Full Title: A High Price to Pay: The Hidden Costs of Corn-Ethanol Mandates on New England
Author(s): Center for Regulatory Analysis
Publisher(s): Center for Regulatory Analysis
Publication Date: November 1, 2015
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Description (excerpt):
On November 30, 2015, the United Nations (U.N.) will convene its annual Conference of the Parties meeting in Paris to discuss solutions for addressing climate change and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. That same day, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to issue updated rules mandating that greater volumes of biofuels such as corn ethanol be added to the nation’s fuel supply, a mandate that proponents say creates jobs, spurs economic growth and reduces GHGs.
Ten years removed from when the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was first implemented, the science has never been clearer on whether forcing billions of gallons of corn-derived ethanol into our fuel tanks is an environmental winner: It is not. In fact, a study1 published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last year found that ethanol-fueled vehicles damage air quality up to 80 percent more than vehicles fueled by gasoline.