By Howard Hutchinson
Legislative Efforts on Clean Fuels Standards
Legislation is now making the rounds of state legislatures setting up the means to create a carbon credit market process to support reducing or removing greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation fuels. The process creates credits for fuels that reduce the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of fuel energy. The measurement is expressed in grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule of fuel lifecycle. 3.6 megajoules equals 1 kilowatt hour. This calculation is used to establish the carbon intensity for each transportation fuel that then would generate a standard.
If that is not confusing enough imagine creating a computer model to track every fuel's lifecycle to include indirect land use change, all stages of fuel and feedstock production and distribution, feedstock generation or extraction through the distribution, delivery, and use of the finished fuel by the consumer, including consideration of storage, transportation, and combustion.
New Mexico legislators proposing one such law said we will use the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies Model (GREET) to calculate various fuel life cycles. The Department of Energy (DOE) used the American Academy of Science (AOS) to create the GREET. The AOS received development funding from Breakthrough Energy (BE) and contracted with Argonne Lab to develop GREET.
The New Mexico legislation like laws in California, Oregon and Washington call for reducing "the carbon intensity of transportation fuels used in the state by at least twenty percent below 2018 carbon intensity levels by 2030 and at least thirty percent below 2018 carbon intensity levels by 2040."
Opponents of the New Mexico legislation argued this would result in an increase of forty to eighty cents per gallon in fuel costs. The sponsors and proponents countered that because biofuels and other energy sources would be partially subsidized any increase in costs would be offset to the consumers.
Major oil companies, electric utilities and alternative energy producers supported the legislation. Those companies would receive credits for reductions in carbon intensity below the standards. Any producer of transportation fuels produced or imported into the state that did not meet the standards would have to purchase credits to offset their fuels exceedance of the standards. This on its face indicates there would be increases of fuel costs.
False Promises or Outright Lies? The Art of Bait and Switch
The bait consists of legislation to set up the so-called clean fuel credit markets and create clean fuel standards that promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions leading to the halt of global warming.
To take a close look at what the legislation does and does not do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this article focuses on diesel fuels. Diesel is at the heart of our economy. Farming, mining, construction, and transportation all depend on this fuel to provide the basics of modern society. Sponsors and proponents pointed to biodiesel as one example of the economic benefits the state could realize if the legislation was passed. Petroleum diesel outperforms biodiesel in many ways.
"Thermal efficiency translates into better mileage and improved fuel economy for vehicles and equipment powered by diesel. Here's why:
- Higher Thermal Efficiency: Diesel engines are inherently more thermally efficient due to their higher compression ratios. This means that they can convert a greater percentage of the fuel's energy into useful work, such as moving a vehicle or operating machinery;
- Better Fuel Economy: Because diesel engines are more efficient, they require less fuel to produce the same amount of power. This leads to lower fuel consumption and longer driving ranges for diesel-powered vehicles;
- Ideal for Heavy-Duty Applications: Diesel's energy efficiency makes it the preferred choice for heavy-duty trucks, construction equipment, and industrial machinery that require substantial power and endurance .
100% biodiesel (B100) is expensive to produce and does not have the same energy density and therefore the performance is much less than that of petroleum diesel. Biodiesel tends to jell in cold weather and does not have the equivalent fuel efficiency. B5 (5% biodiesel/95% petroleum diesel) is what is currently available at most commercial pumps. B20 (20% biodiesel/80% petroleum diesel) is used by some fleet operators.
Life cycle analysis completed by Argonne National Laboratory found that greenhouse gas emissions for B100 are 74% lower than those from petroleum diesel. This is somewhat deceptive since the tailpipe emissions are close to the same from burning biodiesel or petroleum diesel. The DOE calculations assume for the use of B100 much of the CO2 emissions are recovered by the soybean plants producing the feedstock. This also does not consider the increase of the number of acres of soybean crops that would be required to convert to total biodiesel use.
Basically, the diesel emission issue has already been addressed. "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1996, set up a tiered regulation system to gradually roll in limits on toxins and greenhouse gases from diesel emissions, culminating in reductions of NOx and hydrocarbons by at least 90% through improvements in engine design and reducing the concentration of toxins in the diesel itself, over the course of several years ('Emissions Standards- Nonroad Diesel Engines,' 2013)."
While the bait is deceptive the switch has the potential of being detrimental to the environment and economy. These proposals neglect to divulge the end game being proposed by the global elites who only rely on fear driven by defective and deceptive computer modeling and view humans as a plague on the planet.
From the BE web site, "Breakthrough Energy's aim is to inspire the world to develop and scale the critical solutions we need to reach net-zero emissions—so everyone can enjoy affordable, abundant clean energy.
"The only way to avoid the worst impacts of climate change is to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions from 51 billion tons a year, where they are now, to net-zero—and we need to do it by 2050. That means we need unprecedented technological transformations in almost every sector of modern life.
"At Breakthrough Energy, we're accelerating this transformation by supporting cutting-edge research and development, investing in companies that turn green ideas into clean products, and advocating for policies that speed innovation from lab to market. Through investment vehicles, philanthropic programs, policy and advocacy efforts, and other initiatives, Breakthrough Energy works with a global network of partners to accelerate the technologies we need to build a carbon-free economy. "
Net zero means that we will still produce greenhouse gas emissions in 2050. This while connected individuals make billions trading carbon credits and raking in subsidies as a dwindling middle class struggles to make ends meet.
Breakthrough Energy is funded by Bill Gates who made his fortune from the development of Microsoft operating systems. His initiatives through the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation have helped relieve the suffering of millions around the world. One would question that if that were the foundation's goal why Mr. Gates would be involved in the deception of global warming. Maybe the only answer is he has no real-world experience in energy use history and food production and distribution. If one thinks this type of legislation and initiative will result in a benefit to the planet then I have a bridge to global cooling for a much better price.
Howard Hutchinson owns a small farm and orchard in Southwest New Mexico. He served on the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission for twenty plus years and for thirty-three years drafted numerous state and federal regulatory and legislative impact analyses.
https://greet.anl.gov/greet.models
HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL 41 56TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 2024, Page 8, Line 18 https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/24%20Regular/bills/house/HB0041JCS.pdf
National Bio Diesel Board Biodiesel vs Diesel: Understanding the Key Differences Posted on 11/25/2023 by Julio Resendez https://www.biodieselfoundation.org/biodiesel-vs-diesel/
A Comparative Analysis of Biodiesel and Diesel Emissions, WORCESTER POLYTECNIC INSTITUTE, April 28, 2015, Page 30 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/212991944.pdf