American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings testified today during a virtual public hearing on the electric-vehicle centric Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed last month.
Jennings’ testimony calls on EPA to give more consideration to ethanol, a lower-carbon and higher-octane alternative, to replace the fossil fuel powering 99 percent of the U.S. vehicle fleet. The remarks outlined how agriculture is critical to reduce greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions, citing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) finding that 89 percent of the globe’s capacity to mitigate carbon emissions comes from agricultural soil carbon sequestration.
“Understanding this enormous potential, ACE is leading a project to more accurately validate the degree to which farmer adoption of practices, such as reduced tillage and cover crops, reduce ethanol’s lifecycle GHG emissions,” Jennings said in his prepared testimony.
“Unfortunately, the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard does not yet allow carbon credits for biofuels produced from climate-smart agriculture, and since EPA’s proposal puts all our eggs in one basket, it fails to unlock the significant carbon mitigation potential from agricultural lands and ethanol,” Jennings said. “We can and should do better.”
“EPA should reconsider its proposal, develop a technology-neutral approach to decarbonizing transportation fuel, and engage with ACE as we implement our project to ensure fair and accurate accounting for GHG reductions from climate-smart agriculture and ethanol,” Jennings concluded.
The full testimony can be accessed here.