EPA Approves Pathway For Ethanol From Grain Sorghum

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently determined that grain sorghum ethanol qualifies as a renewable fuel under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) Program. Governor Sam Brownback said approving the sorghum pathway will help enable the U.S. to meet RFS requirements with domestically-produced ethanol and generate economic growth in Kansas.

“Kansas is the top sorghum-producing state in the nation. Not only is sorghum a high-quality feed source for livestock producers but it is a critical non-food feedstock for ethanol plants across our state, where 60 percent of ethanol is produced from grain sorghum,” said Governor Brownback. “The RFS requires the United States to produce 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2022, with an increasing requirement for renewable fuels from non-corn sources. This pathway will open the door for Kansas sorghum farmers and Kansas ethanol plants to help meet both the conventional biofuel and advanced biofuel mandates under the RFS.”

The final rule for the sorghum pathway was signed by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Nov. 30, 2012, and will take effect upon publication in the Federal Register.

According to the final rule, EPA’s analysis indicated that grain sorghum ethanol produced at dry-mill facilities that utilize natural gas for process energy meets the 20% greenhouse gas emission reduction threshold to qualify as a renewable fuel under RFS guidelines.

Further, the final rule specifies that grain sorghum ethanol produced at dry-mill facilities that utilize specified forms of bio-gas for process energy and most electricity production meets the 50% greenhouse gas reduction threshold to qualify as an advanced biofuel under RFS guidelines.