Biofuel Investment Should Occur in California Despite Some Opposition, Regulator Says
by Laura Sanicola (Reuters) California’s biofuel projects are important for the state to achieve its decarbonization goals despite “tremendous pushback” in some instances, a top state environmental regulator said on Tuesday.
California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard program incentivizes energy companies to seek out new feedstocks that would lower the carbon intensity of fuels like diesel, jet fuel and gasoline. Refiners are trying to take advantage of the standard by selling more lower-emission products, currently a small part of overall fuel sales.
Oil refiners Marathon Petroleum and Phillips 66 are converting their Bay Area refineries to run on feedstocks such as vegetable oils and animal fats.
…
Some projects, which are currently undergoing environmental reviews by state and local agencies, have come under opposition from some people that “don’t want any fuel,” Corey said, without elaborating.
Environmental advocates have demanded that regulators consider the effects of the proposed biofuels projects on water, air quality and food prices, and have warned that the increased use of hydrogen in refining fats and oils might cause more flaring. READ MORE
California regulators suggest output cuts for Phillips 66, Marathon RD projects (S&P Global Platts)
Tackling refinery pollution in Southern California (Coalition for Clean Air)
These Bay Area refineries want to ditch crude oil for biofuels. Critics say that’s a bad idea (San Francisco Chronicle)
