‘Proposed California LCFS updates leave biofuels behind’, says Growth Energy

Growth Energy in the US has submitted comments to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regarding the board’s proposed changes to California’s low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS).
Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor issued the following statement in response: “While California has its sights set on the future, the state continues to overlook a significant challenge that it faces right now - decarbonising the millions of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in the state that will continue to be on the road for decades.
“Despite its commitment to being an environmental leader, the state’s recently proposed changes to its LCFS ignore plant-based fuel options that could immediately help the state achieve its climate goals.
“Instead, the proposals put up roadblock after roadblock that prevent the deployment of crop-based biofuels—one of the only proven, drop-in solutions available today that can significantly lower the emissions of ICE vehicles.
She added: “CARB’s proposed changes to crop-based biofuels’ status in the LCFS defy the programme’s commitment to technology neutrality, fly in the face of the state’s administrative rules, and place an unfair burden on bioethanol that isn’t supported by science.
“This proposal would not only be an enormous missed opportunity for the state to decrease emissions from cars on the road today. It would increase California’s already infamously-high gas prices, making an already heavy economic burden on California families even heavier.
“Higher blends of bioethanol have been a keystone of California’s LCFS—they’ve been one of the top credit generators for the program for years. We strongly urge the board to reconsider the role that biofuels can continue to play in lowering carbon emissions, today.”