Source: Canadian Renewable Fuels Association - Sep. 1, 2010
Release of milestone regulations will deliver on promise of economic growth & GHG reductions
OTTAWA, ONTARIO - The Government of Canada today released its final regulations requiring ethanol and biodiesel blended transportation fuels in Canada.
‘This is a milestone day for renewable fuels in Canada,’ said Gordon Quaiattini, President of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association. ‘These regulations will help deliver new jobs, new rural growth, and considerable greenhouse gas reductions.’
‘Coupled with the federal EcoEnergy for Biofuels and ecoABC programs these new regulations will help foster a vibrant homegrown renewable fuels industry in Canada, and help position Canada as a global leader in the development of next generation biofuels.’
‘We are also very pleased that the government’s analysis of the regulations tabled today incorporates the cost advantage of ethanol over gasoline. We believe ethanol blended gasoline could save Canadian consumers $1.7 billion dollars over the next 25 years,’ added Quaiattini.
In May of this year the CRFA released the first-ever comprehensive third party economic impact assessment of renewable fuels investments in Canada. The assessment conducted by econometric firm Doyletech Corporation, concluded that, ‘the grand total of the annual positive economic impact of renewable fuels is $2.013 billion.’
The Doyletech report studied 28 ethanol and biodiesel plants across Canada and added that there were major benefits from renewable fuels in ‘rural re-vitalization, increased oil exports from western Canada, industrial development, and valuable options for re-balancing the fuel ‘mix’.’ The full report is available on the CRFA website. While the government’s analysis of RFS regulations tabled today suggests a total cost to Canadians of $1.3 billion, the government does acknowledge that the economic benefits of the federal renewable fuels policy as a whole were not considered.
CRFA is currently working with the Government of Canada to finalize the start of the 2% renewable diesel standard, which the government is committed to implementing by 2011.