WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed greenhouse gas standards to decarbonize light-duty vehicles, including passenger cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks. Today’s proposed rule would require auto makers to meet more stringent fuel efficiency standards. In response, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor released the following statement:
“In order for the proposed standards to effectively address climate change, this rule needs to include a pathway to increase the use of low-carbon, sustainable biofuels like ethanol in our nation’s fuel supply. We will be providing the Biden Administration a pathway forward that allows biofuels like ethanol to help us meet our climate goals.
“Liquid fuels will continue to play an important role in the transportation sector, even as alternative technologies continue to flourish. Recent independent analysis from the Rhodium Group (2021) found that in order for the U.S. to fully decarbonize the transportation sector, biofuels will have a crucial role in helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions when coupled with EVs.
“Growth Energy calls on the Biden Administration to continue the momentum on transportation decarbonization by creating long-term market and policy certainty in the biofuels space by fully implementing the RFS, accelerating the transition to E15, and helping harness the power of rural America to drive down emissions from the transportation sector by investing in renewable biofuels. We look forward to outlining the environmental and economic benefits of biofuels in our comments to the agency on this proposed rule and continuing to champion biofuels as a solution to decarbonizing transportation today.”
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.
Again, in 2013, as EPA was putting together its proposal for Tier 3 fuel regulation, Growth Energy pushed to have midlevel ethanol blends be used for vehicle certification and were successful in getting the ability for automakers to use alternative fuels for certification in the final rule.
Finally, as the Obama administration undertook their mid-term evaluation of the vehicle standards and, subsequently, 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 the future vehicle standards.