House Biofuels Caucus Introduces GREET Act

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) House Biofuels Caucus Co-chairs Dusty Johnson (R-SD) Adrian Smith (R-NE), Angie Craig (D-MN), and Mark Pocan (D-WI) this week introduced the Adopt Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update its greenhouse gas modeling for renewable fuels.

The Adopt GREET Act would require the EPA to adopt the Argonne National Lab’s GREET Model for renewable fuels. EPA would then be required to update its modeling every five years or report to Congress to affirm its modeling is current or otherwise explain why no updates were made.

“The EPA’s current greenhouse gas modeling is limiting adoption of homegrown renewable fuels,” said Rep. Johnson. “In contrast, the GREET model takes into account the full lifecycle of renewable fuels – from a farmer’s field to fuel pumps – and gives consumers a more accurate picture of the benefits biofuels offer. We should be using the best science available and that’s exactly what this bill does.”

The bill is supported by the Renewable Fuels Association, American Coalition for Ethanol, National Corn Growers Association, National Oilseed Processors Association, and many other ethanol and farm groups.

“This legislation would go a long way to ensure that renewable fuel regulations are based on sound science and current data, not obsolete information and speculative theories. The Argonne National Laboratory GREET model is recognized around the world as the gold standard for analyzing the lifecycle GHG impacts of renewable fuels like ethanol,” said Geoff Cooper, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association.

The Adopt GREET Act is cosponsored by Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Eric Sorensen (D-IL), Ron Estes (R-KS), Mark Alford (R-MO), Mike Bost (R-IL), Brad Finstad (R-MN), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Zach Nunn (R-IA), on Bacon (R-NE), and Jake LaTurner (R-KS). READ MORE

Excerpt from National Law Review/Bergeson & Campbell: On October 17, 2023, Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) reintroduced the Adopt Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) Act (S. 3055), a bipartisan bill directing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update its greenhouse gas (GHG) modeling for all renewable fuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). According to Thune’s October 17, 2023, press release, the bill would require EPA to apply the Argonne National Lab’s GREET Model to any fuel for which EPA has approved a pathway and deemed qualified for the RFS. The press release states that EPA would then be required to update its modeling every five years or report to Congress to affirm its modeling is current or otherwise explain why no updates were made. READ MORE

Excerpt from BIO News: The EPA is still using a model established in 2010 that only recognizes ethanol as being about 20% cleaner than fossil fuels. However, the Department of Energy (DOE) relies on the more-accurate Argonne model, which shows ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by around 50% compared to fossil fuels.

“Argonne National Laboratory is recognized globally as one of the leading experts in this type of (life-cycle analysis) research,” according to the DOE. “Argonne’s analysis found that carbon emissions from U.S. corn ethanol have fallen 20% between 2005 and 2019 due to increased corn yields per acre, decreased fertilizer use, and improved ethanol production processes.”

The EPA needs to join DOE in embracing the better methodology according to John Torres, Director of Federal Government Relations for Agriculture & Environment at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO).

“Older lifecycle models fail to recognize, and therefore fail to credit, technological advances in farming and biofuels, leading to woeful omissions in recognizing how modern-day practices are leading the way in lowering GHG emissions by 44%-52% compared to standard petroleum-based gasoline. The U.S. Department of Energy recognizes this.” Torres said. “It is unfathomable that two federal agencies disagree on using the latest science and discoveries to properly evaluate the progress that domestic biofuels have made in reducing GHG emissions.”