Articles tagged with: Policy
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) I’m writing in response to the guest opinion piece that ran on May 18 by Stephen Buck. It was addressed to Congresswoman Bustos and entitled “Stop Using E15 Fuel Until Further …
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On June 5, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care and Entitlements held a hearing on the federal renewable fuel standard (RFS). …
by David Glass (DGlassAssociates) A new study was published last week by two researchers at the University of Illinois Energy Biosciences Institute, James S.N. McCubbins and A. Bryan Endres, regarding the length of time the Environmental Protection Agency …
(The Oil Palm) Spanish MEP and Draftsman for the influential Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE), Alejo Vidal-Quadras, has dismissed the European Commission’s proposal to introduce Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) factors as part of …
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) In an interview published on May 22, Charles Drevna, President of the American Fuels & Petrochemical Manufacturers, disparaged the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and claimed it negatively effects consumers. He couldn’t …
by Geoff Cooper (The Energy Collective/Renewable Fuels Association) Anyone with even a casual interest in energy policy knows that a full frontal assault has been launched against the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Big Oil has …
(Southeast Agriculture & Forest Energy Resources Alliance) “We’re the nation’s only comprehensive biofuels agency, and I say that more out of surprise than for the purpose of touting North Carolina,” said Steven Burke, President and CEO of the Biofuels Center of North …
by Fred Cannon (The Hill’s Congress Blog/KiOR) More than one-third of the world’s total energy usage relies on liquid fuels – primarily from fossil fuels. In the first quarter of 2013 consumption outpaced production, and …
(European Commission/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The European Commission can confirm that on May 14, 2013, commission officials carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of several companies active in and providing services to the crude oil, …
(Environmental Protection Agency) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a proposed rulemaking for modifications to the Renewable Fuel Standard program, E15 misfueling mitigation regulations, ultra low
sulfur diesel survey requirements as well as other technical …
(Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining) The Renewable Energy Directive (RED) has set a general binding target for the European Union to derive 20% of its final energy and 10% of its transport fuels from renewable sources …
by Peter Hannam (The Age) Whether it’s the use of organisms first found in the guts of rabbits in New Zealand or converting the mountains of rubbish disposed of by Londoners, airlines around the world are …
by Barry Cohen (National Algae Association/PR Log) The DoE has spent $2.5 billion on algae research but to date nothing has been commercialized. Why? Because their mission is to develop technologies. It’s not their problem or …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Oil refiners have been waging a well-funded war on California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which requires oil companies to reduce the carbon pollution from gasoline and diesel by 10 percent …
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Colorado State University’s Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) has launched an Advanced Energy Legislation (AEL) Tracker, a database tracking energy-related state legislation pending in all 50 states. Types of energy include solar, …
by William La Jeunesse (Fox News) …”We just feel that it is not safe for the consumer. It’s not safe for their engines,” said Charles Drevna, executive president of American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers.
…
“Look, this is …
(EurActiv)
Leaders of the EU and their partners in the G8 nations are under mounting pressure to reconsider their support for biofuel targets amid concern that plant oil production competes with food output in poor countries.
Britain, …
(Green Car Congress) The California Energy Commission unanimously adopted the 2013-2014 Investment Plan Update to support the development and use of green vehicles and alternative fuels. The update sets funding priorities for the approximately $100 million in …
(Algae Industry Magazine) The National Algae Association’s (NAA) Algae Farming Workshop, held in the Houston, Texas, area on April 11-12, focused on NAA’s battle cry of getting algae production out of research and development and …
(25 x ’25) With global demand for food, feed, fiber and energy on the rise, the need for critical ecosystem services like flood control, water filtration, biodiversity and carbon sequestration is even greater. The development …
(Tallahassee.com) Having spent some time on the ground in Tallahassee and talking with several legislators over the past few years, it is clear the ethanol program the state has developed is not understood and certainly …
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The University of California-Davis Institute of Transportation Studies has published a new status review of the state’s low carbon fuel standard (LCFS). The review is the second in a …
by Amy R. Remo (Philippine Daily Inquirer) The Department of Energy is set to issue a circular that will require the blending of 10-percent ethanol in all gasoline products. In the same order, the energy …
by Ellyn Ferguson (Roll Call) A House panel’s decision to look back at mandates set in the 2007 renewable-energy law could be a pivotal moment for industries hoping to slow down growth in the ethanol industry.
The …
by Matthew L. Wald (The New York Times) Faced with a crop of lemons — too much ethanol, a population of cars not tuned to burn it effectively and a driving public leery of the …
by Tina Casey (TriplePundit) Just yesterday, we noted that auto manufacturers are beginning to shed their century-old love affair with petroleum, and now it seems that the agriculture sector is ready to move on, too.
On …
(Clean Energy Report) An initial split between some biofuels groups over EPA’s 2013 renewable fuel standard’s (RFS) production targets appears to be expanding divisions over other agency fuel policies.
Advanced biofuels producers are opposing EPA’s Tier …
by Kenneth Prewitt (Science Magazine) Editorial: This month, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) will apply two criteria in its review of research proposals: intellectual merit and impact. One discipline, however, will have to meet a further …
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Several biofuel trade organizations have weighed in on white paper published by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on the impact the renewable fuel standard (RFS) has had on the U.S. …
(Renewable Fuels Association) In seventeen pages of comments, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) answered questions put forth in the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Assessment on Agricultural Sector …
by Joe Jobe (The Wall Street Journal/National Biodiesel Board) It is not true that all renewable fuels are the same and that advanced biofuels aren’t being produced on a commercial scale (“An Ethanol Spring,” Review & …
by Kent Peppler (Denver Post) …But predictions of more off-the-charts wildfires this summer are a reminder of how fragile it all is and how much we have to lose. Renewable fuels can help us protect …
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) If RFS detractors get their way, biodiesel may become a casualty of the war against ethanol. It’s up to all of us to make sure this doesn’t happen
In editorials and …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Germany, the EU funded research project on bio-based product standards, (Knowledge Based Bio-based Products’ Pre-Standardization (KBBPPS), held a workshop in Cologne to inform stakeholders about the project’s objectives and …
by Eva Murray (Bangor Daily News) …Rep. Jeff Timberlake, R-Turner, has been heading up an effort in the Maine Legislature to revisit ethanol and to encourage fuel suppliers to make a non-ethanol product available to …
by Bruce Dale (The Hill/Michigan State University) The oil industry hopes to protect its control over America’s fuel supply by undermining renewable fuels. By confusing us with misleading claims and outright falsehoods, oil companies hope …
by Michael Thede (Kearney Hub) Letter to Editor: Recent efforts by several members of Congress to dismantle the federal Renewable Fuel Standard are a direct attack on a domestic biofuels program that generates enormous benefits …
(Asociación de Productores de Energías Renovables Biocarburantes – Spain; Associação Portuguesa de Produtores de Biocombustíveis – Portugal; Krajowa Izba Biopaliw – Poland; Renewable Energy Association – United Kingdom; Verband der Deutschen Biokraftstoffindustrie – Germany) We support the current target …
by by Francis X. Johnson (Public Service Europe) Policies should focus on long-term approaches to a sustainable biofuels market development, rather than short-term reactive approaches
Europe’s relationship with biofuels has been marked by dramatic turns. Biofuels for …
(Environmental Research Web) …It referred to a report by North Energy Associates (NEA) and Forestry Research (FR) produced for DECC, which tried to answer the question: ‘Is it better to leave wood in the forest …
(US Senate Finance Committee) This document is the fourth in a series of papers compiling tax reform options that Finance Committee members may wish to consider as they work towards reforming our nation’s tax system. This …
by Douglas L. Faulkner with contributions from Jacques Beaudry-Losique (Biofuels Digest) …We believe it is time for bioenergy industry leaders to take the initiative and chalk up a new comprehensive game plan, reflecting the new reality …
(The PEW Charitable Trusts) High gas prices may give us pause before taking a long road trip, but we still need to drive to work, the grocery store or school. This Pew Clean Energy Program video …
by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) …Member states, however, are faced with the reality of an economic crisis and cannot think of any good reason to kill investments and opportunities for more investments in agriculture.
Maybe …
by Tom Buis (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) …The industry has matured and is operating freely without any federal subsidies.
Yet, 100 years later, Big Oil refuses to give up its excessive tax subsidies.
The petroleum industry continues …
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) Apparently tired of false claims that biodiesel takes from the food supply, biodiesel maker Renewable Energy Group has put out a whitepaper that actually shows how the green fuel is helping …
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) … (Robert) Murphy simply regurgitates Big Oil’s false argument that the RFS is driving up fuel costs. There’s not a shred of evidence to support that notion, but that’s never …
by Christopher Doering (Des Moines Register) The battle between U.S. ethanol producers and oil companies has reached a turning point, with the winners poised to gain an advantage over the future of the country’s energy …
(EurActiv.com)
A European Parliament report into the EU’s proposals for addressing the problem of indirect land use change (ILUC) in its biofuels policy will propose today (17 April) the application of unique ‘factors’ to account for …
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The Environmental and Energy Studies Institute (EESI) and the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) held a briefing on the conclusions of the newly released …
by Ken Root (High Plains Midwest Ag Journal) …But there were sectors of agriculture that saw a dramatic change in the cost of their feedstock and began to align with each other and any other …
by Christopher Doering (Des Moines Register) A meaningful change to the country’s renewable fuel mandate would drastically curtail the market opportunity for a cellulosic ethanol plant being built in Emmetsburg by ethanol producer Poet and …
by Ayesha Rascoe (Reuters) * Wyden says committee will explore ethanol mandate
* Energy committee to look at gasoline prices this Spring
* Lawmakers introduced bill ending corn ethanol targets
The chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural …
by Sally Blakewell (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) Biofuels will cost U.K. motorists about 460 million pounds ($707 million) this year as the government increases their use in transport fuel, driving up food prices in poorer countries, Chatham …
(Business Wire/Florida Biofuels and Bioenergy Association) $1 Billion in Investment At Risk
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Florida Legislature will consider HB4001, which repeals the Renewable Fuels Standard set in 2008. With a federal mandate for 10 percent ethanol …
by Zack Coleman (The Hill E2Wire) The head of a powerful oil industry lobbying group met with top White House officials and senior lawmakers Wednesday about stripping a federal biofuel rule.
“We’re talking about the renewable fuel …
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Today, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released their Tracking Clean Energy Progress report in New Delhi that details the increased role that biofuels will need to play in reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) as …
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) Two members of Pres. Obama’s cabinet today have signed their names to an agreement that will extend the administration’s commitment to the production of biofuels for use in airplanes. Secretary of …
by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (FuelFix) In unveiling his $3.8 trillion spending plan for the U.S. government on Wednesday, President Barack Obama revived his longstanding attack on oil industry tax breaks and formally launched a plan …
by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (FarmDocDaily) …Here, we present a proposal for implementing the RFS2 through 2015 that recognizes the constraints implied by the E10 blend wall and will avert the impact of the …
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The ethanol industry reacted swiftly to the so-called RFS Reform Act, legislation introduced April 10 in the U.S. House of Representatives, which they said would gut the renewable fuel …
(ePURE) The European Renewable Ethanol Industry, ePURE, together with Novozymes, find the double counting mechanism proposed by the European Commission is ineffective to kick-start the deployment of innovative advanced biofuels. Increasing the weighting of advanced …
(EV-olution.org) President Obama’s FY 2014 budget proposal submitted to Congress provides $28.4 billion in discretionary funds for the Department of Energy, an 8% increase above the 2012 enacted level. Among the direct transportation-related highlights of the department’s …
by Sam Fenwick (E2B Pulse) In this article, E2B explores the benefits of crop-based biofuels to the UK, the potential impact of a recent EU proposal and the wider issues associated with their adoption.
In October …
by Bruce Ritchie (The Florida Current) A Senate bill that would repeal the 2008 requirement that gasoline in Florida contain about 10 percent ethanol was rewritten on Tuesday to remove the repeal.
Bill supporters say the law …
(Farm Futures) National Corn Growers Association says more stringent emissions standards create a place for ethanol’s higher octane levels to shine
…The tier 3 standards increase the level of stringency with which vehicle emissions are regulated …
by Ben Goad (The Hill E2Wire) A key industry group is urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ratchet back this year’s volume requirements for biofuel production, arguing the proposed standards are unrealistic.
In formal comments submitted Monday, …
(Yahoo!Finance/Navigant Research) After more than a decade of healthy growth for conventional biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel, the next wave of advanced biofuels is nearing commercialization. The pool of commercially available biomass-derived fuels is expanding …
by Andre Janse van Vuuren (City Press/Fin24) Dormant plans to establish a local biofuel sector – earmarked to create up to 50 000 jobs and save the country at least R8.9bn in foreign exchange payments …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Neste Oil, which had been criticized for its sourcing of deforestation-based palm oil, has pledged to shift away from palm oil sourced from primary forests, high conservation value and natural …
by Matt Horton (Mercury News) …Yet at the fuel pump, consumers still have no power. We all know our dependence on fossil fuels weakens our economy and security while threatening our environment. We simply feel …
by Emily Pickrell (FuelFix) On Jan. 1, Congress made algae-based fuel production eligible for a $1.01-per-gallon cellulosic biofuel production federal tax credit.
Cellulosic biofuels typically are made from woody, non-food material such as grasses or wood …
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) today (April 5, 2013) responded to the questions posed by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce in a white paper entitled, “Examining ‘Blend …
(EurekAlert!/American Chemical Society) Genes from the family of bacteria that produce vinegar, Kombucha tea and nata de coco have become stars in a project — which scientists today said has reached an advanced stage — …
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The European Renewable Ethanol Association, ePURE, has released results of a study that determined the double counting mechanism proposed by the European Commission to spur production of advanced biofuels …
by Stephan Nielsen (Bloomberg) Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4), the state- run oil company, is boosting money-losing gasoline imports at its fastest pace ever, holding down prices for alternative fuels and hindering investments in ethanol.
…President Dilma …
by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (FarmDocDaily) …We concluded that the buying and selling of RINs within that supply chain results in something close to a zero-sum game in terms of profitability for the industry. The …
(Canadian Renewable Fuels Association) Homegrown renewable fuels drive economic growth in rural Canada and are a key part of our Bio-Economy future
The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) applauds the official launch of the Growing Forward …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We go through the renewable fuels math — and find that the nattering nabobs of negativism might have crowed too soon.
…Lately, the nattering nabobs appear to have landed at the …
(www.4-Traders.com) This year the Government continues to develop alternative fuel sources, in particular, to increase the production of bioethanol. It is provided by the State Program of activation of the economic development for 2013-2014. To …
by Bob Dinneen (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Renewable Fuels Association) As Congress and the country debate the renewable fuel standard (RFS), Big Oil and Big Food are flooding the zone with bought-and-paid-for “studies” seeking to discredit American …
(Platts) Biofuels are not advanced enough yet to justify a specific binding 2030 EU renewable transport target, EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger said Wednesday.
The EU has a binding 2020 target to source 20% of its …
by Amy Harder (National Journal) As policy makers in Washington DC and across the country confront the costly consequences of mandating renewable fuels, some have suggested a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) as an alternative. …
by Bill Chameides (The Green Grok/Duke University) …As a libation, ethanol’s been around for a long, long time. As a fuel, it dates back to 1826 when it was first used in an internal combustion engine. …
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) There is enough land available to produce more food, more feed and more biofuels, which are not the cause of global malnutrition problems, according to the World Bioenergy Association.
WBA makes …
( SCS Global Services/PR NewsWire) SCS Global Services has announced the expansion of its biofuel certification services in Southeast Asia. The veteran third-party environmental certification body will now conduct audits under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) …
by Beth Evans (Platts) Ratings agency Moody’s expects US refiners to increase investments in renewables blending and infrastructure if federal renewables targets are not lowered.
“In the absence of any EPA waivers to meeting the renewable …
(European Commission Joint Research Centre Institute for Energy and Transport) In the current European energy policy framework, biogenic CO2 emissions from combustion of forest biomass used for energy and transport purposes are set to zero.
Biomass …
by Tendai Mugabe (AllAfrica.com) Green Fuel resumed operations at its ethanol plant here yesterday, raising prospects that the country could soon start the mandatory blending of fuel that has been on the cards for sometime.
There …
by Howard Schneider (The Washington Post) Government subsidies of gasoline, electricity and other energy sources amount to about $1.9 trillion a year and should be ended or offset with taxes used to battle climate change and pay …
by Brad Plumer (The Washington Post) What’s the simplest way to tackle global warming? Make sure that fossil fuels are priced properly and not subsidized.
That’s the core idea behind a large new report (pdf) from the International Monetary …
(GreenAirOnline) The aviation industry regards market-based measures (MBMs) as a temporary fix in achieving the carbon-neutral growth (CNG) goal from 2020 onwards until the benefits of new technology and operational advances, together with the uptake …
(GreenAirOnline) A group of 32 leading US economists, including eight Nobel Prize winners, have written an open letter to President Obama urging him to advance proposals at ICAO for a global market-based measure that would …
(HoosierAgToday) For the second year in a row the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) has created an ‘infographic’ promoting the benefits of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Entitled “An American Success Story,” the new infographic …
(U. S. Department of Energy) As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to revitalizing America’s manufacturing sector, today the Energy Department launched the Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative (CEMI), a new Department initiative focused on growing American manufacturing …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ARPA-E aims to drive liquid fuel production from abundant, affordable methane — and sees biobased technology as the path forward.
In Washington, ARPA-E released its long-awaited funding opportunity announcement for Project …
by David Shephardson (Detroit News) Major automakers asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to approve a higher blend of ethanol for vehicles from 2001 and newer.
The …
(Center for Climate and Security) The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, or PCAS, recently released a set of recommendations for President Obama on addressing climate change. The top-line recommendations include:
Focus on national preparedness for climate …
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A bill has been introduced in the Florida legislature that would repeal the state’s Renewable Fuel Standard Act.
Currently, the Florida law requires that all gasoline sold or offered for sale by a terminal …
by Brooke Coleman (National Journal/Advanced Ethanol Council) First, let’s assess what we know to be true …
RFS2 is just five years old. We are about one-third of the way through a 15-year commitment to diversify …
