The U.S.’s 2015 report to the OECD catalogs producer and consumer subsidies for fossil fuels and argues that fossil fuel subsidies in the U.S. amount to roughly $8.7 billion.
Would have made renewable fuel pipelines eligible for loan guarantees for projects that reduce GHGs and employ new or significantly improved technologies.
Would have changed the tax code to provide the same incentives for ethanol pipeline builders that oil pipeline builders receive.
Legislatively directed to address technical areas including feedstock development; biofuels and biobased products development; and biofuels development analysis.
Created funding streams for biomass R&D through the Depts. of Energy and Agriculture.
Now includes mandatory thresholds for GHG reductions from qualifying biofuels based on life-cycle analysis, effectively shifting production away from corn-based biofuels.
A tri-party task force report from the US, EU, and Brazil examined the breadth of similarities and differences in existing country codes and made recommendations for their harmonization.
Addressed how to solve for uncertainty in annual mandated biofuel volumes, as well as volatility in quality requirements and price, among other issues.
Recommended sharply reducing the compliance costs of blending ethanol into E10; promoting sales of midlevel blends by removing regulatory roadblocks; and transforming the second-generation part of the RFS into a technology-pushing program.
Regulates and clarifies the use of enhanced oil recovery wells for sequestration, laying out requirements for injection operations, post-injection site care, liability, and monitoring during and after injection.