A Decade of Futility: The Renewable Fuel Standard, 2007-2017

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), expanded by the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote non-food cellulosic biofuels. However, a decade later, the mandate is primarily filled by corn ethanol and soy biodiesel, which together comprise approximately 85% of the RFS. These first-generation biofuels may have higher lifecycle emissions than the petroleum fuels they replace. While corn ethanol and soy biodiesel volumes meet or exceed targets, cellulosic biofuel production has struggled due to technological and economic hurdles, leading the EPA to reduce its annual volume requirements by more than 90% in recent years. The document concludes that the RFS is an ineffective climate policy and recommends that Congress reform it to target truly low-carbon fuels for hard-to-decarbonize transportation sectors.

• The RFS has failed to meet its goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and deploying non-food, waste-based cellulosic biofuels, instead becoming a mandate dominated by corn ethanol and soy biodiesel, which make up about 85% of the program.
• Cellulosic biofuels, which offer the highest potential for GHG reductions and minimal food competition, have failed to gain traction, resulting in the EPA reducing their annual volume requirements by over 90% in recent years; for 2018, the mandate was cut from 7 billion gallons to 288 million gallons.
• Corn ethanol may increase emissions rather than reduce them, with CATF analysis suggesting lifecycle GHG emissions could be 28% higher than petroleum gasoline if more reasonable production assumptions were used.
• The demand for soy biodiesel created by the RFS contributes to global GHG emissions by increasing demand for palm oil, leading to the oxidation of carbon-rich peatlands in Indonesia and Malaysia.

APA

Karpf, S., & Lewis, J. (n.d.). A Decade of Futility: The Renewable Fuel Standard, 2007-2017. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/21094405/CATF_FactSheet_DecadeofFutility.pdf

Chicago

Karpf, Sheila, and Jonathan Lewis. A Decade of Futility: The Renewable Fuel Standard, 2007-2017. Clean Air Task Force, n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/21094405/CATF_FactSheet_DecadeofFutility.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Karpf |first1=Sheila |last2=Lewis |first2=Jonathan |title=A Decade of Futility: The Renewable Fuel Standard, 2007-2017 |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/21094405/CATF_FactSheet_DecadeofFutility.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{karpfnddecade, author = {Karpf, Sheila and Lewis, Jonathan}, title = {{A Decade of Futility: The Renewable Fuel Standard, 2007-2017}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/21094405/CATF_FactSheet_DecadeofFutility.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }