Bioenergy in California

Background:

For more than 4 years Biofuelwatch has been tracking and researching a variety of legislative, regulatory and permitting processes in California related to the mission of the organization to advocate for public engagement on bioenergy issues and land sector focused climate policy. This has inevitably led us to work on many matters, ranging from wood pellet plants to carbon markets, from legislative and agency promotion of dubious carbon dioxide removal technologies to the controversial conversion of refineries in the San Francisco Bay Area to processing high deforestation risk soy-based ‘drop-in’ diesel and jet fuels.

The following are some examples of our advocacy, reporting and communications efforts on a variety of crucial climate, forest and bioenergy issues in California.

REPORT ON CALIFORNIA CLIMATE POLITICS:

Carbon Capture or Captured Futures? Fossil Fuel and Bioenergy Controls California “Getting to Neutral” Climate Policy

Refineries:

Public Participation Obstructed In Rubber Stamp Review Hearing of Phillips 66 Biofuels Refinery Project in California

Court Orders, Refinery Fires and Deforestation Drivers: California Push for Liquid Biofuels Ignores Red Flag Warnings

The Opinion Piece That California Media Will Not Publish: Moving Beyond High Carbon Bioenergy

Renewable Diesel Is Not Renewable

California Governor Surprises With Common Sense Veto of State Aviation Greenwash Legislation

Resist The Siren Call of Aviation Biofuels

California Governor Doubles Down Supporting High Carbon Liquid Biofuels As Refinery Conversion Governance Concerns Intensify

Aviation Net Zero Bill Advances in California Legislature as Irregular Permitting of SF Bay Area Refinery Conversions to Biofuels Receive Legal Challenges

Hearing Set for Appeals of Flawed Permitting of San Francisco Bay Area Refinery Conversions to Make Fuel From Food

Biofuelwatch Joins Scathing Take Down of Draft Environmental Review of Proposed Biofuel Refineries in California

Tidal Wave of Environmental Review Documents Released for California Biofuel Refinery Projects

California Refinery Pivot to Soy-Based Diesel Threatens Forests and Communities in Paraguay

California Refinery Switch to Biofuels Is Not As Green As It Sounds

Biofuelwatch Sounds Alarm on Sudden Pivot to Soy-Based Diesel in California Refinery Sector

Legislative Matters:

California Senate Doubles Down on Speculative Climate Technologies and Advances CDR Markets Bill

California Legislature Backs Off of Net Zero Plan, Overwhelmingly Approves Geoengineering Bill Promoting Direct Air Capture, BECCS and Nature-Based Solutions

California State Legislature Flirtation with Climate Geoengineering Raises Questions and Merits Scrutiny

Open Letter to California State Assembly Opposing California Tropical Forest Standard

Carbon Markets:

Broad Coalition Sends Letter to California Governor, Urging Rejection of Controversial Global Aviation Climate Scheme

Woody Biomass and Wood Pellets:

California’s Forests Targeted As Feedstock For Global Wood Bioenergy Industry

Dirty Wood Pellet Plant In California Redwood Region Raises Further Doubt About Biomass Sustainability Standards

The Curious Case of Red Rock Biofuels

To see a longer list of articles and reporting about Biofuelwatch work in California visit this page here.

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