Subsidizing Conventional Biofuels: An Idea Whose Time is Over

The document advocates for the repeal of conventional biofuel subsidies, citing the high cost of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) and the environmental and economic damages caused by the Renewable Fuel Standard. It highlights that corn ethanol can result in higher net carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline and contributes to global food price increases by diverting crops from food production to fuel.

• The Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) is described as having an exorbitant cost, totaling $6 billion in 2011 and $21.5 billion over the preceding five years.
• The Renewable Fuel Standard is driving a significant increase in U.S. biofuels consumption, projected to rise from under 5 billion gallons annually in 2006 to 36 billion gallons by 2022, with 40% of the U.S. corn crop currently diverted to ethanol.
• Clean Air Task Force analysis indicates that net carbon dioxide emissions from corn ethanol mandated by the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2010 were 28% higher than those from an equivalent amount of gasoline.
• Biofuel feedstocks like corn and soy increase food prices and encourage the cultivation of previously unfarmed land, creating a "carbon debt" from soil and plant-carbon losses that can take from several years to several hundred years to pay back.
• International agencies, including the United Nations, World Bank, and World Trade Organization, have urged G20 members to repeal national measures that subsidize or mandate biofuels production and consumption.

APA

Schneider, C., & Lewis, J. (2011). Subsidizing Conventional Biofuels: An Idea Whose Time is Over. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2011/06/subsidizing-conventional-biofuels-is-so-over/

Chicago

Schneider, Conrad, and Jonathan Lewis. Subsidizing Conventional Biofuels: An Idea Whose Time is Over. Clean Air Task Force, 2011. https://www.catf.us/2011/06/subsidizing-conventional-biofuels-is-so-over/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Schneider |first1=Conrad |last2=Lewis |first2=Jonathan |title=Subsidizing Conventional Biofuels: An Idea Whose Time is Over |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=20 June 2011 |url=https://www.catf.us/2011/06/subsidizing-conventional-biofuels-is-so-over/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{schneider2011subsidizing, author = {Schneider, Conrad and Lewis, Jonathan}, title = {{Subsidizing Conventional Biofuels: An Idea Whose Time is Over}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2011}, month = jun, url = {https://www.catf.us/2011/06/subsidizing-conventional-biofuels-is-so-over/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }