Growth Energy’s Bliley Testifies before EPA on Proposed Emissions Standards
(Growth Energy) Today, Growth Energy’s Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley testified before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during its hearing on the proposed rulemaking, Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards.
Earlier this month, the EPA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed greenhouse gas standards to further decarbonize light-duty vehicles starting in model year 2023. In response, Growth Energy called for an increase in the use of low-carbon, sustainable biofuels like ethanol in our nation’s fuel supply.
Today, Bliley echoed that sentiment before EPA. In his testimony, Bliley urged EPA to consider the vital role that environmentally sustainable fuel options such as ethanol will play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the current and future vehicle fleet.
“We appreciate EPA’s work to reshape the nation’s transportation mix to make it more sustainable as it is a central driver for our industry as well. Vehicles and fuels operate as a system and liquid fuels will continue to play a dominant role in the transportation sector for decades to come, even as alternative technologies flourish. As such, it is imperative to consider the vital role that environmentally sustainable fuel options such as ethanol will play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the current and future vehicle fleet.”
Read Bliley’s full testimony as prepared for delivery here.
Previous Action
In 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) developed more stringent fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards for vehicles. Growth Energy, recognizing the need for a high-octane solution for automakers to meet these more stringent standards, submitted an E30 fuel for vehicle certification as well as for consumer use as the agencies went through the process of setting standards.
In 2013, as EPA was putting together its proposal for Tier 3 fuel regulation, Growth Energy again pushed to have midlevel ethanol blends be used for vehicle certification, and Growth Energy was successful in getting EPA in the final rule to allow automakers to use alternative fuels for certification.
When the Obama administration undertook their mid-term evaluation of the vehicle standards, and again when the Trump administration moved to reconsider future vehicles standards, Growth Energy participated by echoing our call for high octane, midlevel ethanol blends as a necessary solution to meet vehicle standards. READ MORE
Ethanol Groups Push EPA on Low Carbon High Octane (Energy.AgWired.com)
Vehicle emissions standards should address high-octane fuels (Ethanol Producer Magazine)
NGVAmerica Pushes for Renewable Natural Gas Inclusion During EPA Hearing (NGT News)
Excerpt from Energy.AgWired.com: American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings highlighted three specific recommendations for EPA’s consideration in the final rule
- Establish a minimum Research Octane Number (RON) rating for fuel in the range of 98 to 100 RON with 25 to 30 percent ethanol and provide automakers with a corresponding cert fuel for engine testing purposes.
- Adopt the latest Department of Energy GREET model with respect to the lifecycle GHG emissions of ethanol and other transportation fuels.
- Instead of putting EPA’s thumb on the scale to favor electric vehicles through multipliers and compliance credits, establish a technology-neutral approach that also provides automakers with incentives to produce flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) and vehicles designed to achieve optimal efficiency and reduced emissions on high octane ethanol blends. READ MORE
Excerpt from NGT News: At the public hearing, (NGVAmerica President Dan) Gage articulated that renewable natural gas (RNG) should be a key part of any inclusive mix, as RNG is a zero-carbon now solution. The latest data puts the carbon intensity of bio-CNG in California’s system at -16.57 gCO2e/MJ (Q1, 2021), which is the lowest of any on-road motor fuel energy source, including fully renewable electric from solar or wind.
Also, RNG is the dominant natural gas motor fuel. Last year, RNG displaced conventional natural gas derived from fossil sources as the main on-road NGV fuel source nationwide. In California, with its Low Carbon Fuel Standard Program, 92% of NGV motor fuel is from renewable sources.
Natural gas motor fuel is increasingly sustainable and carbon-free. By 2030, 80% of natural gas on-road motor fuel in the U.S. will be derived from renewable sources, rising to 100% by 2050.
“NGVAmerica agrees that climate change is cumulative; the longer we wait, the harder it gets to solve,” testified Gage. “There is no single perfect, affordable and immediate solution to addressing transportation related climate change emissions. Thus, all clean options must be advanced to make a collective difference…beginning today.”
Gage warned against rolling back improvements advanced by the previous administration that removed barriers to natural gas certification and incentivized expanded natural gas vehicle production in the form of sales multipliers.
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“All emissions matter…well to wheel and mine to mile,” concluded Gage. “EPA’s regulations must be amended to ensure that manufacturers have greater reason to produce ultra-low-carbon motor vehicles that operate on biofuels, not just vehicles that have so-called zero tailpipe emissions.” READ MORE
