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Report highlights role biofuels can play in improving the environment

US biofuels can help drive environmental progress, according to a new report by Growth Energy.  

Chris Bliley, vice president of regulatory affairs, says Growth Energy commissioned the report to help educate the EPA as the agency crafts regulations under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

“We commissioned this broad-ranging, comprehensive report to better educate EPA as they look at the RFS reset as well as all policy makers as they look at renewable fuel production and associated ag production,” he says.

The report shows that improvements in ag practices have led to an increase in corn yields and a decrease in land use.

“Acres planted have remained close or below total acres from the early 1930s despite significant increases in demand for corn,” he says. “We’ve had a seven-fold increase in yield and that continues to climb.”

Bliley tells Brownfield that biofuel production can’t be considered in a vacuum, “You have to look at the status quo of using fossil fuels and the land use associated with oil production and oil drilling is set to expand exponentially,” he says. “…The things that people are doing to protect the land in renewable fuel production and increasing yield in getting more and more efficient- you need to compare that with some of the intensive land use practices for oil and gas production.”

Overall, Bliley says biofuels will play a predominant role as people look toward the future for addressing climate and other issues.

The report, which has been submitted to the EPA, was authored by Ramboll, a global research and management firm specializing in sustainable development.

For more information visit growthenergy.org.

Audio: Chris Bliley, Growth Energy

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