The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recently released a new report on the feasibility of meeting the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) passed during the Bush administration. To no one's surprise, the NAS found that the United States could not meet the mandated 2022 biofuels targets for cellulosic ethanol without unexpected technological breakthroughs. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has been forecasting that result since the passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007[ia] that mandated the biofuels production levels.[ii] The report also concludes that the RFS "may be an ineffective policy for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions," since the full life cycle of the fuel, including its transport, could result in higher emissions than conventional petroleum.
