EPA finalizes renewable fuel requirements

April 10

The Bush administration has finalized its comprehensive Renewable Fuel Standard program that requires passenger cars to use greater amounts of cleaner-burning renewable fuels.

The heads of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration unveiled the details of the program April 10.

The RFS program, mandated by Congress when it passed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, requires that the equivalent of at least 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel be blended into motor vehicle fuel sold in the United States by 2012. The program requires major American refiners, blenders and importers to phase in the use of renewable fuels by increasing the minimum percentage used each year.

The program relies on a flexible system that allows the industry to comply by using the greatest amount of renewable fuels in geographic areas where they are most economical.

The program is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 13.1 million metric tons by 2012, the equivalent of preventing the emissions of 2.3 million cars, according to the EPA.

The RFS program promotes the use of ethanol and biodiesel. While the fuels currently come primarily from crops, the program also establishes incentives for producing and using fuels produced from cellulosic biomass, such as switchgrass and woodchips.