Domestic Alternative Fuels Act aims to open up Renewable Fuel Standard to non-renewables

In Washington, Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) introduced the Domestic Alternative Fuels Act, bill HR 3773.  The bill would change the current Renewable Fuel Standard to include ethanol source from other sources such as domestic coal and natural gas, as a new independent fuel category called Domestic Alternative Fuel.  At his website, Olson has written endorsements from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Chicken Council, and the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

Meanwhile, in Texas, Celanese has jumped in with their own press release, endorsing the bill.  Celanese CFO and President of its Advanced Fuel Technologies business, issued his endorsement.

“U.S. energy policy should encourage new ideas, technologies and innovation to promote a diverse set of energy and fuel choices. With such policies in place, the market will seek cost-efficient, environmentally advantaged liquid fuel solutions. Rep. Olson’s bill promotes free market economics and technical innovation over subsidies and mandates to achieve critical energy security goals…”

And here we get a snippet, with Deutsche Bank maintaining a “Buy rating” for Celanese shares, noting that passage of the bill would allow Celanese to share in the $40 Billion U.S. ethanol market.

With questions concerning earthquakes east of the Mississippi being caused by fracking, and other concerns such as water table degradation, it is hard to see what environmental benefits this bill really offers.  The suggested use of coal makes any environmental claim hard to see, between extra methane releases into the atmosphere from increased or continued coal mining and what happens to the land around said coal mine.

I listened to James Woolsey explain that there are three reasons to pursue clean energy:  The climate, the environment, and energy security.  The only concern this would conceivably address is energy security, as it leaves both the climate and the environment flapping in the wind.