Assessing the Feasibility of Siting a Biofuel Refinery in Lewis County, Washington

Abstract

Currently, 95% of global greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector originate from fossil fuels. Biofuels are renewable transportation fuels that can be used in place of traditional transportation fuels like gasoline or diesel, and they typically emit lower amounts of greenhouse gases than fossil fuels. As policies in the United States begin to incentivize renewable fuels, states are starting to consider the production of biofuels. This study used case studies of successfully initiated biorefineries in the United States to explore technical and policy feasibility elements surrounding siting a new biofuel refinery in Lewis County, Washington. The proposed Lewis County facility shares a many of the key facility characteristics and policy tools identified in the case studies, suggesting that the siting of a biofuel refinery in Lewis County WA appears to be feasible. Non-food feedstocks, ethanol output, technology, co-location, co-products, and at least $100 million in federal funding (mostly from the U.S. Department of Energy) were facility characteristics most common to successfully initiated biorefineries. Common policy tools included biofuel funding programs, state fleet Alternative Fuel Vehicle requirements, tax incentives, and blend requirements. Future work should evaluate the social acceptability and environmental benefits of biofuel refineries to assess project feasibility more completely.