Third Way releases report advising against efforts to reform RFS
In Washington, the centrist think tank Third Way issued a “16 Minute Read” titled: “Cellulosic Ethanol is Getting a Big Boost from Corn, for Now.” , finding that ” Still, only a handful of companies have been able to squeak past technical and economic challenges to open commercial-scale plants. If these companies can replicate the success of their initial projects and drive down costs, the U.S. might have found a way to unlock the benefits of cellulosic fuels. That is, unless efforts to reform the RFS inadvertently stop this progress in its tracks.”
Fitzpatrick concludes:
1 Cellulosic fuels offer economic, environmental, and national security benefits, but scaling-up the technology has proven difficult and costly.
2 Companies with an extensive background in the corn ethanol industry are cracking the cellulosic code, with projects that account for more than 80% of commercial capacity in the U.S.
3 Continued investment from these companies in facilities and innovation is critical to growing U.S. cellulosic capacity, especially in the near term.
4 Certain proposals to reform the Renewable Fuel Standard would discourage engagement from the corn ethanol industry, delay the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol in the U.S., and steer this investment overseas.
Brooke Coleman, executive director of the Advanced Ethanol Council, praised the report for its accurate analysis of the industry and the importance of the Renewable Fuel Standard, stating:
“The Third Way report on the RFS is a breath of fresh air in a discussion often polluted with misinformation. The report highlights the fact that second generation biofuels are piggybacking on the successes of first generation biofuels, in much the same way that innovations in the solar and wind industries are outgrowths of the successes of those industries to date. But the biggest point, coming from a thought leader in the space like Third Way, is that Congressional intervention on the RFS would be highly detrimental to the deployment of cellulosic biofuel. There is certainly some tuning that needs to occur administratively, but Third Way is right that Congress should leave the RFS alone.”
Category: Policy
