RESPONSE TO HOUSE ENERGY & COMMERCE: BLEND WALL

The document argues that the EPA can avoid the 'blend wall'—the limit of ethanol that can be readily added to gasoline—by making corresponding reductions to advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel volume requirements when cellulosic biofuel production falls short. It warns that allowing other advanced biofuels to backfill the cellulosic void would increase ethanol use by 40% by 2021, strain global agricultural markets, and increase GHG emissions. The author suggests that if the EPA does not act, Congress should amend the Clean Air Act to mandate these reductions.

• The 'blend wall' is effectively 10 percent because many cars in the United States are not cleared for gasoline containing more than 10 percent ethanol, creating compliance difficulties for the RFS.
• The EPA has the authority to make reductions to advanced biofuel and conventional renewable fuel requirements when cellulosic biofuel production is low, but has instead allowed other advanced biofuels to fill the gap.
• Allowing non-cellulosic advanced biofuels to backfill the cellulosic void is projected to increase ethanol use by 40% by 2021 and cause ethanol blending to reach the blend wall limit from 2014 onward.
• RFS-driven demand for sugarcane ethanol and biodiesel may cause Brazilian producers to export product to the US and import US corn ethanol, while diverting oilseeds from food markets to fuel, potentially increasing palm oil production in Indonesia and Malaysia.
• The blend wall is already impacting the market for Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), with prices increasing from a penny a gallon in December to over $1 in March.
• To mandate the avoidance of the blend wall, the Clean Air Act Section 211(o)(7)(D)(i) could be amended to replace the word “may” with “shall” and remove the phrase “or a lesser” regarding volume reductions.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2013). RESPONSE TO HOUSE ENERGY & COMMERCE: BLEND WALL. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/21093217/20130405-CATF_Response_to_House_EC_Blend_Wall_Question.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. RESPONSE TO HOUSE ENERGY & COMMERCE: BLEND WALL. 2013. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/21093217/20130405-CATF_Response_to_House_EC_Blend_Wall_Question.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=RESPONSE TO HOUSE ENERGY & COMMERCE: BLEND WALL |date=April 2013 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/21093217/20130405-CATF_Response_to_House_EC_Blend_Wall_Question.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cleanairtaskforce2013response, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{RESPONSE TO HOUSE ENERGY \& COMMERCE: BLEND WALL}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2013}, month = apr, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/21093217/20130405-CATF_Response_to_House_EC_Blend_Wall_Question.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }