July 21, 2011
Regulatory hurdles abound for the successful commercialization of emerging liquid biofuels, which hold the promise of enhancing U.S. energy security, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and serving as a driver for rural economic development, according to new U. of I. research.
In the study, University of Illinois law professor Jay P. Kesan and Timothy A. Slating, a regulatory associate with the University of Illinois Energy Biosciences Institute, argue that regulatory innovations are needed to keep pace with technological innovations in the biofuels industry.
“Getting regulatory approval for new biofuels is currently a time-consuming and costly process,” said Kesan, who is also the program leader of the Biofuel Law and Regulation Program at the Energy Biosciences Institute. “By removing some of the uncertainty and some of the expense without compromising on the regulatory concerns, you are also removing some of the disincentives to entering the biofuel market, where we need more competition.”
In the paper, Kesan and Slating focus on biobutanol, an emerging biofuel with the potential to be a viable alternative to petroleum-based fuels.
The good news for drivers: Biobutanol has a higher energy content than ethanol, meaning a car fueled with biobutanol could drive roughly 30 percent farther than if fueled with the same amount of ethanol.
Other research has shown that biobutanol is compatible with existing vehicle engines, as well as with existing fuel distribution infrastructure.
“Biobutanol is a really promising biofuel, and has the potential to further the policy decisions that have already been made by Congress,” Kesan said. “This is not a hypothetical situation. We have companies currently building the capacity to produce biobutanol.”
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