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The Science of Biogenic C. BPA / CBEA Joint Annual Meeting March 22, 2012 Hilton San Diego Harborfront Gregg Morris Future Resources Associates / Green power Institute. Tailoring Rule Timeline. April 2007: Supreme Court Orders EPA to regulate ghgs
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The Science of Biogenic C BPA / CBEA Joint Annual Meeting March 22, 2012 Hilton San Diego Harborfront Gregg Morris Future Resources Associates / Green power Institute
Tailoring Rule Timeline April 2007: Supreme Court Orders EPA to regulate ghgs Sept. 2009: EPA proposes Tailoring Rule for ghgs June 2010: Final Tailoring Rule adopted July 2011: 3-year deferral granted for biogenic C Sept. 2011: EPA Releases Accounting Framework (AF) Oct. 2011: EPA Creates SAB for Biogenic ghgs Sept. 2012: SAB Report on AF June 2013: EPA Releases Revised AF July 2014: Final Rules for Biogenic ghgs Adopted
Accounting Framework (AF) Introduces Biogenic Accounting Factor: BAF Varies from 0 to 1, can be negative Zero means carbon neutral One means equivalent to fossil C Negative means net reductions, possible offsets Waste and residues have BAF = 0
SAB Report Critical of Many AF Deficiencies Found Issues Vary by Feedstock Category & Within Critical of AF temporal and geographic treatment Conclusion: The SAB recommends that EPA consider developing default BAFs by feedstock category and region
Current EPA Efforts EPA is proceeding on 2 tracks: Scientific work – Washington DC Policy work – Research Triangle Park NC Current Activity: The DC office is revising the Accounting Framework pursuant to the SAB report.
State of the Science Temporal issue remains the most difficult issue, but needs to be made transparent Need to include natural decay in C modeling Need to include periodic loss events (fire, disease, insects, etc.) in the modeling Need to tie policy and technical factors together
Timeframes & ghg Intensities Res. Time of C in biomass used as fuel: < 1 year Res. Time of C in biomass open burned: < 1 year Res. Time of C in biomass in landfill: 30+ years Res. Time of C in forest biomass: 60+ years Res. Time of CH4 in the atmosphere: 12 years Res. Time of CO2 in the atmosphere: 100+ years Relative ghg Intensity of CH4: 69 (instantaneous basis) Relative ghg Intensity of CH4: 21 (100-yr timeframe)
