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Economic Insights Required for Using Lifecycle Analysis for Policy Decisions

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  • Klotz, Richard
  • Bento, Antonio M.
  • Landry, Joel R.

Abstract

We develop an analytic and numerical model that integrates land, food and fuel markets and is linked with a sectoral emissions model to examine how the amount of biofuel in the economy impacts the lifecycle emissions of a biofuel under different policies. Our central finding is that the change in GHG emissions due to a unit expansion in biofuel will vary dramatically in the amount of biofuel in the economy and with the policy driving the expansion. The emissions from a unit expansion in corn ethanol due to a blend mandate fall from 12 gCO2e/MJ to 3 gCO2e/MJ, as the quantity of ethanol in the economy increases from 6 to 15 billion gallons. For an input subsidy, emissions due to a unit of ethanol increase from 15 gCO2e/MJ to 26 gCO2e/MJ over the same increase in ethanol. We discuss the implications of these results for lifecycle analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Klotz, Richard & Bento, Antonio M. & Landry, Joel R., 2013. "Economic Insights Required for Using Lifecycle Analysis for Policy Decisions," 2014 Allied Social Sciences Association (ASSA) Annual Meeting, January 3-5, 2014, Philadelphia, PA 161654, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaeass:161654
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.161654
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    Environmental Economics and Policy; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy;

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