends also help meet increasing engine efficiency standards and lower individual exposure to toxic gasoline aromatics, a blend of benzene and other substances.
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Argonne Scientists Counter Claims Made By WRI Biofuels Report
On February 16, scientists at Argonne National Laboratory, a Department of Energy laboratory, offered comments on the World Resources Institute’s paper “Avoiding Bioenergy Competition for Food Crops and Land.” The basic premise of Dr. Searchinger’s paper is that growing crops for bioenergy will impact food availability and cost. (EESI’s response may be found here). There is a distinction to be drawn between biofuels done right and done wrong, but according to Argonne scientists Michael Wang and Jennifer Dunn, “Searchinger and Heimlich bluntly denied a role that bioenergy may play in the future for sustainable environmental development and energy supply.”
RFS Roundup: EPA to Release Renewable Fuel Volumes this Spring
On February 19, Christopher Grundler, a director in the EPA Office of Air Quality and Transportation, announced that EPA plans to announce the Renewable Fuel Standards for 2014, 2015, and 2016 sometime this Spring—no later than the end of June. According to the agency representative, 2014 renewable fuel volumes will be based on actual production volumes for last year. For 2015 and 2016, the agency is examining the broader trends in demand, with Grundler commenting, “We have to address flat and, indeed, declining gasoline demand … For the next few months, we are regrouping."
Event: The 2016 Budget: Impacts on Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
Wednesday, February 25 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
366 Dirksen Senate Office Building ** PLEASE NOTE ROOM AND BUILDING CHANGE ** 1st Street and C Street Northeast
Free and open to the public
Please RSVP to expedite check-in.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) – in partnership with the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus – invites you to a briefing on the energy efficiency and renewable energy implications of the fiscal year (FY) 2016 budget proposal released by President Obama on February 2. The Administration's overall $4 trillion budget proposal provides a renewed focus on addressing climate change, and would invest $7.4 billion in clean energy technology programs across all agencies, led by the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Agriculture. This briefing will focus on the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), whose budget would increase 42 percent over 2015 enacted levels, to $2.7 billion.
Visit http://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/022515budget for more information.
To Contact the Editor: Jessie Stolark at [email protected]
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