logo
menu

US Biomass and Biogas for Electric Vehicles Act introduced

The RFS Power Coalition commended Representative John Garamendi for introducing the ‘Biomass and Biogas for Electric Vehicles Act’ late last week.

If passed, this bill will require the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to finally process the outstanding project and pathway applications for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) which have been waiting for the EPA’s action ‘for many years’.

The bill will finally allow biogas, biomass and waste-to-energy projects to generate credits when they fuel hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (EVs) or charge battery EVs.

“I have long supported a utility-scale subsidy for biomass electricity to incentivise proper forest management and much-needed hazardous fuels reduction in fire-prone states like California,” said Congressman Garamendi.

“As California and neighbouring states face increasingly severe and year-round fire seasons, this will help to reduce the artificially high levels of biomass and our forestlands due to man-made climate change, drought, invasive species like bark beetle outbreaks, and years of mismanagement.

“Renewable electricity from biomass and biogas helps reduce our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a clean energy economy. While these measures alone will not solve the climate crisis or prevent all catastrophic wildfires, they are undoubtedly part of the solution. That’s why I’m introducing the ‘Biomass and Biogas for Electric Vehicles Act’.

Patrick Serfass, executive director of the American Biogas Council, thanked Representative Garamendi for the “timely release” of the bill, which requires the EPA to process applications from biogas power producers that have been pending since 2015.

“If we want to decarbonise transportation while creating a host of other economic and environmental benefits, biogas has to be a part of the solution,” he said.

“We look forward to working with Rep. Garamendi and we urge Congress to pass this bill as soon as possible.”

Carrie Annand, executive director of the Biomass Power Association, commented: “We greatly appreciate Rep. Garamendi for his focused attention on getting the EPA to implement the electricity programme in the RFS.

“The members of the RFS Power Coalition are power producers who use farm, forest and municipal solid waste – all qualifying feedstocks under the RFS – to supply power to EVs, and they deserve credit for this contribution.

“Participation in the RFS represents stability for many of our members, as well as a reliable low-carbon fuel source for our nation’s growing EV fleet.”




208 queries in 0.838 seconds.