On November 5, 2020, participants in the Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy Initiative, a group facilitated by the Great Plains Institute, submitted a letter to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in response to CARB’s solicitation for feedback following a public workshop focused on the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) in October 2020. The letter’s contents urged CARB to include farm-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions factors in lifecycle accounting for biofuels in the next iteration of the LCFS.
Highlights from the letter include the following:
- References to the initiative’s white paper, A Clean Fuels Policy for the Midwest, that included recommendations to lower the carbon intensity of biofuels through the adoption of on-farm conservation practices.
- Analytical evidence demonstrating the need for increased agricultural emissions reductions.
- Recommendations to incentivize on-farm conservation practices that lower biofuel GHG emissions through LCFS credits.
- Discussion of the efforts currently underway in the Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy Initiative to develop recommendations on how to incorporate farm-level emissions factors into lifecycle accounting as part of a clean fuels policy.
Brendan Jordan, lead facilitator of the Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy Initiative and vice president at the Great Plains Institute, stated that “the submission of the letter clearly demonstrates critical support for much-needed incentives for farmers to help decarbonize our agricultural and transportation sectors. We cannot decarbonize these sectors without their assistance, and we need to assure they are fairly compensated.”
Many participants of the Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy Initiative supported the letter, including:
- American Coalition for Ethanol
- Antares Group
- Aspiring Universe Corporation
- Carbon Co-op 2.0
- Center for Energy and Environment
- Conservation Minnesota
- Nicholas Jordan, Professor, Agronomy and Plant Genetic Department, University of Minnesota
- Ecology Center
- EBR Development, LLC
- Energy Resources Center, University of Illinois at Chicago
- Enogen at Syngenta
- Guardian Energy
- Kansas Corn
- Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association
- NATSO Alternative Fuels Council
- Nebraska Ethanol Board
- Renewable Fuels Association
- South Dakota Corn Growers Association
- Union of Concerned Scientists
The Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy Initiative is discussing important issues related to farm-level GHG reduction, including modeling, measurement, and verification. The letter offers collaboration with CARB to discuss the best available science and develop a protocol that can compensate farmers for enhanced GHG reduction practices, attract additional farmer interest, and spur increased adoption of conservation practices.
Download the full letter here.
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The Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy Initiative is a broad coalition of fuel producers and marketers, nonprofit and research organizations, scientists and engineers, and agricultural and industry stakeholders. The Initiative works to create economic benefits for the Midwest through policy, research, and education on the production and use of cleaner fuels. The Initiative is exploring a clean fuels policy at the state or regional level as a market-driven approach to achieving economic, energy security, climate, environmental, and public health goals.
