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Bill introduced in U.S. House aims to cut through EPA red tape on cellulosic biofuels

Bipartisan legislation introduced in the U.S. House aims to cut through red tape at EPA to help boost production of cellulosic biomass into renewable fuels.

The Streamlining Advanced Biofuels Registration Act, co-authored by Illinois Democrat Cheri Bustos and Minnesota Republican Jim Hagedorn, is said to target greenhouse gas emissions and encourage low-carbon fuels.

Hagedorn tells Brownfield the EPA has been holding back dozens of biomass requests under the RFS.

“Our bill just says at some point (EPA) has to pull the trigger and say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ There are a lot of companies out there that have (invested) in this, and some of them have abandoned their projects because the EPA has just dragged their feet.”

Bustos says reducing greenhouse gases while investing in biofuels means steps must be taken to support producers that want to utilize every available fuel source.

Brooke Coleman with the Advanced Biofuels Business Council says there are dozens of applications under perpetual review at EPA, freezing the commercial deployment of low-carbon cellulosic biofuels.  She suggests the Streamlining Advanced Biofuels Registration Act would solve EPA’s registration problem, and calls the bill a critical piece of the puzzle.

South Dakota Republican Senator John Thune and New Hampshire Democrat Jeanne Shaheen carry the legislation in the Senate.