Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has received a response from the Environmental Protection Agency explaining the decision to include indirect land use change in calculating estimates of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions for biofuels, but the senator still believes it should not be a factor in the Renewable Fuels Standard.
According to the letter from EPA acting assistant administrator Elizabeth Craig, the agency is required under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to include indirect land use in its estimates of the carbon footprint of biofuels. “The statute specifically includes ‘significant emissions from land use changes’ within the concept of indirect emissions,” she said. “Excluding indirect land use changes – whether domestic or international – from the analysis would depart from both the statutory text and from the scientific thrust of the requirement of lifecycle analysis.”
During his weekly conference call with farm reporters on Tuesday, Grassley said he had not yet received a response, but believes that indirect land use “doesn’t meet the common-sense test.”
“Because, first of all, there’s no science behind it and EPA ought to only be making their decisions based on science,” Grassley said. “And then you get into the ridiculous situation that somewhere around the world somebody’s waiting to plow up an acre of virgin soil just because they’re waiting to see if Chuck Grassley sells a little more corn for ethanol. I think that’s a ridiculous combination that doesn’t face the real-world test.”
Grassley admitted that he didn’t think the land use issue was “a big deal” when he voted for the energy bill. “Now, obviously, it could be a big deal if it’s used to make ethanol look less environmentally positive or even environmentally negative. And taking it out would be the only way to make sure it wasn’t used,” he said.
By “taking it out” Grassley means Congress would have to change the law unless EPA decides not to use indirect land use calculations because of a lack of scientific consensus.
A big rig running on natural gas… a propane-fueled trimmer… gas from a wastewater treatment plant burned to make electricity… these are just some of the projects the Environmental Protection Agency has recognized in its annual 
The ethanol industry has spoken and the Few Ethanol Workshop (FEW) now has seven candidates for its 
In a company statement, Adam Allard, President of 
In the first quarter of 2009, more than 12 percent of the total fuel used by the state’s light-duty vehicles was E85, an 85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline blend. The 150,000 gallons of E85 consumed during the three months represents a 37 percent increase over the same period last year, fleet officials said.
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucuses will join forces tomorrow with the 
When people are discussing energy, how many conversations revolve around physics and its role in developing better renewable energy? I’d venture a guess and say for most people, the answer is never. Until now. This week I read, 
Although I enjoyed the entire book, I’m going to focus on two chapters, “Energy, Mass and E=mc2”and “Smart Energy”. Einstein brought to the world its understanding of mass and energy and demonstrated that the two are united and that mass can be converted to different forms of energy. But what exactly is energy? “…energy is the currency of existence….Energy cannot be created nor destroyed; it can only be converted from one form to another.”
Earlier this year, I told you how Encore Energy was targeting troubled biodiesel plants… ones producing below their capacity… for acquisition (see 
A green fuel that also gives you the intoxicating aroma of bacon as you drive? It’s as if half of Homer Simpson’s brain had been implanted into Al Gore! A small, startup company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin has opened its first biodiesel station with the feedstock being the pork fat left over from making pre-cooked bacon.
An