Californian regulators this week approved tough new standards governing the carbon intensity of bioethanol that will force producers to account for the lifecycle emissions that result from the production of biofuels.
The Californian Air Resources Board (CARB) said the new Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) will reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels used in California by an average of 10 per cent by the year 2020, by forcing bioethanol producers to measure the emissions that result from the production, transportation, and land use changes associated with biofuels.
Congress adopted a renewable fuels standard in 2005 and strengthened it in December 2007 requiring that 36bn gallons of biofuel be sold annually by 2022, of which 21bn gallons must qualify as "advanced" second generation biofuels.
However, environmental campaigners have long argued that these targets will not necessarily lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions as they fail to address the impact increased demand for biofuels can have on land use and deforestation. Numerous studies have warned that when these impacts are taken into account some biofuels result in higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions than the fossil fuels they aim to replace.
The new California standard, which the Air Resources Board said would only apply to biofuels and not other alternative fuels such as hydrogen, seeks to tackle this problem by requiring producers to meet a minimum level of carbon intensity.
The standard, which comes into effect from next year, is likely to be welcomed by environmental groups, but has been condemned by US biofuel producers who are arguing the LCFS will make it much harder for them to compete against foreign imports of bioethanol.
Last month, the two largest ethanol trade organisations started legal action against California over the standard, arguing that the new standard is unconstitutional.
Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, said state officials had violated Californian law by failing to fully address valid concerns put to them by the industry.
"As crafted, the LCFS would virtually eliminate domestic ethanol, the only viable low-carbon alternative to gasoline, from the California marketplace in favour of imported ethanol and futuristic fuel technologies such as hydrogen and the electric car," he said in a statement.
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