Abstract
This paper discusses the potential energy security implications of a national low carbon fuel standard (NLCFS). A low carbon fuel standard is designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by targeting the fuel portion of the fuel-vehicle system. Specifically, a NLCFS would set national targets for the average carbon intensity (CI) of motor fuels, and establish a market for credits that allows fuel producers and importers to respond in a variety of ways to the signal provided by the credit price. An important method for lowering the CI of transportation is to substitute lower-carbon alternative fuels such as advanced biofuels, electricity, CNG, and H2. Despite the focus on GHGs, so long as transportation fuels remain dominated by petroleum, transportation fuel policies like a NLCFS also will be evaluated in terms of their energy security impacts. We examine the fuel substitutions that are projected to be induced by a NLCFS and consider the energy security implications of displacing higher carbon fuels, such as imported Canadian Oil Sands oil or certain imported crude oils, with lower-carbon domestic oil, biofuels, or lower carbon oil imported from other sources.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 29-40 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Energy Policy |
Volume | 56 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2013 |
Funding
We thank David C. Bowman and Maxwell L. Brown for their research assistance and support. The study was partially supported by the Energy Foundation. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily represent those of any sponsoring organization.
Funders | Funder number |
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Energy Foundation |
Keywords
- Energy security
- Low carbon fuel
- Transportation