(19/12/07) US Energy Bill Expanding Renewable Fuels Signed into Law

On the 19th December 2007 the following was reported by the Oil Price Information Service, President George W. Bush signed into law the second energy bill of his term, containing the second increase to national biofuels requirements in three years.

"Today, we make a major step toward reducing our dependence on oil, fighting global climate change, expanding the production of renewable fuels and giving future generations of our country a nation that is stronger, cleaner and more secure," Bush said at the bill signing, hosted at the Department of Energy's headquarters.

 

The bill signing caps the nearly year-long congressional battle to enact a new energy policy. The House passed the final version of the bill by a 314-100 vote and in the spirit of the conservation language included in the legislation, it was transported to the White House in a hybrid Toyota Prius.

 

The 822-page energy bill, an amalgamation of previously passed House and senate energy legislation, contains a 36 billion gal/yr renewable fuels standard (RFS) by 2022, to be administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

 

The new RFS begins in 2008, requiring 9 billion gallons of biofuels and 11.1 billion gallons the following year to 15 Billion gallons by 2015 (mostly corn Ethanol) and 21 billion gallons of the overall mandate to contain "advanced biofuels" by 2022, "Advanced biofuels" are defined as cellulosic ethanol, ethanol derived from sugar or starch (other than corn starch), biogas, biomass-based diesel, butanol or other alcohols and other fuel derived from cellulosic biomass.

 

 

Back to news menu