Biofuel

When developed from the right sources, biofuels provide a clean-burning alternative to oil. Our experts explore the complexities of biofuels and their role in the future of fuel.


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Latest Biofuel Posts

San Ardo Oil Field, Monterey County, CA. Photo: Loco Steve CC-BY-SA 2.0 (Flickr).

California’s Cap-and-Trade Program and Low Carbon Fuel Standard Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly

, Western states policy manager

May 22, 2017 2:59 PM EDT

Policymakers are considering how California should cut global warming emissions by 40% between 2020 and 2030, and whether to extend the state’s cap-and-trade program beyond 2020. The oil industry supports the cap-and-trade program but wants to roll back California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. They argue the two policies just don’t mix—like oil and water, you might say. However, I see the two policies more like peanut butter and jelly—they are good on their own but so much better together. Read more >

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Biofuel Photo: Oregon Department of Agriculture. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (Flickr)

Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program Off to a Great Start

, senior scientist, Clean Vehicles

April 28, 2017 10:37 AM EDT

Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program (CFP) was initially authorized by the legislature in 2009, with subsequent legislation in 2015 allowing the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to fully implement the program in 2016. The program’s goals are to foster the development of an in-state market for cleaner fuel by requiring that transportation fuels used in Oregon get steadily less-polluting over the next decade. The program completed a very successful first year, but it remains under attack, so it’s a great time to review how the policy is working, and its prospects for the future. Read more >

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‘Little’ Errors Add Up: What an Electric Vehicles Study Gets Right, and What It Gets Wrong

, senior engineer, Clean Vehicles

December 21, 2016 4:14 PM EDT

A new study by consulting firm Arthur D. Little (ADL) claims that the benefits of electric cars, both environmental and economic, are lower than others, including UCS, have shown. However, the differences are largely due to questionable assumptions about battery replacements and the use of electric vehicles as a gasoline car replacement. Read more >

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The Bioeconomy in a World Without Carbon Pollution

, senior scientist, Clean Vehicles

November 14, 2016 3:24 PM EDT

Reaching the climate targets set in Paris will require dramatic action from all sectors of the economy over a period of several decades. Read more >

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The Road to High Octane Fuels

, senior scientist, Clean Vehicles

October 5, 2016 1:46 PM EDT

The biofuels world is abuzz with talk of high octane fuel.  Ethanol trade groups weighed in recently with regulators on the role of higher octane fuel in meeting fuel economy targets.  Their interest in gasoline and fuel economy might seem odd, except that their plan is to deliver higher octane gasoline by increasing the amount of ethanol blended into it. Read more >

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