Biofuels and the Environment: Third Triennial Report to Congress

Excerpt:  “This is the Third Triennial Report to Congress on Biofuels (RtC3) as required under Section 204 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). The purpose of the report is to examine the effects of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program on the environment, including the impacts to date and likely future impacts to the nation’s air, land, and water resources. The statute requires a focus on environmental and resource conservation issues, including effects on air quality, soil quality and conservation, water quality and availability, terrestrial ecosystems, aquatic ecosystems, and wetlands, and consideration of invasive or noxious species. This report emphasizes domestic effects, but also examines effects overseas. The RtC3 considers all 17 types of biofuels produced in or imported to the U.S. from 2005-2020 and focuses on the four biofuels that dominated U.S. production and consumption over this period: (1) ethanol from U.S. corn, (2) biodiesel from U.S. soybean, (3) biodiesel from U.S. fats, oils, and greases (FOGs), and (4) imported ethanol from Brazilian sugarcane. Although these four biofuels are the focus of the RtC3, other biofuels (cellulosic biofuels, algae, palm oil, and others) are also discussed where appropriate.”