The Biden administration’s request for input on reducing greenhouse gases through biofuels has brought a deluge of suggestions — and reinforced some familiar battle lines.
Groups representing renewable fuels urged the Department of Agriculture to take a broader view of farm practices that can cut emissions, while some environmental groups pushed for a turn away from crop-based fuels altogether.
The Agriculture Department received more than 240 responses to its formal request for information on climate-smart practices tied to biofuel production, for which the public comment period ended Thursday. They’ll help inform the implementation of a clean fuels tax credit next year, officials have said.
The input was sought as the Treasury Department finalizes details of the tax credit, in Section 45Z of the Internal Revenue Code, for fuels that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The USDA has also been stepping up its promotion of climate-smart agriculture in the final months of the Biden administration, and the comments could feed into that effort.
