Biofuel Gas Can.jpg [2]

The United States Environmental Protection Agency [3] has proposed its 2012 Renewable Fuels Standards [4]. As part of its Renewable Fuel Standard program, the EPA establishes the amount of renewable fuels that refiners must use when producing gasoline or diesel.

To calculate the standards the EPA creates a percentage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) mandate to steadily increase the annual renewable fuel volume to reach 36 billion gallons by 2022. The current proposal raises the volume levels a to 15.2 billion gallons which is just 1.25 billion gallons higher than the 2011 standard.

Broken into three categories the proposed standards are:

1. Biomass-based diesel (1.0 billion gallons; 0.91 percent)
2. Advanced biofuels (2.0 billion gallons; 1.21 percent)
3. Cellulosic biofuels (3.45 - 12.9 million gallons; 0.002 – 0.010 percent)

As part of the EISA mandate, the EPA is required to "apply lifecycle greenhouse gas performance threshold standards to ensure that each category of renewable fuel emits fewer greenhouse gases than the petroleum fuel it replaces." This coud be significant considering the emission standards [5] the U.S. Department of Transportation [6](DOT) and the EPA implemented April 2010 -- establishing the nation’s first greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles.

In May 2010, President Obama signed [7] a memorandum directing the EPA and DOT to create a first-ever National Policy to increase fuel efficiency and decrease greenhouse gas pollution from medium- and heavy-duty trucks for Model Years 2014-2018.

At the time the President said, "It will reduce pollution.  And, just like the rule concerning cars, this standard will spur growth in the clean energy sector.  We know how important that is.  We know that our dependence on foreign oil endangers our security and our economy."

Creating "home-grown" renewable fuel is becoming a factor in the Obama Administration's to support domestic fuel production and its goals to reduce carbon emissions. The EPA is mandated to establish the renewable fuel standard by November 30, 2011.

Image Credit: colindunn [8] via Flickr