U.S. EPA Increases Crop-based Biofuels Mandate in Renewable Fuel Standard, Hampering Climate Action

The World Resources Institute (WRI) criticizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) finalized Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2023-2025, arguing that increasing the mandate for crop-based biofuels contradicts electrification goals and harms the climate.

• The U.S. EPA has finalized the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for the period 2023-2025, which increases the required volume of biofuels in transportation fuel. This action is viewed by the World Resources Institute as being in conflict with the Biden administration's goal to eliminate emissions from trucks and cars via electrification.
• Crop-based biofuels, specifically soy biodiesel and corn ethanol, utilize significant land resources, with 60 million acres of U.S. farmland dedicated to fuel production and 40% of all U.S. corn converted to ethanol. The World Resources Institute asserts that this use of land threatens food security and increases emissions.
• The World Resources Institute argues that crop-based biofuels are an inefficient use of land compared to solar energy, stating that 300 acres of corn ethanol are required to move a combustion-engine car the same distance that a single acre of modern solar panels can move an electric vehicle.

APA

Lashof, D. (2023). U.S. EPA Increases Crop-based Biofuels Mandate in Renewable Fuel Standard, Hampering Climate Action. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/news/statement-us-epa-increases-crop-based-biofuels-mandate-renewable-fuel-standard-hampering

Chicago

Lashof, Dan. U.S. EPA Increases Crop-based Biofuels Mandate in Renewable Fuel Standard, Hampering Climate Action. World Resources Institute, 2023. https://www.wri.org/news/statement-us-epa-increases-crop-based-biofuels-mandate-renewable-fuel-standard-hampering.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Lashof |first1=Dan |title=U.S. EPA Increases Crop-based Biofuels Mandate in Renewable Fuel Standard, Hampering Climate Action |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=21 June 2023 |url=https://www.wri.org/news/statement-us-epa-increases-crop-based-biofuels-mandate-renewable-fuel-standard-hampering |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{lashof2023epa, author = {Lashof, Dan}, title = {{U.S. EPA Increases Crop-based Biofuels Mandate in Renewable Fuel Standard, Hampering Climate Action}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://www.wri.org/news/statement-us-epa-increases-crop-based-biofuels-mandate-renewable-fuel-standard-hampering}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }