Key Takeaways:

Early U.S. biofuel policy relied primarily on crop-based feedstocks such as corn and vegetable oils. California's LCFS increased demand for waste-derived feedstocks by rewarding fuels with lower carbon intensity scores. Supplies of used cooking oil, animal fats, and distillers corn oil are inherently constrained because they are byproducts of other industries. Imports helped bridge the feedstock gap until Section 45Z limited tax credit eligibility for foreign feedstocks. Feedstock constraints have renewed demand for first-generation feedstocks, particularly soyoil. While innovation may expand waste feedstock supplies, scalability challenges are likely to preserve a significant role for crop-based feedstocks in future biofuel...