Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help

Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Results

This page provides a summary of the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) analyses that EPA has undertaken for the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. The chart below shows fuel pathways EPA has evaluated and published numerical GHG results for, in kilograms of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions per million British thermal units of finished fuel (kgCO₂e/mmBtu). The * in the legend indicates that the barley and palm oil results were published as notices of data availability to solicit public comment, and have not undergone a final rulemaking.

Free Viewers

For summary data on all of EPA’s lifecycle analyses for the RFS, including the pathways shown in the chart below, click to download the spreadsheet(879 K, February 2020) and the summary table showing more disaggregated results for select pathways.

Other Generally Applicable Approved Pathways

There are a number of fuel pathways that EPA has determined result in the production of qualifying renewable fuels based on their similarity to a previously approved pathway. A full list of these pathways is shown below.

Pathways approved based on their similarities to Corn Stover pathways

Corn Stover Table

Show entries

Search:

Feedstock	Fuel Type	Production Process Requirements	Percent Reduction Satisfied
Biogenic components of separated MSW	Cellulosic diesel, Ethanol, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel	Any process that converts cellulosic biomass to fuel.	60%
Biogenic components of separated MSW	Renewable gasoline, Renewable gasoline blendstock	Catalytic Pyrolysis and Upgrading, Gasification and Upgrading, Thermo-Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation and Upgrading, Direct Biological Conversion, Biological Conversion and Upgrading utilizing natural gas, biogas, and/or biomass as the only process energy sources providing that process used converts cellulosic biomass to fuel; any process utilizing biogas and/or biomass as the only process energy sources which converts cellulosic biomass to fuel.	60%
Cellulosic components of annual cover crops	Cellulosic diesel, Ethanol, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel	Any process that converts cellulosic biomass to fuel.	60%
Cellulosic components of annual cover crops	Renewable gasoline, Renewable gasoline blendstock	Catalytic Pyrolysis and Upgrading, Gasification and Upgrading, Thermo-Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation and Upgrading, Direct Biological Conversion, Biological Conversion and Upgrading utilizing natural gas, biogas, and/or biomass as the only process energy sources providing that process used converts cellulosic biomass to fuel; any process utilizing biogas and/or biomass as the only process energy sources which converts cellulosic biomass to fuel.	60%
Cellulosic components of separated food waste	Cellulosic diesel, Ethanol, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel	Any process that converts cellulosic biomass to fuel.	60%

Showing 1 to 5 of 16 entries

Previous1 2 3 4Next

Pathways approved based on their similarities to Biogas from landfill pathways

Biogas from Landfill Table

Show entries

Search:

Feedstock	Fuel Type	Production Process Requirements	Percent Reduction Satisfied
Biogas from agricultural digesters	Renewable compressed natural gas, Renewable electricity, Renewable liquefied natural gas	Any	60%
Biogas from landfills	Renewable compressed natural gas, Renewable electricity, Renewable liquefied natural gas	Any	60%
Biogas from municipal wastewater treatment facility digesters	Renewable compressed natural gas, Renewable electricity, Renewable liquefied natural gas	Any	60%
Biogas from separated MSW digesters	Renewable compressed natural gas, Renewable electricity, Renewable liquefied natural gas	Any	60%
Biogas from the cellulosic components of biomass processed in other waste digesters	Renewable compressed natural gas, Renewable electricity, Renewable liquefied natural gas	Any	60%

Showing 1 to 5 of 6 entries

Previous1 2Next

Pathways approved based on their similarities to Switchgrass pathways

Switchgrass Table

Feedstock	Fuel Type	Production Process Requirements	Percent Reduction Satisfied
Arundo donax	Cellulosic diesel, Ethanol, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel	Any process that converts cellulosic biomass to fuel.	60%
Arundo donax	Cellulosic diesel, Ethanol, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel	Gasification and upgrading processes that converts cellulosic biomass to fuel.	60%
Energy cane	Cellulosic diesel, Ethanol, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel	Any process that converts cellulosic biomass to fuel.	60%
Energy cane	Cellulosic diesel, Ethanol, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel	Gasification and upgrading processes that converts cellulosic biomass to fuel.	60%
Miscanthus	Cellulosic diesel, Ethanol, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel	Any process that converts cellulosic biomass to fuel.	60%
Miscanthus	Cellulosic diesel, Ethanol, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel	Gasification and upgrading processes that converts cellulosic biomass to fuel.	60%
Pennisetum purpureum	Cellulosic diesel, Ethanol, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel	Any process that converts cellulosic biomass to fuel.	60%
Pennisetum purpureum	Cellulosic diesel, Ethanol, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel	Gasification and upgrading processes that converts cellulosic biomass to fuel.	60%

Pathways approved based on their similarities to Biogenic waste oils/fats/grease pathways

Biogenic wastes Table

Show entries

Search:

Feedstock	Fuel Type	Production Process Requirements	Percent Reduction Satisfied
Non-cellulosic components of annual cover crops	Heating Oil, Jet Fuel, Naphtha, Renewable diesel	Any	50%
Non-cellulosic components of separated food waste	Heating Oil, Jet Fuel, Naphtha, Renewable diesel	Any	50%
Non-food grade corn oil	Heating Oil, Jet Fuel, Naphtha, Renewable diesel	One of the following: Trans-Esterification, Hydrotreating Excluding processes that co-process renewable biomass and petroleum.	50%
Non-food grade corn oil	Heating Oil, Jet Fuel, Naphtha, Renewable diesel	One of the following: Trans-Esterification, Hydrotreating, Includes only processes that coprocess renewable biomass and petroleum.	50%
Oil from annual covercrops	Heating Oil, Jet Fuel, Naphtha, Renewable diesel	One of the following: Trans-Esterification, Hydrotreating Excluding processes that co-process renewable biomass and petroleum.	50%

Showing 1 to 5 of 6 entries

Previous1 2Next

Pathways approved based on their similarities to Corn Starch pathways

Corn Starch Table

Show entries

Search:

Feedstock	Fuel Type	Production Process Requirements	Percent Reduction Satisfied
Non-cellulosic components of annual cover crops	Ethanol	Any	50%
Non-cellulosic components of separated food waste	Ethanol	Any	50%
Starches from annual covercrops	Ethanol	Fermentation using natural gas, biomass, or biogas for process energy.	20%
Starches from crop residue	Ethanol	Fermentation using natural gas, biomass, or biogas for process energy.	20%

Showing 1 to 4 of 4 entries

Previous1Next

Pathways approved based on their similarities to Soybean Oil pathways

Soybean oil Table

Show entries

Search:

Feedstock	Fuel Type	Production Process Requirements	Percent Reduction Satisfied
Camelina sativa oil	Biodiesel, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel, Renewable diesel	One of the following: Trans-Esterification Hydrotreating Excluding processes that coprocess renewable biomass and petroleum.	50%
Camelina sativa oil	Biodiesel, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel, Renewable diesel	One of the following: Trans-Esterification Hydrotreating Includes only processes that co-process renewable biomass and petroleum	50%
Camelina sativa oil	Biodiesel, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel, Renewable diesel	Hydrotreating	50%

Showing 1 to 3 of 3 entries

Previous1Next

Pathways approved based on their similarities to Canola Oil pathways

Canola oil Table

Show entries

Search:

Feedstock	Fuel Type	Production Process Requirements	Percent Reduction Satisfied
Rapeseed oil	Biodiesel, Heating Oil	Trans-Esterification using natural gas or biomass for process energy	50%

Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries

Previous1Next

US EPA

Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help

Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Results

Other Generally Applicable Approved Pathways

Fuels and Fuel Additives Compliance