Don't miss this educational opportunity to learn about an important area for
alternative fuels-emergency planning for communities hit with disasters.
We have talked about the devastation from Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast and
how alternative fuel vehicles carried out critical functions such as debris
removal and assistance to stranded citizens at a time when conventionally
fueled vehicles succumbed to gasoline and diesel shortages. If we can help
states and localities to strategically plan with AFVs we can promote the
benefits of locally diversifying fueling options.
This webinar will focus on state energy assurance planning which supports a
robust, secure, and reliable energy infrastructure that is also
resilient-able to restore services rapidly in the event of a disaster. The
continued growth of the alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) market and increasing
coordination between state energy offices and local Clean Cities
stakeholders offer an opportunity to enhance, augment, and update the
planning process, with the goal of promoting resiliency via increased
deployment of AFVs in times of emergency.
Please join the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) for a
webinar on July 17 at 4pm Eastern Time to explore the benefits and
opportunities of integrating AFVs in energy assurance planning. Panelists
Linda Bluestein, National Clean Cities Director for the U.S. Department of
Energy, and Jeff Pillon, Energy Security Director for NASEO, will help
participants examine strategies to promote information sharing and
stakeholder coordination among state energy offices and Clean Cities
coordinators. An interactive Q&A following their presentations will focus on
how collaboration can support the effective deployment of AFVs to meet
critical public needs during energy supply disruptions.
To register for this webinar, please visit
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/767577054.
NASEO has developed a fact sheet and briefing document containing
background information about the link between energy assurance planning
and alternative fuel vehicle deployment, available at
http://naseo.org/committee-transportation under the "Resources" tab.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Friday, March 21, 2014
Nearly $3.8 billion in Funding and Technical Assistance Available for State, Local, and Tribal Governments
Nearly $3.8 billion of funding and technical assistance is available for state, local, and tribal governments from the Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of the Interior (DOI), and the Department of Commerce (DOC) that can be used to support climate and energy initiatives, including economic development, sustainable communities, green infrastructure, and water efficiency. For full eligibility and application details, please visit the links provided below.
In addition, please visit the calendar of 2014 EPA grant opportunities that may be of particular interest to communities.
Special Announcement: DOE Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement for State Energy Program 2014 Competitive Awards
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has released a notification of intent to issue a funding opportunity announcement for the State Energy Program 2014 Competitive Awards. DOE seeks to fund projects in two areas of interest: 1) State Energy Planning, and 2) Opportunities for Innovative Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Practices. EERE plans to issue the funding opportunity announcement on or about April 21, 2014, via FedConnect and Grants.gov. Please note that only states are eligible to apply for these awards.
INVEST Implementation Projects – Round 2 ~ $150,000 (with a 100 percent Non-federal match)
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
Resilience Projects in Response to Hurricane Sandy– $3 billion
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
Vehicle Technologies Program – $51.4 million
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
Coastal Resilience Networks Grant– $300,000
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
Pollution Prevention Information Network (PPIN) Grant– $700,000
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
National Infrastructure Investment “TIGER” Program – $600 million
For more information, visit the Federal Register Funding Notice.
Tribal Climate Change Grant – $600,000
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
Commercial Building Technology Demonstrations Grant – $10 million
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
In addition, please visit the calendar of 2014 EPA grant opportunities that may be of particular interest to communities.
Special Announcement: DOE Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement for State Energy Program 2014 Competitive Awards
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has released a notification of intent to issue a funding opportunity announcement for the State Energy Program 2014 Competitive Awards. DOE seeks to fund projects in two areas of interest: 1) State Energy Planning, and 2) Opportunities for Innovative Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Practices. EERE plans to issue the funding opportunity announcement on or about April 21, 2014, via FedConnect and Grants.gov. Please note that only states are eligible to apply for these awards.
INVEST Implementation Projects – Round 2 ~ $150,000 (with a 100 percent Non-federal match)
- Letter of Interest Due: March 28, 2014
- Eligible Entities: State DOTs, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and federal lands.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
Resilience Projects in Response to Hurricane Sandy– $3 billion
- Application Due: March 28, 2014
- Eligible Entities: Eligible applicants must be located in or provide public transportation service in one of the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy, which are defined as areas for which President Obama declared a major disaster under the Stafford Act in response to Hurricane Sandy. Eligible entities include state and local governments, federally recognized tribes, authorities and public transportation agencies that receive funding through FTA formula programs, other entities responsible for an eligible public transportation capital project that enter into a sub-recipient arrangement with an existing FTA grantee, and entities that provide intercity passenger rail service.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
Vehicle Technologies Program – $51.4 million
- Application Due: April 1, 2014
- Eligible Entities: State and local governments, federally recognized tribes, public nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes public institutions of higher education and hospitals) and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (includes private institutions of higher education and hospitals) located in the United States and U.S. territories or possessions.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
Coastal Resilience Networks Grant– $300,000
- Application Due: April 11, 2014
- Eligible Entities: Nonprofits, federally recognized tribes, state and local governments, small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
Pollution Prevention Information Network (PPIN) Grant– $700,000
- Application Due: April 15, 2014
- Eligible Entities: State governments, federally recognized tribes, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, any agency or instrumentality of a state, and state colleges and universities.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
National Infrastructure Investment “TIGER” Program – $600 million
- Application Due: April 28, 2014
- Eligible Entities: State and local governments, federally recognized tribes, U.S. territories, transit agencies, port authorities, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), other political subdivisions of state or local governments, and multi-state or multi-jurisdictional groups applying through a single lead applicant.
For more information, visit the Federal Register Funding Notice.
Tribal Climate Change Grant – $600,000
- Application Due: April 30, 2014
- Eligible Entities: Tribal governments
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
Commercial Building Technology Demonstrations Grant – $10 million
- Application Due: May 19, 2014
- Eligible Entities: For-profit entities, educational institutions, nonprofits, state and local governments, federally recognized tribes.
For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State and local officials interested in additional information about developing and implementing cost-effective climate and energy strategies that help further environmental goals and achieve public health and economic benefits may visit EPA’s State and Local Climate and Energy Program site.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Stakeholder Meeting 3.19.14
Today we held one of our Stakeholder meetings. The agenda is posted below.
At our meetings we inform our stakeholders of how the alternative fuel industry is active in our territory of New Haven County.
This meeting covered the CT DOT Clean Fuels Program grant and the AFLEET tool that helps estimate petroleum use, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutant emissions, and cost of ownership of light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles using simple spreadsheet inputs. We talked about IdleBox, an idle reduction tool, gaseous fuel taxes, the bi-fuel ruling, as well as other topics.
From the meeting, we posted the AFLEET presentation and the IdleBox information below.
At our meetings we inform our stakeholders of how the alternative fuel industry is active in our territory of New Haven County.
This meeting covered the CT DOT Clean Fuels Program grant and the AFLEET tool that helps estimate petroleum use, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutant emissions, and cost of ownership of light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles using simple spreadsheet inputs. We talked about IdleBox, an idle reduction tool, gaseous fuel taxes, the bi-fuel ruling, as well as other topics.
From the meeting, we posted the AFLEET presentation and the IdleBox information below.
Monday, February 3, 2014
February 2014 Question of the Month
Question of the Month: What driver behaviors can help reduce petroleum consumption?
Answer: There are many simple changes fleet managers and individual drivers can adopt to improve vehicle efficiency, decrease fuel consumption, save money, and reduce emissions. In fact, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that improved driving behavior can reduce fuel consumption by an average of 10% and up to 20% for aggressive drivers; see the final report. Below are strategies fleet managers and individuals may consider to improve fuel efficiency.
Fuel Conservation Techniques for Drivers
Both fleets and individual drivers can save fuel by implementing the following practices:
Fuel Conservation Strategies for Fleet Managers
Fleet managers can adopt the following fuel conservation strategies to maximize their fleet’s fuel efficiency:
More information on adjusting driver behavior to improve fuel efficiency can be found on the AFDC Efficient Driving Behaviors to Conserve Fuel page and on FuelEconomy.gov.
Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team
technicalresponse@icfi.com
800-254-6735
Answer: There are many simple changes fleet managers and individual drivers can adopt to improve vehicle efficiency, decrease fuel consumption, save money, and reduce emissions. In fact, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that improved driving behavior can reduce fuel consumption by an average of 10% and up to 20% for aggressive drivers; see the final report. Below are strategies fleet managers and individuals may consider to improve fuel efficiency.
Fuel Conservation Techniques for Drivers
Both fleets and individual drivers can save fuel by implementing the following practices:
- Reducing Speeding: Though different vehicles reach optimal fuel economy at different speeds, fuel efficiency generally decreases significantly at speeds above 50 miles per hour. This is because at high speeds, more fuel is needed to overcome resistance from aerodynamics and tire rolling. The fuel economy benefit of reducing your speed is 7% to 14%. The FuelEconomy.gov “What is the speed penalty for my vehicle?” tool allows drivers to calculate the fuel economy reduction for their specific vehicle and typical driving behavior.
- Conservative Driving: Gradual braking and accelerating can improve a vehicle’s fuel economy by 33% on highways and by 5% on city roads. Driving conservatively not only helps conserve fuel and save money, but it is also a safe practice for drivers.
- Combining Trips: Using one trip for multiple purposes, rather than making multiple trips, can save fuel, time, and money by reducing driving distance and avoiding unnecessary cold starts. When the engine is cold, starting a vehicle can use twice as much fuel.
- Reducing Load: By offloading unneeded items from the vehicle, drivers can reduce the amount of fuel consumed by up to 2% for each 100 pounds.
- Vehicle Maintenance: Proper and regular vehicle maintenance can improve fuel economy by 40%. This includes keeping the engine properly tuned, maintaining proper tire inflation, and using the recommended grade of oil. For more information on vehicle maintenance techniques used to conserve fuel, see the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) Vehicle Maintenance to Conserve Fuel page.
Fuel Conservation Strategies for Fleet Managers
Fleet managers can adopt the following fuel conservation strategies to maximize their fleet’s fuel efficiency:
- Train Drivers: Driver training courses can teach new and veteran fleet drivers basic fuel conservation techniques (see the above Fuel Conservation Techniques for Drivers section) that they can use to improve their individual fuel economy. These courses teach ways to minimize the negative impacts of idling, speeding, aggressive or frequent accelerating or breaking, improper shifting, and taking unnecessarily long routes. National Clean Fleets Partner Coca-Cola has a successful “eco-driver” training program.
- Employ Advanced Technologies: Technologies, such as telematics systems, can greatly increase efficiency and fuel savings in fleets. These tools allow fleet managers to:
- Give Feedback: Fleet managers can use fuel-tracking devices or GPS-based telematics systems to track fuel economy, idle time, vehicle routes, and driver performance to provide drivers with feedback on how to improve. Some systems even provide drivers with instantaneous alerts when they are exhibiting inefficient driving behaviors, such as speeding. Some fleets pair drivers with coaches to critique driver behaviors. Driver feedback may improve fuel economy by 3% to 10%.
- Optimize Routes: Route optimization technologies help drivers plan routes that can reduce mileage, stops, acceleration events, number of vehicles needed, and time spent in traffic. Fleet managers can view data for individual drivers or for the entire fleet to view their progress and target areas of improvement.
- Provide Incentives: Incentives, including driver recognition, special privileges, and monetary rewards, encourage drivers to use efficient driving behaviors. Polk County, Florida, provides an excellent case study of a fleet that developed a successful incentive program for its employees.
- Implement Policies: Corporate policies that require drivers to participate in training courses, meet fuel-efficiency targets, comply with a maximum speed limit, and set goals can reduce emissions and improve driving efficiency.
- Use Fleet Fueling Cards: Fleets that use fueling cards can monitor, control, track, and manage fuel and maintenance costs based on card transactions. One example is the WEX (formerly Wright Express) card.
More information on adjusting driver behavior to improve fuel efficiency can be found on the AFDC Efficient Driving Behaviors to Conserve Fuel page and on FuelEconomy.gov.
Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team
technicalresponse@icfi.com
800-254-6735
Monday, January 6, 2014
January 2014 Question of the Month
Question of the Month: What are the key terms to know when discussing propane vehicles and their fueling infrastructure?
Answer: It is important to know how to “talk the talk” when it comes to propane vehicles and infrastructure. Becoming familiar with the terms below will help you better understand these vehicles and the associated fueling infrastructure so you can ask the right questions and make informed decisions.
Fuel
Propane is a clean-burning, domestically produced alternative fuel that can power light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles. The fuel is a colorless, odorless liquid that is stored under pressure. An odorant, ethyl mercaptan, is added to the fuel for leak detection. Propane is also known as liquefied petroleum gas or liquefied propane gas (LPG), or propane autogas. In the United States, these terms are used interchangeably.
Vehicle Types
Propane vehicles work much like spark-ignited gasoline vehicles. The fuel is stored as a liquid in a relatively low-pressure tank (about 150 pounds per square inch). There are two types of propane fuel systems:
Fueling Infrastructure Components
Propane fueling infrastructure is very similar to gasoline equipment, including:
More information on propane vehicles and infrastructure can be found on the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) Propane website and the Propane Education & Research Council website.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Federal Tax Credit Update
On December 31, 2013, a number of federal tax incentives expired, including:
Full descriptions of these incentives can be found on the AFDC Federal Laws and Incentives page. The descriptions will remain posted there until the federal tax filing deadline.
Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team
technicalresponse@icfi.com
800-254-6735
Answer: It is important to know how to “talk the talk” when it comes to propane vehicles and infrastructure. Becoming familiar with the terms below will help you better understand these vehicles and the associated fueling infrastructure so you can ask the right questions and make informed decisions.
Fuel
Propane is a clean-burning, domestically produced alternative fuel that can power light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles. The fuel is a colorless, odorless liquid that is stored under pressure. An odorant, ethyl mercaptan, is added to the fuel for leak detection. Propane is also known as liquefied petroleum gas or liquefied propane gas (LPG), or propane autogas. In the United States, these terms are used interchangeably.
Vehicle Types
Propane vehicles work much like spark-ignited gasoline vehicles. The fuel is stored as a liquid in a relatively low-pressure tank (about 150 pounds per square inch). There are two types of propane fuel systems:
- Vapor-Injected Systems: Liquid propane travels along a fuel line into the engine compartment. The supply of propane to the engine is controlled by a regulator or vaporizer, which converts the liquid propane to a vapor. The vapor is then fed to a mixer located near the intake manifold where it is metered and mixed with filtered air before being drawn into the combustion chamber and burned to produce power, similar to gasoline. An example is the Alliance AutoGas Prins bi-fuel system.
- Liquid Propane Injection Systems: Propane is not vaporized. Instead, it is injected into the combustion chamber in liquid form. Examples are the CleanFUEL USA and Roush CleanTech technologies.
- Dedicated Vehicle: These vehicles are designed to run on only propane and are used in light-, medium-, and heavy-duty applications.
- Bi-Fuel Vehicle: These vehicles are able to run on either propane or gasoline because they have two separate fueling systems. Bi-fuel vehicles include light-duty models and, more recently, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
- Please note that some agencies may use the term dual-fuel to describe bi-fuel vehicles. However, Clean Cities uses dual-fuel to describe vehicles that have fuel systems that run on alternative fuel and use diesel fuel for ignition assistance. By this definition, there are not currently any dual-fuel propane systems available.
Fueling Infrastructure Components
Propane fueling infrastructure is very similar to gasoline equipment, including:
- Storage Tank: Propane is brought to the station via a transport truck and put into on-site storage—traditionally an aboveground storage tank on a concrete pad.
- Pump and Fuel Dispenser: The main difference between a propane fueling dispenser and a gasoline dispenser is that propane is delivered to the vehicle under pressure so it remains a liquid. When the vehicle tank is full, the dispenser stops automatically just like a gasoline dispenser.
- Credit Card Reader: A card reader is necessary for a public station accepting payment. Note that federal regulations require a “competent attendant” to fuel propane vehicles, so drivers may need to be trained before they can use an unmanned pump (Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 1910.110; National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 58 and 54).
- Skid-Mounted: The storage tank, dispenser, pump, and any additional piping or controls are mounted to a portable concrete or steel frame that can be installed easily, removed, or relocated. Skid-mounted systems tend to be more affordable than stationary equipment.
- Stationary: In a stationary system, the storage tank may be underground, and the station may include additional features not available on a skid-mounted system, including spill-proof pumps and additional metering capabilities.
More information on propane vehicles and infrastructure can be found on the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) Propane website and the Propane Education & Research Council website.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Federal Tax Credit Update
On December 31, 2013, a number of federal tax incentives expired, including:
- Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit
- Alternative Fuel Excise Tax Credit
- Alternative Fuel Mixture Excise Tax Credit
- Biodiesel Income Tax Credit
- Biodiesel Mixture Excise Tax Credit
- Second Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credits
- Second Generation Plant Depreciation Deduction Allowance
Full descriptions of these incentives can be found on the AFDC Federal Laws and Incentives page. The descriptions will remain posted there until the federal tax filing deadline.
Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team
technicalresponse@icfi.com
800-254-6735
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Bi-fuel vehicles legal in Connecticut
Great news for Connecticut vehicle buyers and sellers. New Bi-fuel vehicles are now legal in the state of Connecticut. Below is the letter from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) clarifying the rules. Please take a look and spread the news.
Monday, December 2, 2013
December 2013 Question of the Month
Question of the Month: What is the current status of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and how do the new 2014 proposed requirements differ from previous years’?
Answer: The national RFS program was developed to increase the volume of renewable fuel blended into transportation fuels. As required by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized RFS1 program regulations, which became effective on Sept. 1, 2007. The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 increased and expanded this standard through RFS2, mandating that by 2022, 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel be blended into transportation fuels. Though EISA set final volume requirements, EPA must determine renewable fuel percentage values annually to meet the requirements. Fuels are broken down as follows:
Total renewable fuel: The total amount of renewable fuel required to be blended into the fuel supply each year, which includes conventional and advanced biofuels (defined below). Conventional biofuel volume requirements are simply the total renewable fuel volume requirements minus the advanced biofuel volume requirements. While EISA specified volume requirements for most categories through 2022, the statute allows EPA to reduce these volumes under certain conditions (see below for further discussion). Each renewable fuel category is described below.
Obligated Parties
Any party that produces gasoline or petroleum diesel for use as transportation fuel in the United States, including refiners, importers, and blenders (other than oxygenate blenders), is considered an obligated party under the RFS program. Each year, EPA determines the Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) for obligated parties. The RVO is calculated as a percentage, by dividing the amount of renewable fuel (gallons) required by the RFS2 for a given year by the amount of transportation fuel expected to be used during that year.
Volume Requirements and Percentage Standards
While EISA specified most volume requirements through 2022, the law did not address the biomass-based diesel requirement beyond 2012 and left some flexibility on the cellulosic biofuel requirement. The statute also allows EPA to change requirements under certain conditions, including when (1) the projected production of cellulosic biofuel in any year is less than the volume specified in EISA or (2) conditions are met under the general waiver authority provided by the Clean Air Act.
In 2013, EPA requires obligated parties to meet the following volume requirements collectively. Also included are the associated RVO percentages.
On Nov. 15, 2013, EPA published a proposed rule to establish new volume requirements and associated percentage standards for 2014. For the first time, EPA is requesting comments on a range of volumes for each renewable fuel category to determine a final requirement (see table below). Also for the first time, the proposed total renewable fuel volume requirement is lower than statutory levels mandated in EISA to resolve compliance concerns related to the ethanol consumption "blend wall" (discussed below) and renewable fuel production constraints. The table below outlines the proposed new volume requirements and the associated RVO percentages.
Ethanol Blend Wall The ethanol “blend wall” refers to the difficulty of incorporating an increasing amount of ethanol into the transportation fuel supply at percentages exceeding 10%. Almost all gasoline sold in the United States is E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline). While blends as high as E15 (15% ethanol, 85% gasoline) can be used in some conventional vehicles, these blends are difficult to market on a widespread basis because they can be used only in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) and model year 2001 and newer vehicles due to equipment compatibility issues. Additionally, “E85” (51%–83% ethanol blended with gasoline) and other mid-level ethanol blends can be used only in FFVs. EPA has proposed the lower advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel volume requirements above for 2014 due to the anticipated inability of the market to supply the Congressionally mandated volume of renewable fuels to consumers in 2014.
In conjunction with the 2014 volume requirements and percentage standards, EPA is also considering a joint petition from the American Petroleum Institute and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, as well as individual petitions from several refining companies, requesting a partial waiver of the 2014 applicable volumes under RFS2. EPA is collecting comments on both issues through Jan. 28, 2014.
Here is the proposed rule and EPA fact sheet.
Additional information can be found on the EPA RFS2 and Alternative Fuels Data Center RFS Program websites.
Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team
technicalresponse@icfi.com
800-254-6735
Answer: The national RFS program was developed to increase the volume of renewable fuel blended into transportation fuels. As required by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized RFS1 program regulations, which became effective on Sept. 1, 2007. The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 increased and expanded this standard through RFS2, mandating that by 2022, 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel be blended into transportation fuels. Though EISA set final volume requirements, EPA must determine renewable fuel percentage values annually to meet the requirements. Fuels are broken down as follows:
Total renewable fuel: The total amount of renewable fuel required to be blended into the fuel supply each year, which includes conventional and advanced biofuels (defined below). Conventional biofuel volume requirements are simply the total renewable fuel volume requirements minus the advanced biofuel volume requirements. While EISA specified volume requirements for most categories through 2022, the statute allows EPA to reduce these volumes under certain conditions (see below for further discussion). Each renewable fuel category is described below.
- Conventional biofuel: Any fuel derived from approved sources of renewable biomass that reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 20% from baseline petroleum GHG emissions. Conventional biofuels are generally produced from starch-based feedstocks (e.g., corn, sorghum, wheat).
- Advanced biofuel: Any fuel derived from approved renewable biomass, excluding corn starch-based ethanol. Biomass-based diesel and cellulosic biofuel volume requirements fall under this overarching advanced biofuel category. Note that remaining advanced biofuel volume requirements not met by cellulosic and biomass-based diesel can be met with other advanced biofuels, and cellulosic biofuel and biomass-based diesel volumes that exceed their volume requirements also may be used to meet the advanced biofuel quota. Other advanced biofuels may include sugarcane-based fuels, renewable diesel co-processed with petroleum, and other biofuels that may exist in the future. Advanced biofuels must reduce GHG emissions by at least 50% from baseline petroleum GHG emissions.
- Cellulosic biofuel: Any fuel derived from cellulose, hemicellulose, or lignin. These fuels must reduce GHG emissions by at least 60% from baseline petroleum GHG emissions.
- Biomass-based diesel: A diesel fuel substitute made from renewable feedstocks, including biodiesel and nonester renewable diesel (diesel produced from animal- and plant-based fats, oils, and greases). It cannot be co-processed with petroleum; however, those fuels fall under the general advanced biofuels category. Biomass-based diesel must reduce GHG emissions by at least 50% from baseline petroleum GHG emissions.
Obligated Parties
Any party that produces gasoline or petroleum diesel for use as transportation fuel in the United States, including refiners, importers, and blenders (other than oxygenate blenders), is considered an obligated party under the RFS program. Each year, EPA determines the Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) for obligated parties. The RVO is calculated as a percentage, by dividing the amount of renewable fuel (gallons) required by the RFS2 for a given year by the amount of transportation fuel expected to be used during that year.
Volume Requirements and Percentage Standards
While EISA specified most volume requirements through 2022, the law did not address the biomass-based diesel requirement beyond 2012 and left some flexibility on the cellulosic biofuel requirement. The statute also allows EPA to change requirements under certain conditions, including when (1) the projected production of cellulosic biofuel in any year is less than the volume specified in EISA or (2) conditions are met under the general waiver authority provided by the Clean Air Act.
In 2013, EPA requires obligated parties to meet the following volume requirements collectively. Also included are the associated RVO percentages.
Final Volume Requirements for 2013 | ||
---|---|---|
Category | Volume | Percentage |
Cellulosic biofuel | 14 million gallons | 0.008% |
Biomass-based diesel | 1.28 million gallons | 1.12% |
Advanced biofuel | 2.75 billion gallons | 1.60% |
Total renewable fuel | 16.55 billion gallons | 9.63% |
On Nov. 15, 2013, EPA published a proposed rule to establish new volume requirements and associated percentage standards for 2014. For the first time, EPA is requesting comments on a range of volumes for each renewable fuel category to determine a final requirement (see table below). Also for the first time, the proposed total renewable fuel volume requirement is lower than statutory levels mandated in EISA to resolve compliance concerns related to the ethanol consumption "blend wall" (discussed below) and renewable fuel production constraints. The table below outlines the proposed new volume requirements and the associated RVO percentages.
Proposed Volume Requirements for 2014 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Category | Volume | Percentage | Range |
Cellulosic biofuel | 17 million gallons | 0.010% | 8-30 million gallons |
Biomass-based diesel | 1.28 billion gallons | 1.16% | 1.28 billion gallons |
Advanced biofuel | 2.20 billion gallons | 1.33% | 2-2.51 billion gallons |
Total renewable fuel | 15.21 billion gallons | 9.20% | 15-15.52 billions gallons |
Ethanol Blend Wall The ethanol “blend wall” refers to the difficulty of incorporating an increasing amount of ethanol into the transportation fuel supply at percentages exceeding 10%. Almost all gasoline sold in the United States is E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline). While blends as high as E15 (15% ethanol, 85% gasoline) can be used in some conventional vehicles, these blends are difficult to market on a widespread basis because they can be used only in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) and model year 2001 and newer vehicles due to equipment compatibility issues. Additionally, “E85” (51%–83% ethanol blended with gasoline) and other mid-level ethanol blends can be used only in FFVs. EPA has proposed the lower advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel volume requirements above for 2014 due to the anticipated inability of the market to supply the Congressionally mandated volume of renewable fuels to consumers in 2014.
In conjunction with the 2014 volume requirements and percentage standards, EPA is also considering a joint petition from the American Petroleum Institute and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, as well as individual petitions from several refining companies, requesting a partial waiver of the 2014 applicable volumes under RFS2. EPA is collecting comments on both issues through Jan. 28, 2014.
Here is the proposed rule and EPA fact sheet.
Additional information can be found on the EPA RFS2 and Alternative Fuels Data Center RFS Program websites.
Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team
technicalresponse@icfi.com
800-254-6735
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