Federal Renewable Fuel Standard Targets for Biofuels

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 prescribed that, by 2022, the United States needs to generate and use a minimum of 36 billion gallons of renewable bio-based fuel per year.

This was an almost ten-fold increase over the 2006 target of 4.0 billion gallons, and required a significant expansion of the biofuel industry throughout the nation.

In addition, the law prescribed that starting in 2009, an increasing fraction of the biofuel will need to be from "advanced forms" of biofuel, such as those that do not impact the food supply. This could include sources such as cellulosic biofuel and algal biodiesel. Scientists at Penn State are working towards these goals by developing new and innovative methods for generating biofuels that will soon be available for commercial use in the state of Pennsylvania.

While the actual production and use of biofuel during this period did not match the standards set in the 2007 act (especially with regards to cellulosic biofuel production), the law was a powerful tool for increasing awareness and utilization of bio-based fuels in the United States.