Ag minute: EPA issues notice of data availability on grain sorghum

McPhersonSentinel.com
GateHouse News Service
Posted May 30, 2012 @ 11:08 AM

McPherson, Kan. — On May 25, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of data availability (NODA) concerning renewable fuels produced from grain sorghum under the RFS program.

EPA’s analysis shows grain sorghum, when used to make ethanol at facilities that use natural gas, has a greenhouse gas emissions reduction (GHG) of 32 percent. According to EPA, when grain sorghum is used to make ethanol at facilities that use biogas digesters in combination with combined heat and power technology, it achieves a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 53 percent, qualifying it as an advanced biofuel under the Renewables Fuels Standard.

This is significant in allowing the domestic production of advanced biofuels from grain sorghum as envisioned in the 2007 Energy Bill. National Sorghum Producers has worked closely with EPA for 25 months to establish a biofuels pathway for grain sorghum-based ethanol in the RFS.

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