未来能源研究所-农业生物能源的政策前景（英）.docx

ThePolicyLandscapeforAgriculturalBioenergy

IssueBrief24-03byEmilyJoiner,MichaelToman,andSuzanneRusso—May2024

KeyPoints

?Agricultural(ag)bioenergyhasreceivedfinancialandtechnicalsupportfromtheEnergyTitleof

theFarmBill,firstestablishedin2002.Atpresent,however,theprimarydriversofagbioenergy

areincentivesinfederalenergylegislation(the

RenewableFuelStandardorRFS)andCalifornia

legislationtoreducethegreenhousegasintensityoftransportationfuels(theLowCarbonFuel

StandardorLCFS),alongwithpoliciesadministeredbytheUSEnvironmentalProtectionAgency.

?TheRFScreatesrequirementsforincorporatingvariouscategoriesofrenewablesources,

includingagbiofuels,intoliquidtransportationfuels.Acomplexcreditprogrambasedonsalesofqualifyingrenewablesourcesfacilitatesthe

achievementofthoserequirements.Thethresholdsforqualifying(20,50,or60percentlowerestimatedlifecyclegreenhousegasintensity)arecoarse-

grainedandthuscoarselytargetedforprovidingincentivestoreducegreenhousegasintensity.

?TheLCFSalsousesacreditsystemtoachieve

targetedreductionsinlifecyclegreenhouse

gasintensityovertime.However,theemissions

intensitiesofqualifyingrenewablesourcesare

basedontechnologypathways,withcareful

assessmentsofactualemissionsthatprovide

incentivesforreducingactualemissionsintensity.Nevertheless,themeasurementofreductions

inemissionsintensityisonlyasgoodasthe

baselineusedforcomparison—aconcernthathasbeenexpressedoverthecalculationofnegativeemissionsintensityformanure-derivedbiogas.

?Thereisvigorousdebateabouttheoverall

reductioningreenhousegasesachievedwith

conventionalbioethanolmadefromcorn.Lower-

carbontechnologiesremaincostlytouseatscale.

Adverseenvironmentalimpactsalsocanarise

fromproducingbiofuels,someofwhichraise

environmentaljusticeconcerns.

1.Intro