Biofuels Archives - Canada's Ecofiscal Commission

Oct 20 2016

Driving towards cleaner transportation: low-carbon fuel standards

Canada is moving full-steam ahead on carbon pricing. But what other policies might best complement carbon pricing? We’re in the midst of exploring this question, but our most recent report on biofuel policies found that flexible performance standards, including low carbon fuel standards (LCFS) might be a better complement than existing biofuel policies. First things […]

Oct 12 2016

Stop subsidizing biofuels

by Chris Ragan

Climate and Energy Biofuels Carbon Pricing Ecofiscal Commissioners Opinion

Carbon pricing is becoming a mainstream part of Canadian policy. Four provinces have or will soon have carbon prices, one more has made a commitment to do so, and the federal government is now promising to fill in the gaps. The emergence of a nation-wide carbon price signals that the time has arrived to reconsider […]

Oct 5 2016

(Dis)Incentives by Design: Carbon pricing and biofuels in Canada

by Jonathan Arnold

Climate and Energy Biofuels Cap-and-trade Carbon Pricing Carbon tax Wonk Wednesday

A core plank of carbon pricing is that it provides an incentive to use lower-carbon alternatives. In the case of transportation fuels, carbon pricing should make fossil fuels relatively more expensive compared to things like biofuels or other emerging low-carbon technologies, and make petroleum fuels less attractive. But do the four carbon pricing systems in […]

Oct 4 2016

TLDR: The skinny on Ecofiscal’s latest report about biofuel policies

by Jonathan Arnold

Climate and Energy Biofuels Carbon Pricing TLDR Report Facts and Summaries

The Ecofiscal Commission’s latest report, Course Correction, looks at the economic and environmental case for biofuel policies in Canada. If you don’t have time to read the report, here’s what you need to know. Canadian governments have supported the production and use of biofuels for over two decades (see here for a quick intro to […]

Jan 21 2016

A legal bout in the U.S. shines light on some of the big challenges with biofuels in Canada

by Jonathan Arnold

Climate and Energy Biofuels Oil & Gas Sector Renewable energy Subsidies

Biofuel policy south of the border is heating up. On January 8th seven agricultural and biofuel groups initiated a court challenge against a recent ruling by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which lowers the mandated minimum renewable fuel content in gasoline and diesel. The court challenge is interesting in its own right, but the rationale […]

Sep 30 2015

Should we take a closer look at biofuels subsidies?

by Jonathan Arnold

Climate and Energy Biofuels Subsidies Waste Wonk Wednesday

The fall harvest is upon us. Crisp air, pumpkin spice lattes, and flannel shirts are in full swing. But as the final crops are harvested before the winter frost, it’s an ideal time to reflect on an industry that consumes a significant portion of Canada’s corn, wheat, and soybeans—conventional biofuels. Conventional biofuel production—which includes ethanol […]

An Open Letter from Economists on Canadian Carbon Pricing

Biofuels