The Bipartisan Policy Center released the first three of five papers it commissioned on the federal Renewable Fuels Standard. The papers are part of its effort to foster discussions on ways to reform the RFS, which was established by the 2005 Energy Policy Act established and expanded by the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, BPC said.
Oil industry groups have said RFS quotas assumed that US crude oil production would continue to decline and demand continue to rise when, in fact, the opposite has happened, creating significant compliance problems for refiners and other obligated parties.
The three papers—“Technical Barriers to the Consumption of Higher Blends of Ethanol” by The International Council on Clean Transportation, “Petroleum and Renewable Fuels Supply Chain” by Stillwater Associates LLC, and “Inventory of Federal Regulations Affecting Biofuels other than the Renewable Fuel Standard” by Van Ness Feldman—express the opinions of their authors, and not the RFS advisory group BPC assembled to discuss opportunities for reform, host public workshops, and develop viable policy options.
Two remaining papers, which will present separate law firms’ perspectives on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to amend the RFS, will be released at the end of February, BPC said.
Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].