Growth Energy will urge regulators to harness U.S. biofuels to address gaps in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) emissions-reduction plan for cars and trucks on Wednesday. Growth Energy Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley will deliver the message during testimony at the EPA’s public hearing on Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles.
“[L]iquid fuels will continue to play a dominant role in the transportation sector now and for decades to come,” Bliley will testify. “These fuels and vehicles operate as a system. 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, rather than putting the thumb on the scale for one, single technology.”
Additionally, Bliley will note that “[E]thanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 50 percent compared to gasoline and can provide reductions of up to 100 percent with the use of readily available technologies. Ethanol’s other environmental benefits are also noteworthy. As research has shown, the use of more ethanol and ethanol-blended fuel reduces air toxics, such as carbon monoxide, benzene, and other harmful particulates.”
To avoid leaving millions of tons of carbon reductions on the table, Bliley will call on regulators to embrace innovative strategies for decarbonizing transportation with clean, affordable biofuels.
Specifically, he will urge EPA to:
- Accelerate the deployment of E15 nationwide;
- Approve and adopt high-octane, midlevel ethanol blends like E30;
- Expand access to Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) in conjunction with use of E85; and
- Finalize strong volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard for 2023, 2024, 2025, and well into the future.
Read Bliley’s full testimony as prepared for delivery here.