Agricultural News
EPA Analysis Qualifies Sorghum as Advanced Biofuel under Renewable Fuels Standard
Wed, 30 May 2012 11:23:14 CDT
This past week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of data availability (NODA) concerning renewable fuels produced from grain sorghum under the RFS program.
EPA's analysis shows grain sorghum, when used to make ethanol at facilities that use natural gas, has a greenhouse gas emissions reduction (GHG) of 32 percent. According to EPA, when grain sorghum is used to make ethanol at facilities that use biogas digesters in combination with combined heat and power technology, it achieves a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 53 percent, qualifying it as an advanced biofuel under the Renewables Fuels Standard.
This is significant in allowing the domestic production of advanced biofuels from grain sorghum as envisioned in the 2007 Energy Bill. National Sorghum Producers has worked closely with EPA for 25 months to establish a biofuels pathway for grain sorghum-based ethanol in the RFS.
"We are pleased we are finally to this point in getting a pathway approved for grain sorghum as an advanced biofuel," said NSP Chairman Terry Swanson, a sorghum grower from Walsh, Colo. "We have not yet crossed the finish line, but this is an important step in the right direction. NSP thanks EPA for their work in moving this process forward, and we would also like to thank Growth Energy for their support in this effort."
The NODA will have the customary 30-day comment period. NSP will be providing comments to EPA while coordinating with our membership. To view the full announcement from EPA, visit http://www.epa.gov/oms/fuels/renewablefuels/regulations.htm.
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