EPA retreats on ethanol mandate

[abjb]

"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is cutting the amount of ethanol and other biofuels that must be blended into the nation’s fuel supply, a victory for oil companies that call the federal ethanol mandate unworkable.
On Friday, the EPA proposed draft 2014 blending volumes under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard that are lower than the 2013 requirements, and far less than called for in a 2007 law that expanded the mandate.

The EPA is proposing to require 15.21 billion gallons in 2014, down from 16.55 billion gallons in 2013, marking the first time the agency has lowered the target from the prior year."



http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/190422-epa-retreats-on-ethanol

[RamblerGuy]

It's not just a victory for the oil companies, it's a victory for most of us. Those who were getting federal grants and subsidies may not be happy.

One unreasonable part of EPA's ethanol mandate was a minimum requirement for cellulostic ethanol, which is made from non-grain cellulose, such as grass, wood chips, bagasse (sugar cane stalks), etc. The EPA specified large fines if the oil companies didn't blend in enough of it. However, no one has been able to make it in commercial quantities. I did engineering on two entirely different pilot scale cellulostic ethanol plants (fortunately, not developing the process) 3 to 5 years ago and the word I have now is that neither one works. EPA was planning to still impose the fines, but they have now apparently backed off of that.

[BarryD0706]

Thanks to abjb for posting an informative article. Unfortunately it seems to be a magnet for those who have forgotten that political comments are not allowed on FRF. I am, therefore, closing this thread.

Barry
FRF Site Team