Climate Plan Addresses Potential of Biofuels, Bioenergy

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Senate Democrats Climate Committee released a new report on Aug. 25 that details how climate action by Congress can create new jobs and grow the U.S. economy. Biofuels and bioenergy are among the topics discussed.

The 263-page report specifically calls on Congress to achieve 100 percent global net-zero emission by 2050, stimulate economic growth by increasing federal spending on climate action to at least 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) annually, and create at least 10 million new jobs.

In the near-term, the report calls on the U.S. to significantly grow solar and wind energy, energy storage, and electric vehicles while conducting more research into new technologies, advanced biofuels and smaller and safer nuclear power.

One section of the report specifically discusses opportunities associated with the bioeconomy. “The United States can create and expand the economic value and market for agricultural products while reducing the use of fossil fuels, because byproducts of agricultural commodities and other natural waste products can be processed into biobased fuels and chemicals that replace fossil fuel-based products,” the committee wrote. “The growing biobased products industry contributes $393 billion and 4.2 million jobs to the American economy. These products have helped the United States transition away from foreign fossil fuels, generating a 19- 48 percent reduction in emissions when switching from petroleum gasoline to corn-based ethanol for transportation. Many of the bio-based alternatives to fossil fuel-derived chemicals are also less hazardous to human and environmental health; transitioning to them reduces risks to workers, costs associated with handling hazardous chemicals, and long-term contamination passed on to future generations. Additionally, opportunity exists in developing bioproducts that can improve the performance of manmade materials. For example, cellulosic nanomaterials derived from woody biomass can be mixed into concrete and other products to add strength and durability. These technologies offer a significant economic opportunity for farmers and managers of working lands, as well as their rural communities.”

While the federal government has invested in research and development of these products for years, the committee stresses that regulatory uncertainty and market volatility create barriers to private sector investment in advanced biofuels, such as cellulosic ethanol. The committee calls for increased federal funding for research, development and demonstration of advanced biofuels and biobased products from waste products and non-food crops, noting those efforts could significantly accelerate the adoption of advanced biofuels and bioproducts in American commerce, thereby lowering emissions in the transportation, electric and industrial sectors.

The report also addresses the potential of on-farm anaerobic digestion (AD) projects.

The report also addresses the potential of CCS paired with advanced and cellulosic biofuels in the liquid fuels sector, stressing that those renewable fuels have the potential to serve as alternatives to fossil fuels if the U.S. continues to invest in their development.

Regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard, the committee notes the use of advanced biofuels has not developed as rapidly as the authors of the RFS envisioned. “This is at least in part because the Trump administration continues to lower biofuel volumes and waive blending requirements under the RFS, jeopardizing the market stability that the RFS was intended to create,” the committee wrote in the report. “New policy tools may be needed to encourage growth of new advanced fuels beyond just corn starch ethanol and soybean biodiesel.”

According to the committee, a federal Low Carbon Fuel Standard may be an effective policy to reduce the carbon intensity of the fuel supply. The report cites the California LCFS as helping to avoid 38 million tons of carbon pollution and the use of 13.7 billion gallons of gasoline to date.

Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association and the American Coalition for Ethanol have spoken out to welcome the inclusion of biofuels in the committee’s climate plan.

“ACE has been laying the strategic groundwork necessary to leverage ethanol’s low carbon value in the market through new clean fuel policy solutions at the state and federal level,” said Brian Jennings, CEO of ACE. “We appreciate the Senate Committee acknowledging the significant role alternative liquid fuels could play in reducing the carbon intensity of the transportation sector and our reliance on petroleum, as well as the need for new policy tools like a Low Carbon Fuel Standard due to improper implementation of the RFS in recent years.”