IIASA research informed the recently announced Final Renewable Fuels Standards Rule by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding biofuel volume requirements and percentage standards for 2023–2025. The rule establishes biofuel volume requirements and associated percentage standards in view of steady growth of biofuel use in the US's fuel supply and aims to ensure a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy future.
Under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, the EPA is tasked with establishing biofuel volume targets beyond 2022. To achieve this, the agency has to consider various factors, including costs, air quality, climate change, program implementation, energy security, infrastructure, commodity prices, water quality, and supply. IIASA modeling and analysis expertise provided valuable insights to support the EPA in this complex decision-making process.
IIASA researchers Stefan Frank and Niklas Hinkel contributed to the assessment utilizing the IIASA Global Biosphere Management Model (GLOBIOM) to provide scenarios assessing the impact of implementing shocks to fuel demand in the United States. The shocks increase US demand for corn ethanol, soybean biodiesel, or both by 1 billion gallons. The results were then compared to a baseline without increased biofuel consumption to calculate the impacts of such shocks regarding emissions, land use, and market impacts, among others. Several other models provided results for the same set of scenarios, which were then compared to assess uncertainty and increase the robustness of the results.
"This ongoing collaboration with the EPA reinforces the institute's commitment to providing policymakers with cutting-edge scientific research and analysis," says Frank, a researcher in the Integrated Biosphere Futures Research Group at IIASA. "We are proud to support the EPA in their efforts to shape biofuel policies that align with sustainability goals and contribute to a greener future."
IIASA has a longstanding partnership with the EPA, having previously utilized GLOBIOM for similar assessments. The institute maintains an ongoing contract with the EPA to assess the implications of US biofuel policies as part of its commitment to international collaboration and employing systems analysis to address issues of global concern.
In addition to the biofuel volume requirements, IIASA is also actively engaged in research with the EPA on a paper that assesses the uncertainty of indirect land use change (ILUC) emissions from US soybean biodiesel.
Further information:
https://www.epa.gov/renewable-fuel-standard-program/final-renewable-fuels-standards-rule-2023-2024-and-2025
https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-06/420r23017.pdf
News
23 April 2024
US Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna visits IIASA
H.E. Ambassador Laura Holgate, US Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna, met with IIASA Director General John Schellnhuber to discuss advancing collaboration on leveraging systems analysis for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The visit strengthened ties between IIASA and the US, emphasizing a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange for informed decision making.
13 September 2023
FLAM Sparks Interest and Conversation at the 2023 IBFRA Conference in Helsinki
Boreal forests often bring to mind a winter wonderland: spruce and pine forests as far as the eye can see, fluffy snow dotted with reindeer beneath a nighttime sky brightened by the aurora borealis. Climate change threatens this fragile, pristine habitat that spans 8 countries in the far north. Now boreal forests are associated not just with snowy landscapes, they are becoming synonymous with raging wildfires and massive plumes of smoke, such as those found currently in Canada.
Mitigating the threats posed by climate change in this unique ecosystem and discussing the most recent boreal-related research is the focus of the International Boreal Forest Association conference. Organized in large part by IIASA’s own Florian Kraxner, IBFRA 2023 was held in Helsinki, Finland, where researchers from around the globe gathered to discuss recent findings, foster new connections, and contribute to a plan of attack to save boreal forests as we know them.
13 July 2023
IIASA at the United Nations High-level Political Forum in New York
The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2023 kicked off at the UN Headquarters in New York this week. IIASA is involved in several capacities at this international conference to support policymakers in countries around the world with science-based inputs to help them develop effective policies to address the interconnected global challenges and opportunities society faces today.