I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 776 

To require that until a comprehensive study is completed, the volume of 

cellulosic biofuel mandated under the renewable fuel program be limited 

to what is commercially available, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 31, 2017 

Mr. SENSENBRENNER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 

on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To require that until a comprehensive study is completed, 

the volume of cellulosic biofuel mandated under the renewable fuel program be limited to what is commercially 

available, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. MANDATE FOR CELLULOSIC BIOFUEL LIMITED 

4 TO COMMERCIAL AVAILABILITY UNTIL COM5 PLETION OF COMPREHENSIVE STUDY. 

6 (a) LIMITATION.—Until the Administrator of the En7 vironmental Protection Agency submits to Congress a reVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:30 Feb 07, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H776.IH H776

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1 port on the study described in subsection (b), and notwith2 standing section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 

3 7545(o)), the Administrator of the Environmental Protec4 tion Agency may not require, for any calendar year, that 

5 transportation fuel sold or introduced into commerce in 

6 the United States contain more than a total volume of cel7 lulosic biofuel than the total volume of cellulosic biofuel 

8 that was commercially available for the most recent cal9 endar year for which such total volume is known. 

10 (b) PARAMETERS OF THE STUDY.—The Adminis11 trator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall enter 

12 into an arrangement with the National Academies for a 

13 comprehensive study on— 

14 (1) the production capacity for cellulosic biofuel 

15 at the time of the study in gallons per year; 

16 (2) the resources needed to ensure that trans17 portation fuel sold or introduced into commerce in 

18 the United States contains at least 16 billion gallons 

19 of cellulosic biofuel in calendar year 2022, in accord20 ance with section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act, in21 cluding— 

22 (A) the number of cellulosic ethanol facili23 ties to be constructed; 

24 (B) the acres of land to be used; and 

25 (C) the total capital investment needed; 


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1 (3) the energy produced by the combustion of 

2 16 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuel in comparison 

3 to the energy required to produce such amount of 

4 cellulosic biofuel; 

5 (4) the environmental impacts of producing cel6 lulosic biofuel, including the net effect on global life7 cycle greenhouse gas emissions; 

8 (5) the processes being developed to produce 

9 cellulosic biofuel, including the technology needed to 

10 make cellulosic biofuel commercially viable; and 

11 (6) the economics of a cellulosic ethanol facility, 

12 including— 

13 (A) the cost of feedstock acquisition; 

14 (B) the typical facility size; 

15 (C) the relative economics of a corn eth16 anol facility compared to a cellulosic biofuel fa17 cility; and 

18 (D) the price per gallon of transportation 

19 fuel that contains cellulosic biofuel required for 

20 such fuel to be profitable. 

21 (c) EXCLUSIONS FOR PURPOSES OF STUDY.—For 

22 purposes of the study described in subsection (b), the term 

23 ‘‘cellulosic biofuel’’ does not include any compressed nat24 ural gas, liquefied natural gas, or electricity used to power 

25 electric vehicles that is produced from biogas from— 


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1 (1) a landfill; 

2 (2) a municipal wastewater treatment facility 

3 digester; 

4 (3) a separated municipal solid waste digester; 

5 or 

6 (4) an agricultural digester. 

7 SEC. 2. PROHIBITIONS ON NEW APPROPRIATIONS. 

8 No additional funds are authorized to be appro9 priated to carry out this Act, and this Act shall be carried 

10 out using amounts otherwise made available for science 

11 and technology, including research and development activi12 ties, at the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Æ 


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