Clean Fuel Availability, for the Pacific Coast

Business News/Analysis, California, Canada, Opinions, Oregon, Policy, R & D Focus, Sustainability, Washington

February 6, 2015

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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, the International Council on Clean Transportation and E4Tech released a comprehensive study of clean fuel availability for the Pacific Coast. The report is available here.

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There are four key original findings: (1) low-carbon fuels could replace over a quarter (i.e, over 400,000 barrels worth) of gasoline and diesel use in the Pacific Coast region (including California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia) by 2030; (2) low-carbon fuels could reduce the overall carbon intensity of on-road transportation fuels in the region by 14-21% by 2030; (3) the region’s targets for fuel carbon intensity reductions can be met in a variety of ways; (4) diverse combinations of fuel pathways involving conventional biofuels, electric-drive, natural gas, and advanced cellulosic biofuel could achieve similar oil-saving and climate mitigation goals.

What is the study?

It is a state-of-the-art “bottom-up” study that evaluates scenarios for the amount of low-carbon fuels of various types that could be deployable for California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia in the 2020-2030 timeframe.

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How much of the low-carbon fuels will be produced within the jurisdictions?

Any of the fuel supply chains discussed in this report could be developed in the Pacific Coast region. Guaranteed local markets due to progressive alternative fuel policies will increase the appeal of investment locally, and there are supplies available of most feedstocks considered. The literature demonstrates that there is an opportunity for cellulosic plants and other biofuel facilities to be built in the region, but also suggest that there will be competition from other parts of the U.S. and from imports. Investment decisions will depend on a combination of feedstock availability and cost, proximity to markets and investment support available at the state level, and we can expect a combination of locally produced fuels, out-of-state fuels and imported fuels to contribute to any given scenario. READ MORE and MORE (The Energy Collective) Download Pacific Coast report and Download Advanced Biofuels Market report

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