U.S. Biofuel Mandate Cuts Would Raise Carbon Pollution: Lawmakers

The Obama administration's proposed cuts to U.S. biofuel use targets could undermine the White House's plan to tackle climate change, according to two Democrats on the Senate committee that oversees the renewable fuel mandate.

The Environmental Protection Agency's plan, slashing requirements for blending ethanol and biodiesel into U.S. fuel supplies in 2014, would lead to increased oil use and carbon emissions, Senators Barbara Boxer and Edward Markey said in a letter sent to White House late on Wednesday.

The lawmakers are the latest to weigh in as the White House's Office of Management and Budget considers revisions to the EPA's original proposal on 2014 targets.

"EPA's proposed rule would not only increase carbon pollution, but would also derail our efforts to ... drive the development of fuels that further reduce carbon pollution in the long-term," the lawmakers said.

A study by the Biotechnology Industry Organization cited by Boxer and Markey that found the proposed targets would increase net carbon pollution by 28.2 million metric tons in 2014.
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Producers of renewable fuels say the proposed cuts have already hurt investment in advanced fuels made from crop wastes and led to less output of biodiesel than would otherwise have been the case.

U.S. Biofuel Mandate Cuts Would Raise Carbon Pollution:  Lawmakers