Minnesota Biofuels Policy: Analysis of the Existing Renewable Fuel Standard and a Potential Low Carbon Fuel Standard

摘要

In order to avoid catastrophic and irreversible impacts associated with global climate change, major and sustainable reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions must be made in all sectors relatively quickly. Biofuels have been touted as one significant solution to GHG emissions from the transportation sector, and policies that encourage the production and use of biofuels have been pursued at multiple levels of government. The State of Minnesota has had a renewable fuels standard in the form of a 10% ethanol mandate in place since 1997, and recently applied to the Environmental Protection Agency for a waiver necessary to increase the standard to 20% ethanol. MN is additionally considering the pursuit of an alternative biofuels policy, the low carbon fuel standard. It is important to analyze the potential long term impacts of these two biofuels policies in order to guide decisions that can maximize GHG reductions from the transportation sector. This paper utilizes a unique model based on the system dynamics framework to assess the impact of biofuels consumption in Minnesota on CO{sub}2 emissions, a greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming.