6 days ago
EPA unplugs biogas-to-electricity in renewable fuel standard
The Trump administration is putting the brakes on an already sputtering effort to turn farm wastes into power for electric vehicles.
In its latest proposal for biofuel volumes as part of the federal renewable fuel standard, EPA said it intends to remove electricity as a qualifying fuel for the incentive program — and thus kill the credits producers might have claimed for making electricity from manure gases.
That's a big setback for the biogas industry and organizations that hoped EVs might help turn waste into profits.
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It's not just manure that's losing out as biogas from municipal sewage treatment plants can also generate electricity. But the demise of so-called eRINs — or electric renewable identification numbers — is part of a mixed picture for agriculture in an administration that touts a 'farmers first' agenda.
