Udall bill aims to re-open RFS to advance algae, may split biofuels industry

August 12, 2011 |

In New Mexico, Senator Tom Udall announced a plans to introduce bipartisan legislation with Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) to reform the Renewable Fuels Standard to make it more technology neutral. Udall will introduce the bill after the Senate returns from its August work period. The current RFS includes a traditional ethanol standard of up to 15 billion gallons by 2015 that comes mostly from corn feedstock and a separate advanced biofuels standard, known as RFS2.

According to Udall: “Currently, the large majority of the advanced biofuel standard is limited to only cellulosic biofuels – creating an uneven playing field for other advanced biofuels like algae. The senators’ bill would remedy that situation by removing the cellulosic biofuel carve-out, thus creating a technology neutral category that includes all advanced biofuels, including cellulosic, algae, and other technologies, at the same 21 billion gallon standard by 2022. Similar legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House by Reps. Brian Bilbray (R-CA-50) and Jay Inslee (D-WA-01).”

The move, which presumably is tacitly if not openly supported by prominent algal biofuels companies such as Sapphire Energy, could cause a major rift within the biofuels industry. Organizations such as the Renewable Fuels Association, BIO, the Advanced Ethanol Council and the Advanced Biofuels Association united on a “don’t mess with the RFS” strategy.

Category: Policy

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