Never mind that a federal appeals court just ruled that the Obama administration is setting impossibly high production goals for cellulosic biofuels production. The Environmental Protection Agency just ramped up the standards even higher, from 8.7 million gallon mandates for 2012 to 14 million gallons by the end of this year.
To put into perspective: In 2012, production of cellulosic biofuel was near zero, according to the Associated Press.
Industry insiders are astonished at the White House’s standards, which they see as a subtle brush-off of the court’s decision. Just last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia threw out the 2012 alternative fuels mandate, characterizing it as a wish more than a realistic goal.
“The court recognized the absurdity of fining companies for failing to use a nonexistent biofuel,” said Bob Greco, with American Petroleum Institute, in the Associated Press report.
The White House views cellulosic biofuels as a crucial development in the fight to lower greenhouse gas emission levels, the Associated Press says.
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Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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