Both President Biden and the U.S. auto industry say the nation is headed to a giant shift from liquid-fueled cars to electric vehicles. However, the Associated Press says biofuel producers, farmers, and their congressional supporters don’t agree.
They say now is the right time to increase sales of ethanol and biodiesel, not set them aside. Biden’s infrastructure proposal includes billions of dollars to pay for 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations, while General Motors set a goal of shifting its entire production to electric vehicles by 2035.
But any shift to electric cars will be gradual, so ethanol and biodiesel producers say biofuels will be needed for the foreseeable future. Biofuel supporters cite a recent study from Harvard and Tuft Universities that found ethanol emits 46 percent less carbon than gasoline, which they say makes it imperative for the climate that the nation prioritize increasing its biofuel production.
In the effort to cut carbon emissions, Geoff Cooper of the Renewable Fuels Association calls ethanol the “low-hanging fruit” when it comes to slowing global climate change. He supports an immediate change from gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol up to a 15 percent blend.
