At the Table, or On the Menu?

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) As discussions about climate change ramp up, ethanol and its impact on emissions and the environment should be top of mind. -- We’re only halfway through the 116th Congress and, already, there have been nearly 40 legislative proposals and resolutions introduced to tackle climate change and cut U.S. carbon emissions.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are bringing ideas to the table, including everything from the provocative “Green New Deal” to renewable electricity mandates to rejoining the Paris climate agreement to stimulating investment in carbon capture and sequestration. While few, if any, of these proposals are expected to go anywhere immediately, their sponsors are sending a clear message: Legislative action aimed at curbing carbon emissions and combating climate change is coming.

And it isn’t just in the halls of Congress that climate change is dominating policy discussions—it’s on the presidential campaign trail as well. Every Democratic candidate running for president says reducing carbon emissions is a top priority. Some, like investor Tom Steyer, have made climate change the defining issue of their campaigns. As for the incumbent, President Donald Trump told world leaders in December that “climate change is very important.”

From RFA’s perspective, the ethanol industry should not just have a seat at the table—we should be helping lead the conversation. We have a great story to tell. With ethanol, we don’t have to wait and hope for major technological or economic breakthroughs; the fuel is available now at a low cost to drive decarbonization of our liquid fuels.

In addition to continuing our work to solidify and expand ethanol’s role under existing Low Carbon Fuel Standard programs in California and Oregon, we are working with stakeholders in New York, Colorado, Washington and other states where LCFS programs are being investigated or developed.

We have also collaborated with a diverse group of stakeholders on a potential Clean Fuel Standard for the Midwest. This program would leverage the unique strengths and resources of the Midwest region, use the best available science and modeling tools to assess life cycle carbon intensity, and ensure all fuels are judged fairly using consistent metrics. Having a successful “Midwest model” available could be very helpful to our industry if—or, more likely, when—conversations about a national LCFS kick into high gear.

Finally, at the federal level, RFA is working with industry partners to promote a Low Carbon Octane Standard that would transition our current 87 octane regular gasoline to something around 94 octane. Under this standard, the required octane boost must come from octane sources that achieve significant GHG reductions compared to gasoline. This program would simultaneously enable more fuel-efficient engines, reduce tailpipe GHG emissions, and deliver additional savings at the pump for consumers. READ MORE