Passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) established and subsequently expanded the country's national commitment to renewable fuels through the creation of a volume-based renewable fuel mandate – the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In addition to increasing the volumes utilized under RFS, EISA requires a life-cycle analysis on the different classifications of renewable fuels for eligibility. As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues to implement the updated RFS, passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has generated new funding streams for renewable fuel research, development and commercialization of these different types of fuels.
The industry also faces uncertainty as Congress continues to struggle with long-term extensions of the federal tax incentives aimed at advancing the development of more efficiency and cleaner fuels. The uncertainty of this current environment poses significant threats and opportunities to those operating or entering into this industry.
B&D Consulting’s energy, climate and environment practice has extensive experience with the issues surrounding renewable fuels. Whether the issue revolves around federal tax incentives, regulatory issues or trade implications, our team’s experience in working with key decision-makers in Congress, federal agencies and industry trade associations has given us a comprehensive understanding of the policy issues.
Recent examples of our experience include:
- Developed and implemented an energy advocacy strategy that put our client before key decision-makers to successfully advocate for specific changes to the renewable fuel tax incentives
- Identified federal funding opportunities for a renewable fuel producer and facilitated the submission of applications – which included securing Congressional support for the project – before the Department of Energy
- Successfully expanded the eligibility of a renewable energy tax incentive to include the fuel and innovative technology utilized by our client
- Aided a stakeholder in the proposed Renewable Fuel Standards update by submitting formal comments to the EPA as well as arranging meetings with agency officials and third-party stakeholders