Biofuels in the United States Transportation Sector: Public Policy and Its Effects on the Industry

This presentation as based on work conducted as a Washington Intern for Students of Engineering. Amidst rising energy prices and growing environmental concerns, the number of policy actions intended to promote the use of biofuels in the United States transportation sector has grown significantly since the turn of the century. At the same time, ethanol and biodiesel production has skyrocketed. In this work, each specific type of policy mechanism employed to bring about this growth was examined in the economic context of the time, from tax incentives and loan programs to regulations and mandates. Ultimately, it can be seen that certain policy approaches have had a greater effectiveness than others, and that the most direct approaches have not necessarily been the most successful of the bunch.