Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., on Oct. 17 reintroduced the Undertake Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Power Use in Transportation (GREET) Act, which goals to require the U.S. EPA to replace its greenhouse gasoline (GHG) modeling for all renewable fuels beneath the Renewable Gasoline Normal.
Earlier variations of the invoice have been launched a number of occasions, together with within the U.S. Senate in 2020 and 2021 and the U.S. Home of Representatives in 2021.
The Undertake GREET Act would particularly require the EPA to use Argonne Nationwide Laboratory’s GREET mannequin to any gas for which the company has authorised a pathway and deemed certified for the RFS. The invoice would additionally require the EPA to replace its modeling each 5 years or report back to congress to affirm its modeling is present or in any other case clarify why no updates have been made.
“It’s previous time for the EPA to replace its greenhouse gasoline modeling for all biofuels, which might extra precisely mirror the emissions reductions achieved by ethanol, biodiesel, and sustainable aviation gas,” Thune mentioned. “This could not solely underscore how homegrown biofuels could be a cleaner a part of our power safety and environmental coverage, driving worth for South Dakota farmers, but additionally make biofuel exports extra enticing to nations searching for to decrease their transportation emissions.”
“It’s important that the EPA’s greenhouse gasoline modeling for biofuels be up to date to completely mirror the most recent science and expertise,” Klobuchar mentioned. “This laws will enable us to completely acknowledge how ethanol, biodiesel, and sustainable aviation gas can contribute to our emissions discount targets whereas increasing and selling using clear power and rural jobs throughout the nation.”
The Renewable Fuels Affiliation is thanking Thune and Klobuchar for reintroducing the invoice. “This laws would assist be sure that renewable gas rules are primarily based on sound science and present information, not speculative theories and out of date data,” mentioned Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the RFA. “Around the globe, the Argonne Nationwide Laboratory GREET mannequin is acknowledged because the gold customary for analyzing the lifecycle greenhouse gases impacts of renewable fuels like ethanol, and the mannequin is recurrently up to date to mirror effectivity enhancements and technological developments within the gas manufacturing course of. We thank Senators Thune and Klobuchar for bringing scientific integrity and accuracy to the federal authorities’s regulatory actions on renewable fuels.”
Progress Power can be welcoming the reintroduction of the Undertake GREET Act. “Biofuels are taking part in an important position in serving to our nation meet our power and local weather targets,” mentioned Emily Skor, CEO of Progress Power. “As a rustic, we are able to’t afford for renewable, reasonably priced biofuels to be held again by outdated and inaccurate modeling. Years of rigorous, peer-reviewed analysis have proven that corn ethanol already cuts greenhouse gasoline emissions practically in half in comparison with gasoline. Sadly, EPA’s outdated mannequin fails to completely seize the large decarbonization potential of ethanol. Progress Power and its members applaud Senators Thune and Klobuchar for sponsoring this commonsense laws. It’s previous time for the EPA to implement sound science and absolutely acknowledge biofuels’ outsized position in creating our clear power future.”
The American Coalition for Ethanol is talking out in assist of the invoice. “We recognize Senator Thune’s and Klobuchar’s laws, which helps lay the muse for ethanol to decarbonize the transportation sector by requiring EPA to use the newest GREET mannequin to extra precisely account for corn ethanol’s carbon depth when establishing rules which may impression ethanol use sooner or later,” mentioned Brian Jennings, CEO of ACE.
“The U.S. Division of Power GREET mannequin, which is well known because the gold customary software to audit the power and environmental results of transportation fuels resembling ethanol and gasoline, signifies that corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gases by 50 p.c in comparison with gasoline,” he added.
“ACE is targeted on serving to farmers and ethanol producers maximize their low carbon investments, and whereas no mannequin can absolutely replicate real-world actions, GREET is provided with the most effective accessible science on lifecycle GHG emissions of transportation fuels and applied sciences as a result of the assumptions and estimates utilized in GREET are beneath fixed peer assessment and updates to the mannequin happen yearly,” Jennings continued.
Along with the RFA, Progress Power and ACE, the Undertake GREET Act can be supported by POET, Gevo, the Nationwide Corn Growers Affiliation and the Nationwide Oilseed Processors Affiliation.
Invoice cosponsors embrace Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; Tammy Duckworth, D-Sick.; Dick Durbin, D-Sick.; Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; Deb Fischer, R-Neb.; Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Roger Marshall, R-Kan.; Pete Ricketts, R-Neb.; and Mike Rounds, R-S.D.
A full copy of the Undertake GREET Act is on the market on Thune’s web site.
