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MO AG asks CARB to reconsider Low Carbon Fuel Standard updates

Missouri’s Attorney General says proposed modifications to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard present serious risks to Missouri farmers and biofuel producers.

Andrew Bailey sent a letter to the California Air Resources Board this week asking them to rescind a cap of 20% on soybean oil allowed for credits and requirements for more stringent sustainability reporting.

Casey Wasser with Missouri Soybeans says California’s new rule was created after pressure from environmental groups.

“CARB is going to shrink the amount of soy-based fuel that will qualify and they’ll have to find some kind of alternative. We know electric cars isn’t an answer, because the last time they pushed electric cars, they had to shutdown their grid.”

Missouri Soybean and Missouri Corn tell Brownfield it’s difficult to quantify exactly how much Missouri-produced biofuels are in the California market, but Wasser says it’s a big market.

“California is a large state with a lot of consumers and they consume a lot of fuel. The low carbon fuel standard has proved to be a very big market for biofuels and next to the Renewable Fuel Standard, it’s the second largest driver of biofuels in the country.”

Bailey says CARB should halt its proposed Low Carbon Fuel Standard amendments and convene an expert working group to promote policies to achieve the agency’s goals without causing economic harm.

The American Soybean Association recently told Brownfield CARB is set to vote on the proposal as it stands on November 8 and if it passes, the cap goes into effect in 2028.