Abstract for: Minnesota biofuels policy: analysis of the existing renewable fuel standard and a potential low carbon fuel standard

The scientific community agrees global climate change caused by anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) is occurring, and the projected rise in average global temperatures as a result of climate change could lead to serious consequences for human health, economies and the environment. The transportation sector is a significant source of CO2 emissions, and in the United States accounts for 28 percent of GHG emissions. Because of transportation’s considerable contribution, the federal government and states have explored and continue to consider ways to lower CO2 emissions from this sector. Biofuels in particular are a popular option for addressing climate change and two main types of biofuels policies have received much focus recently for their potential to reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector: the renewable fuels standard (RFS) and the low carbon fuels standard (LCFS). It is important to analyze and compare these two policies with regard to their potential contribution to the overarching goal of reducing CO2 emissions. By assessing the RFS and LCFS specifically for the state of Minnesota, this project seeks to address the question: How can Minnesota maximize the contribution of biofuels to CO2 emissions reductions through state-level policy?