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by Douglas Duarante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Biofuels Digest) … U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) … presented a 10 year plan for E15 and a 30 year plan for E30 that is neither bold nor visionary and clearly suggests they need to get their vision checked.
Thirty years? Really? Thirty Years? I guess some might note that Moses wandered the desert for 40 years so in comparison this isn’t all that bad. But it is when you consider E15 is here now. For that matter, so is E30. Its not hard. You put 20% ethanol on top of gasoline containing 10% ethanol. USDA says they want to achieve “market driven” blend rates, which is a curious thing for them to say since the federal government is the very thing that has blocked these blends from entering the market.
I was not invited to the announcement but if I was I would have shown them my new magic trick where I can make 30 years disappear. It’s a simple trick. Provide a list of regulatory barriers, eliminate those barriers, and abra cadabra, more ethanol appears. And with that, importantly, comes a lifeline to American agriculture and corn farmers. And more jobs. And new markets for automakers. And new tax revenue to local, state, and federal governments. And perhaps most importantly, a displacement of high carbon, polluting, and toxic fuel with clean octane.
…
It was nothing short of shocking that this announcement was met with applause and cheers from too many groups that should have been offended. This would be like your boss announcing they are giving out raises, but not for 30 years. Like the folks in the back of the line with Moses, people need to ask USDA if they have any idea what they are doing when they suggest a lead time like this.
…
Every single obstacle you can name that is keeping higher blends of ethanol out of the market is something that can be eliminated without legislation, subsidy, or legal action. It is particularly frustrating given the Trump Administration pounds its chest as the deregulatory Administration which has been true for the fossil fuel industry but not so much for ethanol. But wait, you say, we got E15!
True, but it came at a steep price as it defines gasoline as fuel containing no more than 15% ethanol. In our comments on that rule from CFDC, Urban Air Initiative and others we made the case that there was no reason to limit the rvp waiver to 15% since increasing volumes actually drive vapor pressure lower. But maybe that’s part of a grand plan by the fossil fuel interests running the EPA– take the next 15 years to go another 15%.
USDA should be pounding on EPA to fix this issue and the litany of others that are keeping ethanol down. There should be no limit on the amount of ethanol allowed in gasoline. And don’t tell me the automakers need 30 years to re-tool for blends up to E30. New cars could be calibrated and tweaked to be compatible with these blends in three years according to many experts. And consumers would have the choice of using these blends, as so many do now, in the legacy fleet, i.e. cars on the road today. With that we would see dramatic increases in mileage and a reduction in carbon emissions, meeting public policy goals affecting both climate change and health. If automakers see these higher ethanol blends in the market, with their high octane and low carbon pedigree, they will make these cars with compression changes and onboard computers that will shock people with their efficiency and performance.
…
EPA needs to:
- Establish a higher minimum octane standard for all gasoline sold in the United States. …
- Approve a Mid-Level Ethanol Blend Certification Fuel: …
- Comply with the Mandatory Toxic Reduction Provisions in Section 202(l) of the CAAA: …
- Correct the Agency’s Misinterpretation of 211(f) Substantially Similar Rule: …
- Update and Reform the Agency’s MOVES2014 Model: …
- Update the Agency’s Corn Ethanol Life Cycle Analysis (LCA):
- Reinstate Credits for Automakers Producing Engines Optimized for High Octane (EOHO) like 100 RHOS using E30: … READ MORE
Request for Comment: Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2018 DEADLINE: March 13, 2020
(Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) The Draft Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2018 is available for public review.