By Jamie Martin
The Texas Corn Producers, Texas Sorghum Producers, and National Sorghum Producers have filed a petition against the EPA’s new vehicle emissions standards, targeting the agency's testing procedures for fuel economy. The groups argue these regulations unfairly disadvantage ethanol and other liquid fuels, crucial to their industries.
The contentious point in the EPA’s regulation is the updated R-factor, which adjusts the fuel economy based on the energy density of ethanol blends used in testing. The organizations argue that the EPA's methodology, which continues to favor E0 (pure gasoline) over E10 (gasoline with 10% ethanol), is based on flawed science and artificially depresses the fuel economy figures for vehicles running on ethanol-enhanced fuels.
This methodological bias could reduce the demand for liquid fuels dramatically, with projected losses reaching 780 billion gallons by 2055. The petitioners believe this will also stifle innovation in vehicle design for higher ethanol blends, such as E20 or E30, potentially aligning with more stringent national fuel economy standards but at a significant cost to liquid fuel markets.
The challenge has been lodged with the Fifth Circuit, reflecting broader industry concerns over the potential economic impacts of these EPA mandates, especially on U.S. corn and sorghum farmers who are major contributors to the country’s ethanol production. The groups are calling for a reconsideration of the test procedures to ensure a fairer representation of ethanol's benefits in terms of octane and emissions reduction.
Photo Credit: shutterstock-dickgage
Categories: National