by Donna Eller (Des Moines Register) Wolf Carbon Solutions is withdrawing its petition to build a 95-mile carbon capture pipeline through eastern Iowa, according to a filing Monday with the Iowa Utilities Commission. Wolf planned to capture carbon dioxide emissions at Archer Daniel
Trump Selects Brooke Rollins to Be Agriculture Secretary
by y Maegan Vazquez (Washington Post) Rollins runs the America First Policy Institute, which has largely stayed out of the spotlight but has made numerous proposals for the second term. -- President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he has picked Brooke Rollins, a former Trump White House policy adviser, to serve as secretary of agriculture.
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In his statement on Saturday announcing Rollins’s appointment, Trump highlighted her “practitioner’s experience” with agriculture, including pointing to her upbringing “upbringing in the small and Agriculture-centered town of Glen Rose, Texas” as well as her involvement in “guiding her four kids in their show cattle careers.”
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The president-elect’s incoming agriculture secretary is also expected to play a role in shaping Trump’s plans for sweeping tariffs, which in his last term saw the American agriculture industry hit hard with huge countertariffs by allied countries and rivals alike.
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Trump and his allies have also proposed making large cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is under USDA’s purview. READ MORE
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- Trump taps loyalist Rollins for USDA chief in surprise pick: Rollins, who grew up on a farm, was nominated after weeks of intense jockeying. (Politico)
- Trump picks former domestic policy adviser Brooke Rollins for agriculture secretary (USA Today)
- Trump Picks Brooke Rollins, a Conservative Lawyer, to Lead Agriculture Dept. -- Ms. Rollins is the chief executive of the America First Policy Institute, a think tank created to promote President-elect Donald J. Trump’s agenda. (New York Times)
- Trump picks Brooke Rollins to be agriculture secretary (Reuters)
- Trump taps Brooke Rollins of America First Policy Institute for agriculture secretary (NPR)
- Ag Secretary Nominee Ready to Make Ag Great Again (Energy.AgWired.com; includes AUDIO)
- Rollins reaction continues as Trump statement posted (The Fence Post)
- Trump Transition Team at USDA Stalled: While Ag Secretary Nominee Named, Trump Transition Team Can't Access USDA (DTN Progressive Farmer)
- Ethanol Blog: Nebraska Ethanol Board's McPheeters Talks Biofuels Future in Trump Administration (DTN Progressive Farmer)
- Opinion: Brooke Rollins, agriculture will have to count on you (Agri-Pulse)
- With Ag secretary pick, Trump brushes back RFK Jr. (Politico)
- Corn growers among those seeking positive signals (High Plains Journal)
Excerpt from Politico: Rollins served as director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump administration. Since her time in the White House, Rollins has co-founded and helmed the America First Policy Institute think tank, which played an influential role in the transition and has been referred to as Trump’s White House in waiting.
Rollins, who grew up on a farm, is a surprise pick for the role, with less experience in agriculture policy than those on Trump’s shortlist. Trump’s decision to tap her, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, came amid ongoing fighting over the role among his advisers, family members and powerful agriculture groups.
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Southern agriculture groups will be boosted by the fact that Rollins is from Texas. She also has a degree in agricultural development. While GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill were surprised by the pick, she’s expected to have a fairly smooth Senate confirmation.
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She will also have massive influence to shape agriculture policy and farm subsidies that serve as the foundation of the U.S. food system, which Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is eager to overhaul.
In a statement announcing the decision, Trump seemed to signal that a major upheaval at USDA wasn’t in store. “As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke will spearhead the effort to protect American Farmers, who are truly the backbone of our Country,” Trump said in a statement announcing the decision Saturday.
The agriculture sector will also lean on Rollins to moderate Trump’s plans to impose another wave of broad tariffs on China and other major agricultural trading partners. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill who represent farm states have grown increasingly wary of Trump’s push for more tariffs, after his 2018 trade war triggered crippling retaliatory tariffs against U.S. farmers. But it’s unlikely Rollins, a Trump loyalist who has praised his economic plans, will offer major resistance.
Powerful, conservative-leaning agriculture groups were hoping for Trump to tap an agriculture-friendly USDA chief, with strong experience to help them counter Kennedy’s influence. READ MORE
Excerpt from USA Today: Rollins was one of many speakers at the Republican National Convention. A conservative lawyer, she served as acting director of the White House's Domestic Policy Council in the final year of Trump's first term.
Before her time in Washington, Rollins, a Texas-native, served as an aide to then-Trump Energy Secretary Rick Perry. She was also CEO and president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think-tank in the Lone Star State. READ MORE
Excerpt from Reuters: As agriculture secretary, Rollins would advise the administration on how and whether to implement clean fuel tax credits for biofuels at a time when the sector is hoping to grow through the production of sustainable aviation fuel. READ MORE
Excerpt from NPR: Originally from Texas, she graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development. She then got her law degree at the University of Texas school of Law.
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The first Trump administration had to address the consequences of Trump's trade war with China and others, which resulted in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural products leading to decreased farmer profits. The federal government did step in with some assistance to boost incomes due to the trade war, and then the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is possible Trump could also sign a second farm bill into law, a potentially trillion-dollar bill reauthorized every five years to provide farmer safety nets, programing, rural development and government nutrition assistance. The last farm bill was signed by Trump in 2018 and Congress has since failed to reauthorize it. READ MORE
Excerpt from Energy.AgWired.com: The day before she was nominated, Rollins sat down with talk show host Charlie Kirk to discuss the nomination of Florida’s Pam Bondi as Attorney General. She commented on this Trump presidency being an “inflection point in American history” and the team that he is assembling for his administration.
“I’m not sure that either one of us could have ever hoped for this sort of team of Game changers, of transformational figures all coming together to meet the moment to live in this miracle that we find ourselves in, the opportunity to really govern and take our country back is remarkable,” she said to Kirk. “We’re living in the middle of history.” Brooke Rollins on Charlie Kirk Show (1:28) READ MORE
Excerpt from DTN Progressive Farmer:
Meanwhile, the Trump transition team remains stalled in learning about some of the key issues at USDA and other federal agencies because Trump's team has not signed key ethics documents required under the Presidential Transition Act.
"They can't come into the building, and we can't provide information to them until the documents are signed," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told DTN in an interview Monday. "That's the federal law."
This has effectively led to an early standoff between the White House and Trump's team across the federal government. Vilsack said that he hasn't had a chance to speak with Rollins or anyone else from the Trump transition team.
VILSACK ENCOURAGES SIGNING DOCUMENTS
"We can't talk to anyone from the incoming Trump administration until they've signed the necessary transition documents, but I would certainly, as a practical matter, I would encourage the incoming nominee to reach out and encourage that those papers be signed relatively soon so that she can be fully prepared and the team can be fully prepared for the job that they are undertaking," Vilsack told DTN.
USDA is dealing with multiple challenges involving foreign animal diseases such as highly pathogenic avian influenza in both poultry and dairy cows. More than 616 dairy herds have been infected with the H5N1 virus including more than 200 dairy herds in California during the past month. A recall went out during the weekend in California over raw milk products infected with the virus. Now USDA has been informed about New World screwworm (NWS) being detected in Mexico that prompted USDA to close the border to Mexican cattle during the weekend.
"There are some pretty significant animal-health and trade issues that need to be monitored and need to be understood on day one," Vilsack said. "An incoming secretary needs to be aware of and be able to respond to any questions that may come up at any hearing that she may have."
There's also the need to understand the full portfolio under USDA's umbrella. "There's not necessarily always a full appreciation for exactly all USDA does," Vilsack said. "So, it is certainly our hope that eventually those papers get signed as quickly as possible and our team can begin the process of educating folks to the extent they wish to be educated about what they are walking into."
ROLLINS AND AFPI
An attorney, Rollins was a domestic policy adviser to Trump in his first administration.
Since leaving the first Trump administration, Rollins has been president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI). a group that has largely championed Trump's views on foreign policy, border security and energy policies. There are a lot of ties between the Trump administration and AFPI, including Department of Education nominee Linda McMahon, who chairs the AFPI board, as well as EPA nominee Lee Zeldin, Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi, Veterans Affairs nominee Doug Collins, and CIA nominee John Ratcliffe.
AFPI has a list of policy agenda "pillars" but little about agricultural policy. The group has called for banning Chinese ownership of U.S. property.
While advocating for tougher work requirements, one of AFPI's policy statements questioned "means-tested welfare programs" for housing and food assistance, stating they "undermine their anti-poverty rationale when they sharply cut benefits off as household income increases. Policies like these discourage fathers from returning home and penalize all families for taking actions to move up the economic ladder." The group called for reforming policies to help two-parent families.
When it comes to energy, the group's 15-page policy agenda for energy independence focuses on rolling back regulatory requirements on domestic fossil-fuel energy. AFPI does not mention "biofuels" or "ethanol" once. The policy doesn't mention aviation fuel either.
AFPI takes an aggressive stance against renewable energy policies and climate change policies that "only exacerbate the difficulties of providing affordable and reliable energy.
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Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said, "We congratulate Ms. Rollins on her nomination as the next USDA secretary and share her vision for boosting America's agriculture sector and rural communities."
"Over the past two decades, renewable fuels like ethanol have stimulated unprecedented economic growth and prosperity in the farm economy and we hope to build upon that success with Ms. Rollins. We look forward to speaking with her about the close ties that bind renewable fuels to our nation's farm communities.
"The ethanol industry is deeply rooted on the American farm, and we are eager to continue our long and successful partnership with the experienced leaders and staff of the U.S. Department of Agriculture," Cooper said. READ MORE
Excerpt from DTN Progressive Farmer: Nebraska Ethanol Board Vice Chairman Scott McPheeters spent time talking to agriculture journalists on all things farming and biofuels, during an Agricultural Communicators Network workshop in Omaha last week.
The first Trump administration approved more than 80 small-refinery exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard, https://www.dtnpf.com/….
The new Trump administration is faced with finalizing the next round of already-late RFS volumes, https://www.dtnpf.com/…, and the completion of U.S. Internal Revenue Service guidance on the 45Z Clean Fuels Production tax credit.
That credit is considered to be a key to the future of sustainable aviation fuel.
Trump announced the appointment of former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin as the next administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.dtnpf.com/…, raising questions about the biofuels future. READ MORE
Excerpt from Agri-Pulse: Dear Secretary-designate Rollins:
Congratulations on your nomination, and I wish you the very best! The secretary of agriculture has a big portfolio, and anyone filling that office has to be an expert on everything from forest fires to dairy policy. That’s a given, but you will have some extra challenges.
Your counterpart at HHS has compared pig farmers to Osama Bin Laden and found the pig farmers wanting. The nominee for head of the Food and Drug Administration recently said that we (and here I’m pretty sure he meant the farmers that you represent) are "poisoning" the food supply. Cabinet meetings are going to be fun!
Not only will farmers expect you to stand up for science and common sense within the councils of government, but you are going to have to take agriculture’s position to the public as well. We’ve had a few months of very positive news coverage of “Make America Healthy Again,” and while the concerns of your fellow cabinet members about public health and particularly obesity are well founded, some of their solutions are, to put it mildly, bonkers. We farmers need your help.
Trade is going to be a challenge. In his remarks upon your appointment, President Trump mentioned that he wanted the U.S. to be self-sufficient in food. Self-sufficiency may be a worthy goal, but we need to talk about the importance of coffee imports. However, any decline in banana imports in the name of self-sufficiency is fine with me.
President Trump has made it clear that he will increase tariffs on imports. The cabinet appointees who deal with foreign trade and diplomacy are fully on board with his trade policy. Six years into our present tariff regime, we’ve seen our agricultural trade surplus disappear and have developed a huge deficit in agriculture trade. I suppose this is what prompted President Trump’s remarks about self-sufficiency. An impartial observer might wonder if doubling down on tariffs is a good solution, but here we are. As the old saying goes, we’re about to get what we want, good and hard.
Now, one advantage you do have is the strong support for President Trump from farmers and rural America. As our spokesperson inside the Trump administration, you represent a constituency that strongly supports the President. He remembered that support during his last administration, when tariffs caused a crash in ag exports, by tapping the Commodity Credit Corporation for funds to help farmers survive the loss of export markets.
As I’m sure you know, some of the farm bill proposals being discussed would end the second Trump administration’s ability to tap the CCC for trade assistance. Farmer support for President Trump is broad and deep, but we do depend on exports to a larger extent than most industries. We’ll need you to speak up for the importance of agricultural trade.
I’m excited that the secretary of agriculture grew up showing cattle, served as a state FFA officer, and has roots in farming and ranching that are broad and deep. Congratulations, and Good Luck!
Blake Hurst is a farmer and greenhouse grower in northwest Missouri.
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Trump Picks Scott Bessent, Financier Who Embraced MAGA, for Treasury
by Jeff Stein (Washington Post) Bessent, who prevailed after an intense lobbying effort by his allies, has emerged over the past year as a trusted Trump adviser -- President-elect Donald Trump on Friday selected hedge fund executive Scott Bessent to be the next treasury secretary, elevating a financier who embraced populist economics to the crucial economic position.
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The announcement followed an unusually contentious deliberation process, with multiple aides and Wall Street executives jockeying in a battle that spilled out into public view from Trump’s compound in Mar-a-Lago. But Bessent, 62, prevailed after an intense lobbying effort by his allies, who argued that no other candidate better combined Trump’s aggressive trade instincts with expertise in high finance.
As the president’s most important economic official, Bessent is expected to play a crucial role overseeing a broad portfolio that will span international trade, taxes, financial regulation and U.S. sanctions, if he’s confirmed.
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A South Carolina native, Bessent attended Yale before joining Soros Fund Management in 1991. Bessent rose to run the London office for Soros’s firm at 29, joining the team that famously made a fortune through shorting the British pound in 1992, contributing to the collapse of the currency. In 2016, he launched the Key Square Group with $4.5 billion in capital.
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A voracious reader who has returned to Yale to teach economic history, Bessent would, if confirmed by the Senate, become the first openly gay treasury secretary in U.S. history. Bessent and his husband have two children.
“He seems to get along with George Soros and Donald Trump. What else do you need to know?” said billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller, who has known Bessent since the early 1990s and worked with him closely at Soros’s investment firm. “He’s good with people and he’s got a big brain, but he’s able to articulate it in layman’s language.”
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But Trump has also called for more than $7 trillion in tax cuts, adding significantly to the nation’s fiscal imbalance. Trump has also promised tariffs as high as 20 percent on every U.S. trading partner, which could reignite inflation and lead to a contraction in the stock market.
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Bessent and Soros have not spoken since 2016. READ MORE
Related articles
- Trump pushes past sting of Gaetz’s exit with flurry of new picks: The team is taking a more conciliatory approach to the Senate after initially demanding recess appointments. (Washington Post)
- Trump’s Treasury Pick Called the IRA ‘the Doomsday Machine for the Deficit’ (Heatmap)
- What Trump’s Treasury pick means for clean energy tax credits: Scott Bessent has called the Inflation Reduction Act a “doomsday machine for the budget.” (E&E News Energywire)
- How Trump Could Upend Electric Car Sales (New York Times)
Excerpt from Washington Post: Trump followed that move on Friday by naming hedge fund executive Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary following days of hand-wringing over the position that is fifth in the line of succession and of keen interest to global investors. READ MORE
Excerpt from E&E News Energywire: As Treasury secretary, Bessent would be able to rewrite or reverse some of the law’s valuable tax provisions, which were designed to boost renewable energy and other emerging technologies like hydrogen, carbon capture and electric vehicles.
Cutting those tax credits could offer a political win to conservatives who say the Biden administration is skewing prices in the energy market. It could also offset some of the cost of extending the multitrillion-dollar tax cuts Trump implemented in 2017 — and which are set to expire next year.
The question, however, is how much capital the Treasury Department wants to spend on the IRA’s credits, which have bipartisan support.
“I expect that they’re going to be pretty hostile, but I don’t expect that the IRA is going to be repealed,” said David Victor, a professor of innovation and public policy at the University of California, San Diego. “There are a lot of tweaks to be done at the margin, but doing a wholesale repeal of a lot of the tax credits could be difficult.”
If confirmed, Bessent could influence how the government steers money to industries like “clean” hydrogen, which is awaiting final guidance on how companies can apply for lucrative IRA tax credits. That guidance could determine whether the nascent industry spikes emissions or supports fossil fuels. Bessent could also play a major role in executing Trump’s plans to raise tariffs, which could have major effects on industries ranging from solar to steel.
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The roughly $527 billion in tax incentives for low-carbon energy were designed to help large-scale wind and solar projects get built and to boost emerging sectors like hydrogen fuel and sustainable aviation fuel.
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The long list of tax credits and policy goals embedded in the IRA left much of the implementation work up to the Treasury Department, which has been steadily rolling out guidance and rules.
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Even those that are finalized, however, could be reopened by the Trump administration to put them more in line with its agenda. The hydrogen production tax credit, for instance, could be rewritten to reward projects that use fossil fuels, rather than renewable energy production.
Finalized rules would require a new rulemaking process to unwind.
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“Investors want certainty, they want to know whether their projects will qualify for tax breaks or not,” said Aaron Bergman, a fellow at Resources for the Future and a former Department of Energy official. “Rewriting the tax guidance could create a lot of uncertainty for what is a significant revenue stream.”
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A group of 18 Republican House members urged Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) this summer to maintain the IRA tax credits to ensure “business and market certainty.”
“Prematurely repealing energy tax credits, particularly those which were used to justify investments that already broke ground, would undermine private investments and stop development that is already ongoing,” they wrote in an August letter. “A full repeal would create a worst-case scenario where we would have spent billions of taxpayer dollars and received next to nothing in return.” READ MORE
Excerpt from New York Times: Mr. Trump regularly attacked Mr. Biden’s policies on climate and electric cars on the campaign trail, and his transition team is exploring steps he could take to repeal or limit the credits. A complete repeal would require Congress to act. But Mr. Trump could also direct the Treasury to change tax rules in ways that limit how many cars qualify for credits.
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Opponents of credits say electric vehicles should compete with gasoline models without the help of the federal government. They note that many battery-powered cars are luxury models bought or leased by people who can afford the vehicles without tax breaks.
“I’ve driven them, and they are incredible,” Mr. Trump said about electric vehicles at a July campaign rally in Michigan, “but they’re not for everybody.” READ MORE
Trump Picks Former Congressman Sean Duffy to Lead Transportation Dept.
by Ian Duncan (Washington Post) President-elect Donald Trump said in a statement Monday he has selected former congressman and Fox Business host Sean P. Duffy to run the Transportation Department, a job that comes with a vast budget and sweeping safety responsibilities — and which plays a major role in overseeing companies run by billionaire Elon Musk.
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The Transportation Department is sprawling, funding infrastructure projects around the country and overseeing safety. With responsibility for vehicle safety and space launches, the transportation secretary will be a key player in the relationship between the government and tech billionaire Musk, a close ally of Trump who has been tasked with leading a panel to slash the federal government.
Duffy has little transportation experience, but that is not unusual for people nominated to run the department — current secretary Pete Buttigieg had previously been mayor of his hometown. Past presidents have opted to buttress their picks with a deputy more deeply steeped in policy issues.
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The Federal Aviation Administration, meanwhile, has sought to fine Musk’s SpaceX over allegations it failed to follow rocket launch licenses. That provoked a public clash with Musk and his allies. Unlike most presidential appointees, the head of the FAA holds a fixed term and typically stays on even after a change of administration. But the current administrator, Michael Whitaker, is likely to face pressure to leave. Musk posted on X in September that he “needs to resign.”
Whitaker said in a statement that he was committed to aviation safety and would “work closely with the new Administration to ensure a smooth transition.”
Trump’s transition team and Musk have not explained what steps they will take to avoid conflicts of interest.
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It (Department of Transportation) also oversees the safety of rail, cars, trucking and pipelines.
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Meanwhile, NHTSA sets fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. READ MORE
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- NBAA Issues Statement on Nomination of Sean Duffy as DOT Secretary (National Business Aviation Association)
- Sean Duffy Tapped As DOT Secretary: Fox commentator and former congressman Sean Duffy has been nominated as Transportation Secretary (AvWeb)
- Trump pick for DOT head Duffy has empty transportation resume (Roll Call)
- Trump Nominates Reality TV Star, Fox News Host to Replace Buttigieg (Advanced Clean Tech News)
- Chris Wright and Sean Duffy hold the keys to Trump’s EV plans. How far will they go? (E&E News Energywire)
Excerpt from Advanced Clean Tech News: In a statement released this week, American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear applauded the choice, citing Duffy’s focus “on issues facing our industry and supported pro-trucking policies to strengthen the supply chain and our ability to keep the nation’s goods moving safely and efficiently” during his eight years in the House of Representatives. READ MORE
Trump Picks Fracking Firm CEO Chris Wright to Be Energy Secretary
by Evan Halper, Maxine Joselow, Maegan Vazquez and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) The executive has taken a defiant approach to fighting climate change by attacking policies that call for a shift from fossil fuels. -- President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he has selected Chris Wright, the head of fracking company Liberty Energy and a skeptic of mainstream climate science, to lead the Department of Energy and to serve on a new National Energy Council.
In his announcement, Trump credited Wright as “one of the pioneers who helped launch the American Shale Revolution,” adding that “as Secretary of Energy, Chris will be a key leader, driving innovation, cutting red tape.”
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The fracking executive runs a foundation focused on dispelling the conventional wisdom on climate change and promoting expanded fossil fuel production as a solution to many of the world’s problems, an approach others say would drive dangerous levels of warming.
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Wright is an MIT graduate who developed new techniques for fracking — extracting natural gas by creating cracks in the Earth’s bedrock — that helped advance the shale gas revolution.
“There is no ‘climate crisis,’” Wright said in a video he posted on LinkedIn last year, adding that “the only thing resembling a crisis with respect to climate change is the regressive, opportunity-squelching policies justified in the name of climate change.”
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Wright’s appointment puts a strident opponent of clean-energy subsidies in a key Cabinet post as the Trump White House will be weighing whether to rescind billions of dollars in such incentives. Trump has repeatedly called for canceling the subsidies, which are helping to fund a range of climate-friendly endeavors, from consumers purchasing electric vehicles to oil companies investing in green hydrogen.
As energy secretary, Wright would be deeply involved in the allocation of such subsidies, as well as federal loan guarantees to energy projects. He would be in charge of the nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal, and he would oversee the domestic nuclear energy industry when the sector is seeking to extend the lives of existing reactors and bring new reactor technologies to market.
Wright’s antipathy toward clean-energy subsidies and rules that penalize fossil fuel emissions contrasts with positions taken by (Doug) Burgum (Trump's nominee for Interior Secretary and “energy czar” to oversee Trump's new National Energy Council). As governor of North Dakota, Burgum called for the state to become carbon-neutral by 2030, though he favored reaching this goal through nascent technologies, such as those designed to capture carbon dioxide and store it deep underground.
One of the biggest projects for capturing and burying greenhouse gas emissions in North Dakota is being bankrolled by (Harold) Hamm. Such technologies, which environmentalists caution are not an adequate solution to climate change, rely heavily on federal subsidies.
Another big challenge Wright would confront at the Energy Department is the nation’s power crunch, as demand for electricity from data centers, the manufacturing boom and electric vehicle adoption strain the nation’s power grid. Large new power transmission and distribution projects are urgently needed but have been stymied by fights over who should pay for them, the emissions impacts of different types of power, and the rights of landowners who live in the path of proposed projects.
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Other oil industry executives cheered his appointment. READ MORE
Related articles
- Trump taps oil executive Chris Wright as Energy secretary (Politico)
- Trump’s Energy nominee scorns most renewables, but not all -- Chris Wright’s fracking business has invested in a geothermal company that takes a page from hydraulic fracturing. (Politico Pro Energywire)
- Chris Wright and Sean Duffy hold the keys to Trump’s EV plans. How far will they go? (E&E News Energywire)
Excerpt from Politico: In 2011, he founded Liberty, a natural gas fracking service company. He also serves on the board of Oklo, a start-up Silicon Valley-based company developing a new type of small nuclear reactor. He caught Trump’s attention at a fundraiser gathering of oil industry executives in Houston in April.
Liberty and Wright are among the entities that sued the Securities and Exchange Commission over its climate disclosure rule. He testified before a House committee in April against the rule, where he argued that climate change is not within the SEC’s purview and derided the “destructive mission creep” of the agency. READ MORE
Excerpt from E&E News Energywire: Both Chris Wright and Sean Duffy — Trump’s picks for DOE and DOT, respectively — are critical of electric vehicles. Wright, who runs a fracking technology company, has called terms like clean energy “deceptive.” Duffy, a former Republican representative from Wisconsin, has disparaged EVs as unpopular with drivers and questioned the underlying causes of climate change.
If confirmed by the Senate, the two will have significant — but not absolute — authority to roll back Biden administration programs intended to foster a growing EV industry.
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The Department of Transportation sets the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, which complement the emissions standards set by EPA. Under Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, DOT wrote a five-year plan to boost fleetwide fuel economy to 50.4 miles per gallon in 2031 from 46.7 miles per gallon in 2026.
The Trump transition team has said the incoming administration plans to roll back the latest CAFE standards. That would involve a monthslong effort, including public notices, a comment period and a public hearing.
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“There won’t be a thumb on the scale to the same extent as there is now for one fuel type over another, ” said Andrew Wishnia, who was a climate adviser in Biden’s Department of Transportation for two years and helped write parts of the bipartisan infrastructure law.
Wishnia said he “could envision a Trump administration using that office to provide technical assistance to fuel types across the board.” For example, DOT’s EV-charging initiatives allow it to also fund fueling infrastructure for hydrogen, natural gas and propane.
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The result of the Trump administration’s efforts may be an auto industry that switches, at least in the short term, to building hybrids.
Hybrids are more profitable than all-electric vehicles, and allow the companies to benefit from the battery plants they’re already building, said Karl Brauer, an auto analyst with iSeeCars.
They’re also more popular with American drivers, who remain concerned about the high cost of EVs and the lack of charging stations.
Hybrids are more fuel-efficient than conventional internal-combustion vehicles. Though they’re not the zero-emissions solution that many environmentalists prefer, they may be the best way to cut pollution from the transportation sector, Brauer said.
“The best diet is not the greatest diet in the world — it’s the one you can maintain,” Brauer said. READ MORE
Trump Picks Doug Burgum to Lead Interior, RFK Jr. for HHS
by Isaac Arnsdorf (Washington Post) Donald Trump said during his speech at Mar-a-Lago he would name North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department. A formal announcement will come on Friday, he said. READ MORE
Related artices (see also White House for information about other appointments)
- Trump picking Burgum for Interior spotlights fossil fuels -- The choice of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum for Interior secretary underscores a commitment to increasing drilling access across federal lands. (E&E News Energywire)
- Trump has a new energy czar (Poltico's Power Switch)
- North Dakota Wants Your Carbon, But Not Your Climate Science -- A $9 billion plan to entomb CO2 emissions has a distinctly non-environmental attraction for the people of the Great Plains: It could allow the region to keep pumping oil and burning coal. (Bloomberg)
- Four things to know about Trump’s Interior secretary pick (E&E News Greenwire)
- Trump taps Burgum to lead energy council, Interior Department -- The president-elect said North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will serve a dual role to push for U.S. energy dominance. (E&E NewsPM)
- Trump picks Burgum for ‘energy czar’ — and interior secretary: Burgum will oversee sweeping plans to repeal climate rules, scrap clean-energy subsidies and boost oil and gas production. (Washington Post; includes VIDEO)
- RFA Welcomes National Energy Council, Doug Burgum as Chairman (Renewable Fuels Association)
- Trump names Interior nominee Burgum to head new National Energy Council -- The position will add a czar-type role to Burgum’s position as Interior Secretary to put him at the helm of Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” effort. (Politico)
- The Summit Carbon Pipeline Is Having a Great Trump Transition (Heatmap Plus)
Excerpt from E&E News Energywire: The pick of Burgum, whose state ranks third in the nation for production of crude oil, underscores Trump’s commitment to increasing drilling access across federal lands.
“We are going to do things with energy and land — Interior — that is incredible,” Trump said Thursday night at the America First Policy Institute gala, where he announced his plans to nominate Burgum. “He’s going to head the Department of Interior, and he’s going to be fantastic.”
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Burgum is a wealthy former software executive who was elected governor in 2016. He came into political office with no energy sector experience.
But North Dakota is among the states most transformed by the shale drilling boom that started around 2010 and spread around the country. Burgum recognized how important oil and gas had become for the state and the nation, said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council in an interview before the Interior announcement Thursday.
Ness said Burgum was a quick study.
“It’s quite been interesting to watch him over time become just an absolute oil and gas expert, in terms of how to move energy policy and what it means to our country,” he said.
Burgum touts the advantages of domestic oil and gas production and says he believes in “innovation over regulation.”
Burgum was a harsh critic of the Biden administration’s efforts to tackle climate change. But his views don’t mimic those of Trump, who dismisses human-made warming as a “hoax.” Burgum is far less combative, avoiding the topic of how fossil fuels drive climate change. He pledged to make his state carbon-neutral by the end of the decade.
He wants to achieve carbon neutrality not by cutting back on fossil fuel use but by burying the carbon dioxide they produce underground — a technology the Biden administration is also pushing. It’s at the center of EPA’s proposed rule to slash power plant carbon emissions.
Under Burgum, North Dakota became the first state granted primacy by EPA to oversee specialized injection wells for CO2, and the state is the endpoint for pipeline developer Summit Carbon’s planned $8 billion project to transport CO2 from dozens of Midwest ethanol plants.
“He’s not going to be all fossil fuel, but he’s not gonna be about an energy transition either. He’s about trying to essentially create ‘fossil fuel light’ through carbon capture,” said Scott Skokos, executive director of the Dakota Resource Council, in an interview before Burgum’s nomination announcement. “That’s what I would say is the No. 1 policy you’re gonna see from him.”
Burgum has also been an advocate of hydrogen and hydrogen hubs, another contrast with Trump, who has derided hydrogen cars as prone to exploding. READ MORE
Excerpt from Politico's Power Switch: Doug Burgum is now at the center of American energy and climate policy.
In addition to tapping the North Dakota governor as Interior Department chief, President-elect Donald Trump today picked him to fill a new energy czar position. That could give the wealthy former software executive sweeping influence over federal agencies to advance Trump’s energy agenda, writes Heather Richards.
Trump said in a statement that the proposed National Energy Council that Burgum will helm “will consist of all Departments and Agencies involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation, of ALL forms of American Energy.”
Burgum takes on the roles at a time when the technology industry’s voracious energy demand for AI-driven data centers could further strain the electric grid and upend U.S. climate goals.
Burgum was elected North Dakota governor in 2016 and made oil and natural gas production a priority. If confirmed by the Senate, Burgum — who had a short-lived campaign for president this year — would oversee a sprawling department of roughly 70,000 employees that manages the nation’s public lands and its vast energy resources, write Heather, Mike Soraghan and Shelby Webb.
While North Dakota ranks third in the nation for production of crude oil, it does not include much federal land or minerals. Less than 4 percent of the state is federally managed. Burgum’s affinity for fossil fuels and lack of conservation experience has enraged environmentalists.
Kierán Suckling, executive director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said Burgum will “sacrifice our public lands and endangered wildlife on the altar of the fossil fuel industry’s profits.”
Still, Burgum’s energy views differ somewhat from Trump’s stance that climate change is a “hoax.” While he largely avoids the topic of what is primarily driving climate change (answer: human activity), Burgum has pledged to make North Dakota carbon-neutral by decade’s end. His strategy for achieving that goal is using carbon capture and storage technology, which the Biden administration is also betting on to meet its climate targets.
Under Burgum’s leadership, the Environmental Protection Agency granted North Dakota the primary responsibility for overseeing specialized underground wells in which to inject carbon dioxide — the first state to win that right. And North Dakota is the endpoint for an $8 billion carbon pipeline project to transport CO2 from Midwest ethanol plants.
Plus, Burgum has also advocated hydrogen energy. In contrast, Trump has slammed hydrogen-powered cars as prone to exploding.
For a deeper dive into Burgum’s record on energy, working with Tribal communities and conservation, check out this story by Heather, Scott Streater, Jennifer Yachnin and Hannah Northey. READ MORE
Excerpt from Washington Post: The president-elect said Burgum would lead a new National Energy Council comprising all agencies and departments involved in the production, regulation and transportation of “ALL forms of American Energy.”
“This Council will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over long-standing, but totally unnecessary, regulation,” he added.
Trump has been transparent about what he expects from Burgum: an evisceration of the rules and policies that speed the nation’s shift away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner energy sources. The president-elect’s plans include revoking limits on planet-warming pollution from cars and power plants, ending a “pause” on new exports of liquefied natural gas, and abdicating America’s leadership role in global climate negotiations.
Trump’s priorities on energy are so expansive that his appointees are unlikely to address all of them in the next four years, said Andrew Wheeler, who ran the Environmental Protection Agency for 2½ years during the first Trump administration.
“There is a long laundry list,” Wheeler said Thursday at a Washington event held by the Federalist Society, a conservative legal group. “There is going to have to be a triage.”
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In appointing an energy czar, Trump followed in the footsteps of two Democratic presidents. President Barack Obama first established the role of a White House climate and energy adviser to help broker a deal on greenhouse gas standards for cars and trucks, and President Joe Biden tapped a climate czar to coordinate his administration’s ambitious climate agenda.
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Among Trump’s biggest targets are restrictions on power plant emissions and auto industry mandates that push companies to manufacture more electric vehicles.
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Trump has said that he wants to eliminate all of that funding, which he calls the “green new scam.”
But the subsidies are driving major investment in red states, where Republican governors are using the tax breaks to lure factories that make electric vehicles and other clean-energy components, as well as oil company investment in nascent technologies that capture and store carbon dioxide.
Among those planned investments is a major pipeline in Burgum’s home state. Burgum is working to help the oil tycoon Harold Hamm, a close ally and fellow Trump confidant, move the project forward. The pipeline would be used to ship and store greenhouse gases that are trapped during fossil fuel production and stored underground. Burgum’s appointment could give Hamm influence over policy related to drilling on public lands.
Ending the clean-energy subsidies, meanwhile, would require congressional approval, and several Republican lawmakers have already cautioned Trump against their wholesale elimination. The GOP’s narrow majority in the House could make any changes to the incentives a heavy lift.
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Also in Burgum’s portfolio will be overseeing the rebirth of the domestic nuclear energy industry.
Shortages of other forms of zero-emission energy have renewed interest in nuclear plants, with tech companies eager to lock down as much of it as they can to fuel their energy-hungry data centers. READ MORE
Excerpt from Renewable Fuels Association: President-elect Donald Trump has announced that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, in addition to joining his administration as Interior Secretary, will chair the new National Energy Council. The following is a statement from Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper.
“We applaud the formation of the National Energy Council and the appointment of Governor Burgum as its chairman. He fully understands the importance of adopting an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes renewable fuels, carbon capture and sequestration, and other innovative approaches to energy and economic security. We look forward to working with him in this new capacity. For far too long, federal agencies have operated in siloes when it comes to energy policy and regulation—we are excited by the prospect of bringing better coordination and collaboration to these important issues.” READ MORE
Excerpt from Politico: Burgum, a self-made multimillionaire, had been wary of taking on a role of “energy czar,” according to people familiar with his thinking, and instead had sought a position that came with formal power. This role atop the new council will combine the authority of the cabinet position with the broad reach across the top other agencies.
“There was buzz about Trump having an energy czar,” said Bob McNally, president of energy consulting firm Rapidan Energy Group. “We just saw a czar appointed.”
David Goldwyn, chair of the energy advisory group at the Atlantic Council think tank and a former State Department official in the Obama administration, said combining the two roles for Burgum showed how much influence he would have in the administration, but it could also could stretch him across the broad energy portfolio.
“I cannot recall another [similar] circumstance, other than perhaps when Henry Kissinger was both national security advisor and secretary of state,” he said. ”But both of those jobs have serious administrative and coordination responsibilities. So the deputy jobs both at interior and on the new Council will be very important.”
Trump said in his announcement the effort would expand all types of energy — including growing U.S. electricity supplies to cut consumer costs and meet the demands of the raft of new energy-hungry AI data centers.
The National Energy Council “will consist of all Departments and Agencies involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation, of ALL forms of American Energy,” Trump said.
The council will also “ensure that America has the power to serve all of our needs without the devastation of blackouts and brownouts, and to WIN the battle for A.I. superiority, which is key to National Security and our Nation’s Prosperity,” Trump added.
The energy council could be a more institutionalized version of initiatives by earlier White Houses to create an all-of-government approach to coordinating policy, but it could also lead to tension between Burgum and other department heads.
“Anytime you establish a policy coordination body at the White House, there will be natural tension with principles in agencies,” Rapidan’s McNally said. “It’s like herding cats a little bit, but it should minimize tensions so you either get to consensus or tee up pros and cons for the president to make a decision.”
The dual role idea won plaudits from North Dakota GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Burgum ally, who said he had been wary of limiting him to a czar position.
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Trump has made clear that a focus of his second administration would be to complete permitting reform that has struggled to gain bipartisan traction in Congress during the Biden administration. Fossil fuel companies and renewable energy companies alike have complained that critical infrastructure they need to get fuel and electricity to market takes too long to win federal approval.
Plans by tech companies to roll out a fleet of AI data centers in recent months are starting to drive a huge increase in electricity demand. That’s prompted utilities to warn that the huge power consumption from those plants could strain the power grid and lead to power shortages. Microsoft and other companies investing in AI to explore using nuclear power plants to meet their growing energy needs.
The architecture of Burgum’s role in the National Energy Council appears to mirror the roles Gina McCarthy and John Kerry occupied for Biden — plus a base for Burgum at Interior. READ MORE
Excerpt from Heatmap Plus: But Ramaswamy and RFK Jr.’s presence is providing cold comfort compared to the selection of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum – a vocal supporter of the project – to be Interior Secretary.
“We’re screwed,” wrote Dawn Shepard, a North Dakotan opposed to the project, on Facebook after the selection was announced. “He will get all Carbon Capture projects approved. I thought Republicans and Trump, included, didn’t believe in climate change. Trump’s not keeping his word.”
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“Those appointments are definitely a big thumb on the scale of the pipeline going through,” said Mark Hefflinger of Bold Alliance, one of the activist networks fighting the pipeline project.
In my conversations with activists and the company, it doesn’t appear there’s any easy way for the Interior Department – which oversees all federal land use – to grease all of the skids for Summit, so to speak. But there are a number of factors in its favor now: the pipeline will still require Army Corps of Engineers permits for water body crossings and those tend to require environmental reviews that heavily involve Interior. At the same time, all sides expect the Interior Secretary and likely Energy Secretary Chris Wright (an oil magnate) to champion beneficial Inflation Reduction Act tax credits for carbon capture, sequestration, and utilization in tax talks early next year.
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Trump’s comments on the matter have been vague, indicating he’s … well, being very Trump about this. “Well, you know, we’re working on that,” Trump said when asked about the pipeline at an Iowa primary event last year. “And you know, we had a plan to totally — it’s such a ridiculous situation, isn’t it? But we had a plan, and we would have instituted that plan, and it was all ready, but we will get it — if we win, that’s going to be taken care of. That will be one of the easy things we do.”
Ultimately it may be with many issues: whoever’s in the room last with Trump could decide the pipeline’s fate.
All the while, most state-level regulators have finished or are completing approvals of the pipeline, with the exception of South Dakota where Summit on Tuesday resubmitted its permitting application to the state’s Public Utilities Commission.
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But unlike how some farmers skeptically view agri-voltaics (e.g. dual use solar), the thought of a pipeline beneath the earth gives Bones (Walt Bones, the former head of South Dakota’s Agriculture Department) – a former farm regulator – no qualms. And the reasoning is simple: He doesn’t believe the pipeline, which will be buried, will impact his farming at all. And ethanol – unlike solar or wind – will feed demand for more farming.
“Basically zero impact to our land. We’ll still be able to farm over it. We’ll still be able to graze over it with our cows,” he said. “I know what the value is … [it’ll] guarantee the future viability of corn.” READ MORE
Special Issue: What to Expect during the Trump II Presidency
(American Energy Society/Energy Matters) From experience, we all know that when Donald Trump is president, nothing is certain. It is hard to predict how the energy sector will change, both domestically or around the world. This special issue of Energy Matters looks at past policies, recent campaign rhetoric, and what aides and analysts are saying to project what energy and the environment looks like during the next presidential administration.
- O&G production: President Trump has made it clear that he will support "drill baby, drill." However, oil majors have hit their maximum target output in the Permian and will not increase production at the risk of a lower price point. In other words, the Trump II presidency will not affect oil markets because the current market price of ~$80/barrel is ideal ... for the super majors that are drilling in the Permian. (Note: The Permian Basin boasts some of the lowest break-even prices in the world, typically below $50 per barrel for existing wells, while break-even for NOCs, including Saudi Arabia, is about $96/barrel. The market is exactly where the oil majors want it to be.)
- O&G emissions: The Trump II White House will relax regulations on flaring and leaks from O&G facilities.
- LNG: The current pause on LNG export permits will be lifted.
- H2: Grey hydrogen will get support; for instance, IRA hydrogen tax credits will be rewritten to benefit producers making hydrogen from fossil fuel. (Meanwhile, green and blue hydrogen will need to find a competitive price-point or else these sectors will stall.)- Nuclear: SMRs will get more support than large nuclear (which will face quiet opposition from natural gas). Deployment of SMRs will probably happen first in Virginia, where more data centers are being built faster than any other region in the US.
- Critical minerals/metals: Mining in the US will get support through new federal leases and relaxed regulations.
- Solar and wind: There will be talk about ending wind and solar tax credits but not a lot of action. (Much like the way the Trump I White House avoided ethanol/RFS, there is too much support for wind and solar in the Midwest states to cut the credits entirely.)
- OSW: Permits for offshore wind will be withheld, especially in blue-state coastal regions (similar to the way President Biden paused permits for LNG).
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- Taxes: There will be no extraordinary taxes on energy-intensive goods, but Trump II will propose a carbon tax on Chinese imports.
- Carbon: Federal efforts to assess the impact of carbon pollution (aka "the social cost of carbon") will be abandoned.
- Downsizing government: The Office of Clean Energy will be cut and the scope and scale of the EPA will be reduced.
- In the "hot" seat: California. The White House will attempt to revoke California's authority to set stricter air regulations than other states. Buckle up, this issue is destined for the courts because California will not back down.
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- Disclosures: Large companies will not be asked (by the SEC) to disclose their risks to climate change.
- FEMA: Related to "hot seat" in the Policy section above, California will have a difficult time getting relief funding from FEMA if there is a natural disaster.
- CB: Virtually all federal climate justice initiatives will be cut, especially programs that are directed to support disadvantaged communities (Community Benefit programs, or "CBs"). The federal government will not support energy sovereignty on Tribal lands.
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- EVs: EV tax credits will be limited and possibly abolished.
- LPO: Guaranteed loans will be frozen, or possibly redirected to sectors that strengthen energy independence/"dominance". READ MORE
Related articles (see also White House for information about appointments)
- Trump 2.0: The Engine of Change? (Engine Technology Forum)
- Exxon’s chief has a warning for Republicans (Politico)
- Biofuels groups are looking forward to a Trump White House (RFD TV; includes VIDEO)
- ‘Climate-smart’ farming grants face new fate under Trump: The Biden administration's signature program for tackling climate change through agriculture could be upended next year. (Politico Pro Greenwire)
- Trump trade policy seen as wild card for US soybean farmers (Reuters)
- U.S. biofuel policies expected to change under Trump (Western Producer)
- Biofuels industry hopes for year round E15, improved 45z tax rule under Trump (DRG News; includes AUDIO)
- NAFB Panel Explores Renewable Fuels Future (Energy.AgWired.com; includes AUDIO)
- BMI Says Trump Presidency Breeds New Uncertainty for Oil Price (RigZone)
- ‘Green’ hydrogen, we hardly knew ye (Politico's Power Switch)
- Where Gaetz and Hegseth stand on climate change (Politico's Power Switch)
- Trump pick for Defense secretary voiced climate denial as Fox commentator (E&E News Climatewire)
- Do Tariffs Work? The Answer Isn’t As Straightforward As You May Think (AgWeb)
- Chip Flory: ‘I Don’t Like Tariffs, But My Dislike Has Softened’ (AgWeb)
- Exclusive: Trump's transition team aims to kill Biden EV tax credit (Reuters)
- Listen: What will Trump’s second term mean for US refining and biofuels? (S&P Global podcast)
- Oil Industry Asks Trump to Repeal Major Climate Policies (Inside Climate News)
- From Biden’s tax credits to Trump’s cabinet picks, renewable fuels face uncertain future (RealAgriculture)
- RFA’s White discusses E15 in second Trump admin (Brownfield Ag News)
- Awaiting Trump, US auto execs further temper EV push (AFP/Yahoo!)
- Trump Tariffs Not Popular With Farm Leaders, With Some Exceptions (American Ag Network)
- Trump nominates union-friendly Republican for Labor secretary (Politico)
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Trump taps hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to lead Treasury (Politifo)
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Trump nominates union-friendly Republican for Labor secretary (Politico)
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Trump selects former NFL player Scott Turner to lead housing agency (Politico)
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Trump to nominate Marty Makary to lead FDA (Politico)
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Trump selects budget chief to 'dismantle the Deep State’ (Politico)
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OpEd: What the 2024 election means for California’s air and climate (Coalition for Clean Air)
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Exclusive: Trump prepares wide-ranging energy plan to boost gas exports, oil drilling, sources say (Reuters)
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Trump Tariffs Not Popular With Farm Leaders, With Some Exceptions (American Ag Network)
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DOE writes big check for ‘clean’ hydrogen. Will Trump back it? (E&E News Energywire)
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What’s left to do this year, optimism for the next Congress, and what might happen in the new administration with EPA tailpipe emissions standards. (Ethanol Report Podcast)
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Aviation sector officials warn of Trump effect on green jet fuels (Reuters)
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Grassley calls Trump's promised tariffs on Mexico, Canada, China a 'negotiating tool' (Des Moines Register)
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What Trump’s tariffs could mean for American energy: The prospect of added costs on products has big implications for businesses and consumers across the energy landscape — including at the gasoline pump. (E&E News Energywire)
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What Trump’s new cabinet means for ag, food and energy policy (Agri-Pulse)
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New Year, New President: What to expect for U.S. biofuels policy between now and Inauguration Day (S&P Global)
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Trump Vowed to Kill Biden’s Climate Law. Republicans Say Not So Fast. (Wall Street Journal)
Excerpt form Engine Technology Forum: Renewal of our Renewable Fuels Policy? Reducing carbon emissions can be accomplished in many ways; not just by electrification. The EPA’s tailpipe only emissions policy ignores the life cycle emissions policy that would lead to more practical options by boosting advanced renewable biofuels. EPA’s unwillingness to embrace a growth-oriented renewable fuels policy has failed everyone up and down the supply chain. Will the new Trump administration embrace domestically produced low carbon fuels and follow suit with supportive policies? Let’s hope so.
Renewable fuel producers and petroleum interests have often been at odds debating domestic energy policy. Finding some common ground would go a long way to helping ensure both futures for more traditional fuels and more renewable fuels. It should not be an either-or proposition. Renewable fuels are key to a sustainable future for all internal combustion engines.
Start your engines for new Auto and Commercial Truck Emission Policy. The Biden Administration implemented its climate policy by prescribing automotive and heavy-duty truck emissions policies that follow a similar approach: Adopt aggressive rules with challenging deadlines that push electrification, find out that charging infrastructure is lagging and car and truck buyers aren’t buying it as projected, compliance deadlines and costly penalties loom for all, and manufacturers’ planning and investments are upended. And, as we are now learning, sales of traditional combustion vehicles sustain all.
Automotive Policy: something’s got to give. Automakers are facing a multitude of challenges as they witness what happens when policy mandates run into market realities. Aggressive emission standards adopted by President Biden in March require automakers to produce fewer gasoline powered cars and more electric vehicles. Many factors (inflation, access to charging infrastructure) all contributed to a weaker-than-expected EV market that is expected to reach 9-10% of all new vehicle sales this year. This is substantially off pace to achieve President Biden’s goal of 50% of all new vehicle sales being EVs by 2030.
Add to all of that pressure California’s influence that will phase out the sale of gasoline powered vehicles in that state by 2035 conceivably followed by the dozen or so states that are following California. Together these states make up about 40% of the nation’s car market.
Along comes President Trump who has pledged to “eliminate the EV mandate on day 1.” But what does that mean? There is not an EV mandate per se, but rather the stringency of the light-duty car fleet emissions rules effectively forces manufacturers to sell more EVs or hold back on their gasoline vehicle sales. Adding to the uncertainty is the relationship of President-elect Trump and Tesla founder Elon Musk, who has the majority of the EV market in the country. Will Trump end the $7,500 tax credit on EVs that runs until 2032? How will California and its follower states respond to a new automotive policy? How will litigation outcomes impact policies going forward (23 states have challenged EPA’s Heavy Duty truck rules; 15 states are suing California for its truck rules)?
Rescinding or substantially modifying the most recently adopted light duty multi-pollutant rules that the EPA issued earlier in March to ease emissions standards seems to be a likely point of action in the new Administration. With the slowdown on EV adoption currently underway coupled with the new Trump Administration’s likely views on EVs, manufacturers will continue to be sustained by solid sales of their traditional combustion (gas, diesel) vehicles, and improvements in these traditional vehicles and introduce more hybrid technologies. Automakers have substantial investments and their own corporate commitments in zero emissions technology and battery manufacturing and charging infrastructure. These aren’t going away.
Trucking Policy: Something’s got to give here too. Truckers are hopeful that deregulatory and economic boosting policies in the Trump Administration help lift the trucking sector out of the depressed freight market. And it will be just in time as the industry faces a slew of new emissions rules and greenhouse gas reduction requirements from California and the EPA for new vehicles and future fuels.
The EPA’s new greenhouse gas rules for heavy-duty trucks (“Phase 3”) adopted in March effectively dictate starting in 2027 an increasing percentage of fleet sales be zero emissions technology, tied to the sale of conventional diesel and natural gas trucks.
California’s adoption of the Advanced Clean Truck Rule (ACT) and the Advanced Clean Fleets Rule (ACF) together respectively compel manufacturers to produce and sell and fleets to buy zero emissions technology in increasing percentages, which began this year in California. Ten other states have adopted the ACT rule, and nine states are on board with California’s more stringent emissions standards for nitrogen oxides rule. Some reports from California have suggested that already 10-months into the first year of the ACT rule, fleets can’t get the diesel trucks they want to order because of the rules limiting manufacturers from offering them.
And if this is not enough, the industry must make equipment acquisition decisions in 2025 and 2026 in advance of a new EPA emission rule that takes effect in 2027. In previous years facing an emissions milestone, major pre-buys of new equipment occurred in the preceding years, muting any environmental benefit from the new generation of even nearer-to-zero emissions levels.
More so than the auto sector, the commercial trucking industry transition to zero emissions technology is far more challenging. Thanks to the smaller size of the industry overall, the significantly higher infrastructure demands, costs of new equipment in general and zero emissions technology in particular, truckers are making business not emotional decisions. The growing number of state policies impacting vehicle purchase type and use are ultimately hampering both manufacturers and truckers; but can there be a resolution for all?
Truck OEMs, like automakers, have many investments and commitments at stake. They are producing an increasing range of fuel-efficient conventional engines and zero emissions technology for their customers. They too have taken on responsibility to help build out a nationwide heavy-duty truck electric charging infrastructure. These will succeed at some level in the marketplace as one of many options available. READ MORE
Excerpt from Politico: Exxon Mobil Chair and CEO Darren Woods urged the incoming Trump administration to avoid making turbulent climate policy swings — and he pushed the president-elect to reject carbon border taxes favored by some GOP lawmakers.
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But some members of his party, including a sizable number of Republicans in Congress, have spoken out against wholesale repeal of the IRA, citing the economic benefits it has delivered to their districts.
Woods, who took the top job at Exxon after his predecessor Rex Tillerson became Trump’s first secretary of State, said he opposed carbon border tariffs, which would impose fees on imports that are produced through processes with higher carbon emissions than in the U.S.
That type of tariff has been touted by Robert Lighthizer, who was Trump’s first-term trade representative, as well as some Republicans in Congress who said it would benefit U.S. companies whose products are cleaner than their foreign competitors. It is widely viewed as a response to the European Union’s carbon border adjustment mechanism, which would tax imported raw materials from countries that do not have a price on carbon emissions.
“I think it’s a bad idea. It’s a really bad idea,” Woods said. “I think carbon border adjustment is going to introduce a whole new level of complexity and bureaucratic red tape. I don’t think it’s going to be very effective.”
Instead, he said, a regulatory system based on the carbon intensity of products would be a better solution. That would still require the government to enforce some basic accounting standards and a framework assessing the carbon dioxide footprint across a range of products.
“Regulation will play a really important part of that,” Woods said.
The EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism has emerged as a COP29 flash point. China, Brazil, India and South Africa lodged a formal complaint against governments using trade measures to curb emissions, arguing it raised the costs of deploying green technology in low- and middle-income countries.
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Woods’ preferred approach on carbon intensity echoes several legislative proposals floating around Congress. Those are similar to other models that effectively reduced sulfur content in marine fuel oil and automotive diesel.
“Once we can specify carbon intensity, you can then unlock the capability of industry to meet those carbon intensity specifications, and every government can set that level based on their set of circumstances in their country,” Woods said.
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Despite Biden’s focus on green policies, the U.S. still became the world’s top oil and gas producer during his term and hit production levels unequaled by any other country in history. READ MORE
Excerpt from RFD TV: The Renewable Fuels Association says they have high hopes for issues like year-round sales of E15.
“He has supported year-round E15 from the start, so we’re certainly going to urge him in the months ahead, to work with Congress. You know, it can’t be an executive order solution this time…it’s going to have to be a legislative solution,” said Troy Bredenkamp.
The Biden White House only approved year-round E15 for several states. When it comes to electric vehicle mandates, Bredenkamp says he is hopeful a Trump White House can reverse some of those rules. READ MORE
Excerpt from Reuters: Trump tariff plans could cool US vegetable oils imports; Lure of cheap domestic soybeans could spur US crush expansion; Trump changes to Biden-era clean energy law remain unclear; Tariffs may send construction costs soaring, analysts say -- American farmers are worried that President-elect Donald Trump's sweeping tariff plans will curb their access to top soy buyer China, but tariffs could also lure companies to build more U.S. crushing plants, hungry for domestic supplies.
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Such expansion has faltered over the past year, as the U.S. market was flooded with cheaper global supplies of diesel feedstocks like used cooking oil (UCO) from China, tallow from Brazil and canola oil from Canada.
Now, these supplies are likely targets for Trump's tariffs while global supplies of other vegoils are tightening and prices climbing, analysts said. USDA data projects that global rapeseed oil supplies will shrink by 13% over the coming year with sunflower seed oil stocks down 24%. Indonesian palm oil shipments have dropped as that country plans to boost biodiesel production next year.
Potential new demand helped send Chicago Board of Trade soyoil futures jumping nearly 6% last week to the highest in seven months, traders said.
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Hefty global competition could dent incomes for farmers who just harvested the second-largest U.S. soybean crop ever at a time when crop prices hover near four-year lows.
If tariffs prompt retaliation by global U.S. soybean importers, big soy processors such as Bunge Global (BG.N),and Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (ADM.N), could benefit from a larger and likely cheaper supply of beans for them to crush in the U.S., industry analysts said.
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"If Trump goes the tariff direction, it is friendly for the U.S. crushing industry and capacity," said Kent Woods, owner of advisory firm CrushTraders. Woods added that U.S. soyoil demand would also rise if Trump blocks imported oils from benefiting from renewable fuel tax credits.
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Crushers blame the delays on the flood of biofuel feedstock imports, soaring construction costs and the end of cheap financing as interest rates surged to a 23-year high.
U.S. farmers looking to boost domestic soyoil demand have unsuccessfully tried to get Biden's Treasury Department to exclude imported biofuel feedstocks from IRA subsidies known as 45Z. It remains too soon to know if Trump will try to alter the IRA's clean energy provisions or limit imports of used cooking oil, said Susan Stroud, founding analyst at No Bull Ag consulting.
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Soy processors also expect higher construction costs next year. Tariffs on imported steel and processing plant equipment could prove unpalatable for crushers that have yet to break ground. READ MORE
Excerpt from Western Producer: Chris Hairel, vice president of consulting with Argus Media, said there are three key biofuel policy issues that could be affected by Trump’s government.
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The first is what will happen with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) renewable volume obligation (RVO) for 2026 and 2027?
The RVO establishes how much ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel the U.S. is required to produce and consume nationally.
The biofuel sector was already bitterly disappointed with the 2023, 2024 and 2025 targets established under outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration.
The mandates were far lower than anticipated and caused Renewable Identification Number (RIN) values to plummet. RINs are credits that are used to fulfill RVOs.
Hairel anticipates the biofuel sector is in for even further disappointment under a Trump administration with the EPA establishing less aggressive RVOs than they would have under a Biden administration.
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RIN values during Trump’s previous presidency were typically under US$0.10 per gallon, due in a large part to the small refinery exemptions.
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The second key policy issue will be the small refinery exemptions that became popular under the previous Trump administration, which exempted some refineries from having to comply with the RVO.
Those exemptions wiped out about 20 percent of the national RVO requirement, significantly reducing demand for biofuels and driving down RIN values.
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The final key policy issue would be whether Trump’s EPA allows blending to E15 in the gasoline pool.
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In general, Hairel anticipates that a Trump government will shift biofuel policy away from a focus on low carbon intensity and more towards a focus on supporting agriculture.
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Hairel said the other important thing to watch is the transition from the $1 per gallon blender’s tax credit, which expires at the end of the year, to the 45Z producer’s tax credit.
He noted that the final guidance on the new credit has not been released and that is unlikely to happen until after Trump’s inauguration in January.
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He also wonders if the existing blender’s credit will be extended since the new 45Z credit likely will not be implemented on Jan. 1, 2025.
It is even possible that the two credits could be stacked for a while, which would help projects planned for the red states.
Finally, Hairel believes there is an increased likelihood of individual states adopting biofuel incentive programs if they don’t see enough happening at the national level. READ MORE
Excerpt form Energy.AgWired.com: Leaders from the renewable fuels industry took questions at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention in Kansas City on Wednesday about what the future looks like for them now with a new administration and a new Congress.
Moderator Mark Dorenkamp of Brownfield led the panel with Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper, National Corn Growers Association CEO Neil Caskey, National Oilseed Processors Association CEO Kailee Tkacz Buller, and Clean Fuels America CEO Donnell Rehagen. One of the first questions they were asked was what they thought about President-elect Trump’s pick for EPA Administrator, former Congressman Lee Zeldin of New York, who was not friendly to the RFS when he was in office.
“We’ve been through this before with Trump 1.0 and Administrator Pruitt, not a particular fan of renewable fuels, so we’ve got our work cut out for us, there’s an education process that’s going to be happening,” said Cooper.
“I’m looking at it as an opportunity,” said NOPA’s Buller, who served in the Trump 1.0 administration USDA. “The more we can align on our messaging as a holistic biofuels industry, the better that is for all of us coming into the Trump administration.”
Caskey noted that much of what they are working for right now will require legislative solution like the Next Generation Fuels Act and permanent E15. “So we got some good news with Senator Thune being elected majority leader, he’s a good friend of agriculture and someone who’s going to champion our issues in Congress.”
Rehagen said whatever opposition Zeldin had to the RFS in Congress was years ago and things are different now. “One of the biggest changes has been the investment that the oil and gas refiners have made in our industry and that changes the dynamics,” said Rehagen.
A big topic was what will happen now with the Inflation Reduction Act and the 45Z tax credit, sustainable aviation fuel, tailpipe emissions standards, and lots more. READ MORE/LISTEN
Excerpt from RigZone: In a BMI report sent to Rigzone by the Fitch Group recently, analysts at BMI warned that the Trump Presidency “breeds new uncertainty” for the Brent oil price.
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“Although Trump will likely support the domestic oil and gas sector, not least via looser regulation, this is unlikely to materially alter the level of U.S. production growth in the short run,” they added.
“Output is influenced by myriad other factors, such as oil prices, input costs, and shareholder pressures and these will take precedence over the course of the year,” they continued.
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Hansen (Ole Hansen, Saxo Bank’s Head of Commodity Strategy) went on to state, however, that U.S. crude production “will likely only increase if oil producers see a profit, and with WTI currently trading near $60, the incentive to increase production further is very limited”. READ MORE
Excerpt from Politico's Power Switch: ‘Green’ hydrogen, we hardly knew ye: The incoming Trump administration could quash the nascent “green” hydrogen industry before it even gets off the ground, writes Brian Dabbs.
Congress has invested billions of dollars in the industry, which aims to make hydrogen from renewable energy or natural gas with carbon capture. Those projects are at risk if the sector sees less federal support under Trump, who suggested on the campaign trail that hydrogen cars could result in a “massive bomb-bang drop” (translation: explode).
Since the election, stocks have tumbled for large hydrogen companies like Plug Power, Ballard Power Systems and Global X Hydrogen. READ MORE
Excerpt from Politico's Power Switch: Let’s start with Hegseth: While the Army veteran and conservative commentator has little defense experience and has never run an organization larger than a small nonprofit, he does have a long history distorting and denying climate research, writes Scott Waldman.
Hegseth has described climate research as a vast left-wing conspiracy to impose government controls on American society. It’s liberals’ way to “play God,” he said.
If Hegseth’s comments translate into downplaying the role of climate science at the Pentagon, it could be bad news for the nation’s defense system, analysts say. The Defense Department has long used climate research in its planning and threat assessments, helping the military identify national security risks, protect troops from extreme heat, plan for more intense storms and prepare for harsher combat situations.
Then there’s Gaetz: Unlike Hegseth’s stance, the Florida Republican’s record on climate doesn’t exactly toe the Trumpian climate-change-is-a-hoax line — though he’s long been a loyal supporter.
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Gaetz has said repeatedly that climate change is real and driven by human activity. There “is a scientific consensus that the Earth is getting warmer. There is a moral consensus that we should do something about it,” he wrote in a 2020 autobiography.
“And I think history will judge very harshly those who are climate deniers,” he told me in 2017.
But Gaetz has also introduced legislation to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency, voiced opposition to climate rules and called the Green New Deal resolution a “socialist takeover.” READ MORE
Excerpt from Reuters: The team views the consumer EV credit as an easy target, believing that eliminating it would get broad consensus in a Republican-controlled Congress.
Trump could use the cost savings from killing the credit to help pay for the extension of trillions of dollars in tax cuts from his first term that are set to expire soon, the two sources said. Congressional Republicans plan to take up the broader tax bill as one of their first actions.
Energy transition team members expect the Republican Congress will deploy a legislative measure known as reconciliation to avoid relying on Democratic votes. Biden used the same tactic to pass the IRA. READ MORE
Excerpt from S&P Global podcast: Conventional oil refiners, many of which have invested in renewables, are hopeful that Trump will reduce support for electric vehicles, propping up demand for conventional fuels. Biofuels producers are looking for Trump to maintain the tax incentives that have incentivized investments in the industry under Joe Biden's administration, and are hoping for an expansion of E15 blended gasoline. However, tariffs remain the wild card.
Jeff Mower discusses these developments with senior downstream editor Janet McGurty, policy editor Eamonn Brennan, and US biofuels and feedstocks price editor Guadalupe Nunez. READ MORE
Excerpt from Inside Climate News: Perhaps most importantly, API asked the incoming administration to repeal the tailpipe and fuel economy standards for cars and trucks that aim to cut carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector, the nation’s largest source of climate pollution. The list also includes revoking a waiver that allows California and 12 other states to set tougher rules for vehicles. These rules together are expected to speed the nation’s transition to electric vehicles and significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions. READ MORE
Excerpt from American Ag Network: Troy Bredenkamp, senior vice president of government and public affairs at the Renewable Fuels Association, says “we are just looking for fair trade across the board…we’re not necessarily fans of a tariff approach to that.”
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall says “when tariffs are put on other countries, a lot of times, agriculture communities carry the brunt of the retaliation of what comes with those tariffs.”
But RFA’s Bredenkamp says sometimes tariffs are justified, like with Brazil’s 18 percent tariff on U.S. ethanol. “And we would certainly expect President Trump and his administration to realize that is an unfair playing field and take the appropriate response, which could be pretty significant tariffs on any Brazilian products coming into the US,” according to Bredenkamp.
In the meantime, Bredenkamp argues China should not get a U.S. tax break for its used cooking oil exports into America to make sustainable aviation fuel. “We would fully expect the Trump Administration to take a look at that and to take action to maybe a lot of that back or to curtail a significant portion of that cooking oil that is currently coming into the US,” says Bredenkamp.
The Biden Treasury Department missed its deadline this month to issue so-called 45Z tax rules governing SAF feedstock tax breaks. It will now likely be up to the incoming administration to do so. READ MORE
Excerpt from Washington Post: Trump followed that move on Friday by naming hedge fund executive Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary following days of hand-wringing over the position that is fifth in the line of succession and of keen interest to global investors. He also said he’d bring back his first-term budget director, Russell Vought, a key author of the Project 2025 policy blueprint who has advocated for unilaterally rejecting spending that Congress authorized, firing federal workers and taking control of independent regulators.
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Trump also announced plans to bring back controversial foreign policy aide Sebastian Gorka, who left Trump’s first White House under then-Chief of Staff John F. Kelly. Alex Wong, a former representative for North Korea and a State Department adviser, was named to return as the principal deputy to the national security adviser — a position Trump has asked Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Florida) to fill.
Trump’s choice for labor secretary, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Oregon), flipped the usual Republican pattern because organized labor lobbied for her while business leaders objected. He named Janette Nesheiwat, a medical contributor on Fox News, as his pick for surgeon general; former congressman Dave Weldon to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Johns Hopkins surgeon and public health expert Marty Makary as Food and Drug Administration commissioner; and retired football player and former Texas state representative Scott Turner for secretary of housing and urban development. READ MORE
Excerpt from Politico: But some of Trump’s populist campaign promises fall in line with progressives’ own aspirations. Those include making in vitro fertilization treatments free, ending taxes on tips and capping credit card interest rates. He has also promised for years to protect the popular programs of Social Security and Medicare. At times, he has promoted directing Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
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Progressives are clear-eyed that with a Republican-controlled House and Senate, many, if not most, of Trump’s populist campaign promises will not happen — if he were ever serious about them to begin with. But they believe that his voters want him to follow through. They also lack any power in Congress and are desperate for even an outside chance to influence policy.
Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Institute, said that his group conducted polling in the critical battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan during the final week of the election. He said the surveys, done in conjunction with the liberal firm Data for Progress, found that the majority of Trump’s voters want him to crack down on price gouging, raise taxes on billionaires, and strengthen anti-monopoly laws.
“Trump actually made promises to people, like helping those on Social Security, ending taxes on tips, and capping credit card interest at 10 percent,” he said. “His own voters believe he has a mandate on that, plus higher taxes on billionaires and big corporations. So let’s hold a mirror up to him and ask, are you going to be a hypocrite or not?”
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“There’ll be places where resistance is appropriate,” said Warren (Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)). “For example, if Trump follows his V.P. JD Vance in trying to ban access to abortion nationwide through the FDA, there will be massive resistance. If Trump follows through on his promises for more tax cuts for billionaires and billionaire corporations, we’re going to be in that fight all the way.” READ MORE
Excerpt from E&E News Energywire: Trump’s views on hydrogen hubs are not fully known, although his campaign website criticizes the fuel as “untested” and “plagued with safety and effectiveness concerns.” He’s also said he wants to claw back, or “impound,” infrastructure law funding.
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Some of Trump’s picks for top Cabinet positions have been supportive of hydrogen, however.
Among the backers of the hubs are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), Trump’s choice to lead the Interior Department, and a new energy council.
Any efforts by Trump to stall the hubs also could face opposition from major oil companies. READ MORE
Excerpt from Reuters: The expansion of green jet fuels could suffer a significant set-back under president-elect Donald Trump, according to aviation officials, who fear the reversal of tax credits needed to kick-start the sector.
The comments by members of airlines trade body IATA and American Airlines (AAL.O), opens new tab at an airlines industry conference in London are among the first assessments of what a Trump presidency could mean for nascent clean jet fuels. READ MORE
Excerpt from Agri-Pulse: President-elect Donald Trump is setting up a cabinet of unusually diverse views and backgrounds that together could have a far-reaching impact on the food and agriculture sectors. Farm groups will be counting on his pick to lead USDA, Brooke Rollins, to be an advocate for ag within an administration. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum could be a key ally on energy policy. READ MORE
Trump Picks Ex-congressman Zeldin to Run Environmental Protection Agency
by Timothy Gardner and David Shepardson (Reuters) Zeldin voted against Biden's climate change law; Opposed NY goal to ban gasoline-powered cars by 2035; In Congress, Zeldin backed environmental bills 14% of the time -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Monday he will appoint Republican former Congressman Lee Zeldin, who often voted against legislation on green issues including a measure to stop oil companies from price gouging, to head the Environmental Protection Agency.
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Trump, a Republican, will likely look to reverse many rules administered by the EPA on the burning of fossil fuels including one curbing carbon emissions from power plants and another slashing such emissions from vehicles.
Trump has said he plans to begin rescinding EPA and Transportation Department vehicle pollution rules on his first day in office and is considering paring back or eliminating EV tax breaks and other incentives.
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Trump also plans to rescind California's ability to set its own vehicle emissions rules, as he did in 2019.
President Joe Biden, a Democrat, reinstated California's authority. Trump will also decide how to spend billions of dollars in EV charging grants.
As a candidate for New York governor in the 2022 election, Zeldin criticized the state's decision to join California's Zero Emission Vehicle program that vows to end the sale of gasoline-powered only vehicles by 2035. READ MORE
Related articles
- Trump names Zeldin, former New York congressman, to lead EPA; Homan named border czar, promises worksite enforcement (Agri-Pulse)
- Trump picks GOP former congressman Lee Zeldin to lead the EPA (CNN)
- Trump taps former New York congressman Lee Zeldin as EPA chief -- Zeldin lacks an extensive background in environmental policy and will be tasked with rolling back regulations. (Washington Post)
- Trump picks Lee Zeldin to lead EPA -- The ex-New York representative was considered an ally of the president-elect on Capitol Hill during his first term. (E&E News PM)
- Trump Taps Lee Zeldin to Lead EPA; What Does It Signal for Agriculture? (AgWeb)
- Lee Zeldin’s Stairway to (Deregulatory) Heaven (Politico's Power Switch)
- Zeldin Opposed RFS as NY Congressman: Trump EPA Nominee Zeldin Opposed Renewable Fuel Standard as Congressman (DTN Progressive Farmer)
- Will EPA Be Friend Or Foe To Ethanol? (Midwest Farm Report)
Excerpt from CNN: One of Zeldin’s first tasks will likely be starting the process to overturn several of the Biden EPA’s biggest rules on climate, including tailpipe regulations for vehicles and rules aimed at slashing pollution from power plants and oil and gas producers.
Zeldin most recently chaired the China policy initiative at the America First Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank founded to promote Trump’s agenda, where he had written on national security threats posed by China.
Zeldin on Monday told Fox News that he will pull back “left-wing” regulations and focus on “unleashing economic prosperity” through the agency.
“President Trump, when he called me up, gosh, he was rattling off 15, 20 different priorities, a clear focus. He wasn’t reading off of some sheet, it’s the top of his head. And if I challenged him to give me 50 more ideas of what to do with this agency to improve the economy, I’m confident he would have done that,” Zeldin said shortly after the announcement was made. READ MORE
Excerpt from Washington Post: “Lee, with a very strong legal background, has been a true fighter for America First policies,” Trump said in a statement Monday. “He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards.”
Zeldin, 44, served four terms representing Long Island before losing the New York governor’s race to Democratic rival Kathy Hochul in 2022. A lawyer by trade, he lacks an extensive background in environmental policy.
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During the race for governor, Zeldin criticized many of Hochul’s climate and energy policies. He called for reversing a ban on fracking in New York, and he described her policies pushing for the adoption of electric cars and electric heating “out of touch.” READ MORE
Excerpt fromAgWeb: He lacks extensive experience in environmental policy, having not served on committees with direct oversight of environmental issues during his time in Congress.
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Zeldin joined Trump and Sen.-elect Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania for a roundtable on agriculture during Trump’s campaign in September. Zeldin praised Trump for addressing the “threat” of foreign entities buying U.S. agricultural land and highlighted Trump’s trade policies, including the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which prioritized American farmers and strengthened supply chain resiliency.
Of note to the biofuels sector, In November 2015, Zeldin and several other members of Congress sent a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy expressing concerns about the proposed 2016 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. The lawmakers worried that the proposed 2016 RVOs would require blending more ethanol than could be absorbed by the E10 gasoline market, effectively “breaking through” the blend wall. There were concerns that exceeding the blend wall could drive up the price of E10 gasoline for consumers. Ultimately, the EPA did finalize 2016 RVOs that were lower than originally proposed in the RFS statute, but still represented an increase over previous years. The agency attempted to balance the competing interests and technical constraints in the fuel market. READ MORE
Excerpt from Politico's Power Switch: President-elect Donald Trump blindsided the climate world Monday by choosing a personal ally with a mixed conservation record and little regulatory experience to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.
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At the same time, his past acknowledgments that climate change is real and support for crackdowns on some toxic chemicals don’t entirely match Trump’s campaign rhetoric — even if Zeldin cast a lot of votes against climate and clean air and water legislation.
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The former lawmaker also took an active interest in the health of the Long Island Sound and in empowering EPA to ban harmful “forever chemicals.” And he bucked his party in supporting the Department of Defense’s authority to plan for climate change. READ MORE
Excerpt from DTN Progressive Farmer: When it comes to President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, the oil industry and others who have opposed the Renewable Fuel Standard will have a sympathetic ear at the head of the agency.
Zeldin opposed biofuels and the RFS when he served in the U.S. House of Representatives during Trump's first term as well as at the end of President Barack Obama's first administration. In addition, Zeldin has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in political campaign contributions from the oil and gas sector.
Opensecrets.org shows that between 2007 and 2024, Zeldin received $269,608 from the industry.
When it comes to the RFS, Zeldin has joined other House colleagues in sending various letters to the EPA in opposition to proposed volumes increases.
For instance, Zeldin signed a Nov. 4, 2015, letter from 184 House members to then-EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, expressing concern about the proposed 2016 RFS volumes and asking the agency to keep blending requirements below the "E10 blend wall."
"Increased fuel efficiency has led to shrinking gasoline demand," the letter said.
"This current reality, coupled with an increasing biofuels blending level requirement has exacerbated the onset of the E10 blend wall -- the point at which the gasoline supply is saturated with the maximum amount of ethanol that the current vehicle fleet, marine and other small engines and refueling infrastructure can safely accommodate. We are gravely concerned, however, that despite the agency's recognition of the blend wall, the 2016 proposal acknowledges that it will be breached nonetheless."
The members of Congress also claimed the 2016 volume requirements were not going to be met absent of building out infrastructure to sell more E15 and E85.
"Therefore, this proposal is problematic not only in principle, but it is also impractical since it would take decades, not months, to build out the compatible vehicle fleet and install the necessary retail infrastructure to accommodate the higher blends of ethanol," the letter said.
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During the first Trump administration, Zeldin continued to oppose the RFS. In 2017, Zeldin cosponsored an unsuccessful bill to repeal the law.
Zeldin also signed a letter with 26 other members of Congress on Oct. 3, 2018, to then-EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler expressing "significant concern" about proposed 2019 RFS volumes.
"The proposed RVO would constitute a breach of the ethanol blend wall," the letter said, "jeopardizing automobile reliability and harming American consumers."
The ethanol industry still awaits action either from the EPA or Congress to make national E15 sales permanent year-round.
The 2018 letter signed by Zeldin raises questions about the validity of higher ethanol blends.
"EPA acknowledges that its RVO proposals are intended to increase the use of higher ethanol blends in order to meet the (RFS) mandate," the letter said. "However, blends like E15 and E85 raise concerns and now prove to be impractical and unnecessary."
In response to Zeldin's nomination, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor said in a statement to DTN, "As Rep. Zeldin moves through the confirmation process, we look forward to discussing how biofuels like ethanol can help unleash American energy dominance and innovation while saving consumers money and maintaining environmental standards."
Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, said in a statement to DTN that ethanol producers are hopeful the Trump EPA will re-examine policies supporting electric vehicles.
"We are hopeful that President Trump's EPA will prioritize efficient implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard, opening the market to higher-octane ethanol blends like E15, and revisiting regulations that force automakers to ramp up production of costly electric vehicles," Cooper said. "Our nation's economic and environmental goals can be achieved by simply empowering greater use of lower-cost, lower-carbon liquid fuels in more affordable internal-combustion-engine vehicles."
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As a member of Congress, Zeldin voted against the Inflation Reduction Act that passed the House on Aug. 15, 2022 (https://www.dtnpf.com/…), which included many significant provisions for farmers and ranchers.
The bill that became law spends hundreds of billions of dollars on climate initiatives including programs for climate-smart agriculture and renewable energy projects.
The law also includes hundreds of millions of dollars for installing blender pumps and other infrastructure to expand biofuels blending.
In addition, it created a $1.25-per-gallon tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel for 2023 and 2024. READ MORE
Excerpt from Midwest Farm Report: Geoff Cooper, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, says former New York congressman Lee Zeldin is not known for supporting biofuels. Now that President-elect Donald Trump has tapped him to run the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will that change?
Cooper is optimistic that economic and political dynamics have changed in ethanol’s favor.
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“Frankly, we think ethanol can check a lot of boxes and meet a lot of goals that the incoming Trump administration has stated whether it’s putting American energy first… leveling the playing field for trade, lowering consumer costs at the pump — those are all things that renewable fuels can help with.”
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In addition, RFA wants to see support for Sustainable Aviation Fuel with a clear path forward on tax credits for SAF production. He says while the U.S. leads the world in ethanol production, we’re at risk of missing out on leading the world in new ethanol uses, such as SAF. READ MORE
QUOTE OF THE WEEK --- Todd Brix
If you capture one ton of CO2 from the air or a flue gas stack and bury it, you’ve removed one ton of CO2 from the atmosphere. If, however, you convert that one ton of captured CO2 to make one ton of product that is otherwise made from fossil fuels, which emits seven tons of CO2, you’ve avoided seven tons of CO2 emissions, not just one ton. -- Todd Brix, OCOchem's CEO READ MORE
The Ethanol Bill Is Back: A Bipartisan Legislative Caucus Proposal Would Include a Deadline for the Newsom Administration to Approve Increasing Gasoline's Ethanol Eontent.
by Wes Venteicher (Politico Pro) A bipartisan group of legislators plans to re-introduce a proposal Monday aimed at reducing the cost of California gasoline by allowing more ethanol to be blended into it. The bill from the Legislative Problem Solvers Caucus, which is
December 03, 2024 Read Full Article
World Agri-Tech’s South America Summit --- June 24=25, 2025 --- Sau Paulo, Brazil
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Airlines Not Switching Quickly Enough to Green Jet Fuel, Study Says
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Trump Vowed to Kill Biden’s Climate Law. Republicans Say Not So Fast.
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Sort Out the Biofuels Provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act
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Ethanol Leader Urges Trump Administration to Quickly Set RVO Guidelines
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UECC and Titan Agree Landmark Biomethane Deal
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Microbiologists Join the Battle against Climate Change
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5th International Biofuels Conference --- May 8-9, 2025 --- Santa Marta, Colombia
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November 29, 2024 Read Full Article
Rotterdam-Singapore Green and Digital Shipping Corridor Conducts end-to-end Sustainability Certification Pilot for Liquefied Bio-methane Bunkering
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The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Futuria Fuels
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November 29, 2024 Read Full Article
Hyundai to Collaborate with Ulsan, Guangzhou Governments on Hydrogen Tech
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Haffner Energy Launches Its Hydrogen Production, Testing and Training Center in Champagne, France
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Poland's Hynfra Plans to Establish Green Hydrogen Plant in Egypt
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Safe Use of Additives - Start of the 2025 No-Harm Test Round: AGQM Is Offering Another Round of Tests for Oxidation Stabilizers and Ilow improvers for Biodiesel.
(AGQM) Interested companies can register until 13th January 2025. Additives are used in fuels of fossil or sustainable origin to positively influence their properties. To ensure that these substances do not cause any negative interactions with the fuel, other additives or the engines,
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Northern Power | Hydrogen Themed Business Forum --- February 13, 2025 --- Oulu, Finland
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Verso Energy Plans to Build a Hydrogen Plant in Oulu
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HD Hyundai Oilbank Advances in Biofuel and Circular Economy Sectors
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Lufthansa Cargo and Maersk Launch Cooperation to Support Decarbonization of Airfreight
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The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Valmet
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Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Plans Ammonia Shipping Newbuilds
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HH the Deputy Amir Lays the Foundation Stone for the Blue Ammonia Plant in Mesaieed Industrial City
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Growth Energy Files Amicus Brief in CAFE Standards Case
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Growth Energy, CFAA File New Opening Brief in Long-Stayed RVO Case
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Auramarine Secures Order for Two Hybrid Diesel and Biofuel Supply Systems for Meriaura
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Invizyne Technologies Selected for $2 Million Project to Advance Sustainable Aviation Fuel Capabilities
(Invizyne Technologies) Project is part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s BioMADE initiative to support U.S. bioindustrial manufacturing innovations and workforce development -- Invizyne Technologies, Inc., (NASDAQ: IZTC) ("Invizyne"), a leading designer of cell-free, enzyme-based biomanufacturing systems to produce commercially important
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
Capito, Manchin Announce Progress Empowering West Virginia to Permit Carbon Storage Projects
(Office of Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV)) Today (November 22, 2024), U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
University of Oklahoma to Lead Oklahoma Carbon Hub
(University of Oklahoma/PR Newswire) The $18.7M project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, will research potential carbon storage sites. -- A team of researchers from across the University of Oklahoma Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, Los Alamos National Laboratory, with industry partners, have been
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
CO2SMOS Releases Policy Recommendations for Accelerating CCU in Europe
(CO2SMOS) The CO2SMOS Consortium Urges EU Policymakers to Address Key Gaps in Regulatory and Funding Frameworks to Enable Widespread Adoption of Sustainable CO₂-Based Chemicals As the EU advances its efforts to reduce fossil fuel dependency and foster a circular carbon economy, the
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
Private Companies, Gyeonggi-do LP Gas Sales Association, and Korea DME Association Sign an Agreement for a Demonstration Project to Supply LPG-DME Blended Raw Material
(Bio Friends) Currently Proposing a Regulatory Sandbox for 12% DME Blending of LPG Fuel -- On November 18, Gyeonggi LPG Sales Association, Korea DME Association, Dawon F&C, and Biofriends Co., Ltd. held a business agreement ceremony at Biofriends Co., Ltd. DME Plant
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
Metsä Group’s Tissue Paper Transports in Scandinavia Switch to Renewable Fuels
(Metsä Group) Metsä Group’s tissue paper business is taking an important step towards more sustainable transports of its tissue products by arranging part of its outbound transports to customers in Scandinavia with fossil-free fuels. This shift is part of the company’s
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
Crown Oil Partners with British Antarctic Survey to Supply HVO Onboard to RRS Sir David Attenborough
(Crown Oil) We are thrilled to have supplied 1 million litres of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) to fuel the world-famous RRS Sir David Attenborough, operated by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) on its voyage from Maderia and Montevideo. Using HVO is helping BAS, and its
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
Progress in Maritime Decarbonization: Updated Fuel Pathway Maturity Map Highlights Key Advancements
(Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping) The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping is unveiling an updated version of its Fuel Pathway Maturity Map, providing the shipping and financial sectors with a comprehensive overview of the advancements
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Twelve
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This presentation deck provides an overview of Twelve, a company that develops and produces sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through a process called Power-to-Liquid (PtL). The presentation highlights Twelve’s innovative technology, which uses electrochemistry to convert carbon
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
Praj Industries Eyes Growth in Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Biopolymers and Energy Transition
(The Hindu Business Line) ... Praj Industries is setting its sights on opportunities across sectors like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), biopolymers, and energy transition and climate action (ETCA), with ambitious plans to triple its revenues by 2030. At a press conference, Dr
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
DHL's GoGreen Plus
DHL’s GoGreen Plus program is innovative in reshaping logistics to lower environmental strain. Aiming to redefine global transportation, the program integrates advanced solutions such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which uses renewable resources like plant oils to cut emissions, along with carbon-neutral strategies and emission-tracking
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
THAI Joins Forces with PTTGC-OR to Take off “SAF” Fuel, Revolutionizing the Thai Aviation Industry in Full.
(Money and Banking Online) THAI joins hands with PTTGC-OR to drive the Thai aviation industry into the era of sustainable energy, moving forward with the full use of aviation fuel or SAF, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%, the
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
Solarig Leads the Development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel with a Project Portfolio Exceeding 400,000 Tons per Year of SAF in Spain
(Solarig) • The company is intensifying its efforts in the race for decarbonization, reaffirming its Climate commitments. This initiative comes ahead of the Final Declaration of COP29 in Baku, with a portfolio of sustainable fuel production projects that will avoid the
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
AOPA Warns Pilots to Be Aware Of Varying Fuel Types
by Mark Phelps (AvWeb) With new unleaded fuels coming to market, pilots are cautioned to avoid misfueling. -- The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), in association with the Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) initiative, posted a warning today (posted below
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
Deploy Together 2024 --- December 4-5, 2024 --- Washington, DC
Deploy24 will bring together industry executives, investors, community leaders, and other public and private sector decision-makers from across the clean energy supply chain. Our focus: to accelerate the deployment of critical energy and decarbonization technologies in the United States. As Deploy24
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
Leading Automakers Set to Launch 100% Ethanol Vehicles: Gadkari
(The Hindu Business Line) Two-wheeler makers also expected to adopt the technology, according to Gadkari -- Major automobile manufacturers, including Mahindra, Toyota, Hyundai, and Tata, will introduce 100 per cent ethanol-powered vehicles over the next five months, with two-wheeler makers also adopting
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
Potential for U.S. Agriculture to be Greenhouse Gas Negative
Compiled by Jerry L. Hatfield, Ying Wang, Marty D. Matlock, and Charles W. Rice (CAST-Science) In 2020, U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action (USFRA) established an independent scientific working group to analyze the potential for U.S. agriculture to collectively reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
President-elect Trump nominates Greer for USTR
by Meghan Grebner (Brownfield Ag News) President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Jamieson Greer to serve as the next U.S. Trade Representative. Greer served as former USTR Robert Lighthizer’s chief of staff during Trump’s first term. Trump says Greer played an integral role
November 27, 2024 Read Full Article
Clean Energy Fuels Opens Expanded RNG Fueling Station in California City
by Jay Miller (NGT News) Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has opened a newly expanded renewable natural gas (RNG) fueling station in the city of Carson, California. Designed, constructed and operated by Clean Energy, this station is owned by Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (Districts)
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Eni and MSC Work Together to Achieve Decarbonization
(Eni) oday, Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi and MSC Group President, Diego Aponte, signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at developing joint initiatives in the field of sustainability and energy transition. Eni, an integrated energy company committed to the energy transition towards carbon
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
NORDEN Signs Sustainable Maritime Fuel Offtake Agreement with Meta
(NORDEN) Today (November 26, 2024), Danish shipping company NORDEN announced a sustainable maritime fuel agreement with Meta aimed at advancing the decarbonisation of the maritime industry. “We are proud to include Meta to our growing list of customers looking to decarbonise their maritime supply chains,” says
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
ZERA Enforces Ethanol Blending Mandate Amidst Controversy
(Bulawayo) The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has reaffirmed its directive for full compliance with Statutory Instrument 150 of 2024, which mandates the blending of anhydrous ethanol with unleaded petrol. The regulation, which took effect at the end of August 2024,
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
How USDA Awardees Are Shaping the Future of Agriculture; Cultivating Innovation through Conservation Funding
by Gloria Dabek (Carbon 180) This fall, dozens of farmers, universities, non-profits, and other entities kicked off the implementation of their Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG), after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced awards earlier this year. As part of the USDA
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
U.S. Department of Energy Announces Teaming Partner List for Upcoming Funding Opportunity
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is considering issuing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to support the development of new technologies to recover high energy-value materials from wastewater. These new technologies
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
The Fourth Annual Carbon Dioxide Removal Law & Policy Conference Recordings Available
(Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal) Wrapping up the IRCR's Fourth Annual Carbon Dioxide Removal Law & Policy Conference In partnership with Northwestern University's Environmental Policy and Culture Program, the Institute successfully convened the Fourth Annual Carbon Dioxide Removal Law & Policy Conference on November 18,
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
LysteMize Digestion of Livestock Waste: Lystek Announces Research Project with Support from Natural Resources Canada
(Lyste/Globe Newswire) Lystek International (Lystek) is excited to announce the LysteMize Livestock Waste Characterization Study with support from the Department of Natural Resources Canada and Brown and Caldwell. Lystek has been awarded approximately $585,000 from the federal government’s Energy Innovation Program, as part of the Clean Fuels
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Biofuel Consumption Surges Following Implementation of Canada’s Clean Fuel Regulations: Biofuels in Canada 2024 report
(Advanced Biofuels Canada/EIN Newswire) New report shows significant ramp up in adoption of low carbon fuels and cost-effective avoided emissions -- Advanced Biofuels Canada (ABFC) announced the release of the ninth annual Navius Research Biofuels in Canada (BIC) report, the annual quantitative report
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Eco-Energy Expands TERC Program with Launch of TERC-Biodiesel and TERC-Renewable Diesel
(Eco-Energy/Business Wire) Eco-Energy, a leading player in the low-carbon solutions sector, announced the expansion of its Transport Emission Reduction Certificate (TERC) program with the launch of TERC-Biodiesel and TERC-Renewable Diesel. These new TERC certificates are a revolutionary voluntary carbon program designed
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Chevron and CalBio Complete Renewable Natural Gas Central Processing Facility for Hilmar, CA Biomethane Fuel Project
(Chevron Renewable Energy Group) Completion of facility allows for renewable natural gas injection into PG&E pipeline -- Completion of the project was celebrated on November 19 with a ribbon cutting celebration at the central processing facility site. CalBioGas Hilmar LLC, a joint investment
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
IAG Announces New e-SAF Deal with Infinium and Remains on Track to Deliver 2030 Target
(Infinium/PR Newswire) Purchase agreement is for commercial volumes of e-SAF over a 10-year period; IAG expects to start receiving fuel deliveries from Infinium in 2026 -- International Airlines Group (IAG) today announced a new Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) purchase agreement with e-SAF
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Hydrogen: TotalEnergies Accelerates Decarbonization of its Platform at La Mède
(TotalEnergies) In line with its 2030 ambition to decarbonize the hydrogen used in its European refineries, TotalEnergies has joined forces with Air Liquide to produce renewable hydrogen at La Mède in southeast France. This new project complements the Masshylia project to produce green hydrogen by
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to the Agile BioFoundry
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This presentation, given by Jesse Colangelo of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), outlines the Agile BioFoundry, a consortium of seven U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories dedicated to accelerating biomanufacturing. The Agile BioFoundry focuses on
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Green Marine Transport 2025 --- April 2-3, 2025 --- Hamburg, Germany (April 1 for special tour)
The European Conference Green Marine Transport is a two-day event dedicated to maritime sector. The event will bring together key stakeholders from the maritime industry, including shipping companies, ports, policy regulators, major industry suppliers and technology providers, to address critical issues
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
From Eyesore to Asset: How a Smelly Seaweed Could Fuel Cars
by Gemma Handy (BBC) ... Now, a pioneering group of Caribbean scientists and environmentalists hope to turn the tide on the problem by transforming the troublesome algae into a lucrative biofuel. ... They recently launched one of the world’s first vehicles powered by
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Hydrogen from Biomass to Power Cargo Vessel in 40-Day Sea Trial
(Fuel Cells Works/Compact Syngas Solutions) • Waste-to-hydrogen producer Compact Syngas Solutions is supplying 200kg of hydrogen to power a groundbreaking zero emission 40-day sea trial in March 2025 The partnership between two British clean technology innovators will be one of the first times hydrogen
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
RFA Receives Ethanol Safety Training Grants
(Renewable Fuels Association) Once again, the Renewable Fuels Association has received grants to extend its award-winning ethanol safety training programs into 2025. The new round of grants brings the total funds received by RFA for safety training to more than $1
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
RFA to CARB: Time to Step Up Monitoring and Verification of Imported UCO Feedstock
(Renewable Fuels Association) In comments submitted today (NOvember 25, 2024) in response to a request for information from the California Air Resources Board, the Renewable Fuels Association urged the state agency to do more to ensure the integrity of imported used cooking oil
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Smart 20 Awards at Smart Cities Connect DEADLINE January 24, 2025
The Smart 20 Awards annually recognize global smart cities projects, honoring the most innovative and influential work. We will designate three winners from the overall awardee pool at the awards reception. Who Should Apply Strong applicants will represent innovative projects with current
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog Nebraska Ethanol Board's McPheeters Talks Biofuels Future in Trump Administration ... Cover Crops Future
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Nebraska Ethanol Board Vice Chairman Scott McPheeters spent time talking to agriculture journalists on all things farming and biofuels, during an Agricultural Communicators Network workshop in Omaha last week. ... One of the keys to ethanol producers
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Smart Cities Connect --- April 14-16, 2025 --- San Antonio, TX
We provide meaningful content and connect a thoughtful community of decision-makers to empower smart cities at all stages of growth. We accelerate the adoption of smart technology solutions, aid in problem solving, and amplify city resources for the betterment of
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Symposium on Biomaterials, Fuels and Chemicals --- May 4-7, 2025 --- Milwaukee, WI
This is a special conference of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. The first Symposium on Biomaterials for Fuels and Chemicals was held in 1978 and hosted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN). It was the first technical
November 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Auramarine and Quadrise Join Forces to Support Maritime Decarbonisation
(Auramarine) Auramarine and Quadrise will develop innovative solutions to improve operational efficiencies and decarbonise energy-intensive applications in the marine sector. -- Auramarine Ltd., the leading fuel supply systems pioneer for the marine and other industries and Quadrise Plc, the supplier of innovative
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Green Methanol from Paulownia Woody Biomass
by Victor Garlington (Bioeconomy Solutions) Green methanol from paulownia woody biomass is a promising sustainable alternative to fossil-fuel-derived methanol. Green methanol is produced using renewable resources and has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Here’s a breakdown of the process
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
2025 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards DEADLINE December 14, 2024
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The 2025 Green Chemistry Challenge Award application deadline is Dec. 13, 2024. An independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute will formally judge the 2025 nominations and make recommendations to
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Announcing the 2024 Green Chemistry Challenge Award Winners!
(ACS Green Chemistry Institute) The annual GCCAs showcase the most innovative achievements in green chemistry. This prestigious recognition acknowledges advancements in the incorporation of green chemistry and engineering into chemical design, manufacturing, and use. The GCCAs have been a joint initiative by
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Green Chemistry Education Awards for K-12 Application DEADLINE December 1, 2024
(Beyond Benign) These Green Chemistry Education awards for K-12 educators are designed to support the integration of green chemistry into educational settings. Beyond Benign hopes to empower and support K-12 educators to prepare their students with the skills to innovate for
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Green Chemistry Education Modules for Thinking Beyond the Textbook
by David A. Laviska (American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute) ... In December 2023, the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute (ACS GCI) Office of Sustainability hosted the Second Annual Sustainability Summit at ACS headquarters in Washington, DC. The theme of the in-person summit
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
ACS GCI Green & Sustainable Chemistry Summer School --- July 27 - August 1, 2025 --- Burlington, VT Application DEADLINE January 3, 2025
(ACS Green Chemistry Institute) The ACS Green and Sustainable Chemistry Summer School (GSCSS) is a highly selective week-long program for graduate students and postdoctoral chemists and engineers. Each year, approximately 60 exceptional students from North, Central, and South America and the
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Is It Time to Let the Social Sciences into Green Chemistry More Drastically?
by Ashley Baker (ACS Green Chemistry Institute) We had the opportunity to speak with Alessandra Quadrelli, Research Director at the Institute for Research on Catalysis and the Environment in Lyon, France and Advisory Board member for RSC's Green Chemistry journal. Her research focuses on the use of
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
U.S. Biofuel Facility to Go up within Stone’s Throw of Manitoba Border
by Jeff Melchior (Manitoba Co-operator) Facility to tap ag byproducts for sustainable aviation fuel in Minnesota -- A US$5-billion project close to the Canadian border will manufacture sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using low-value ag by-products and forest waste. DG Fuels, a U.S.-owned sustainable
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Felix Safo Danquah: Fueling a Sustainable Future; Faecal Sludge Biofuels in Ghana
by Felix Safo Danquah* (3 News) ... Environmental sanitation is a topical issue in Ghana as the sanitation value chain has serious gaps which renders it ineffective and needs to be addressed. According to the World Bank as of 2021, only 25.3%
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Revamped Taskforce Set to Deliver a Sustainable Vision for Aviation
(UK Department for Transport and The Rt Hon Louise Haigh MP) The Jet Zero Taskforce will serve as the driving force to make flying a cleaner, greener experience. -- Secretary of State for Transport launches new Jet Zero Taskforce with some of the most senior
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
EPA Report Shows US Fuel Economy Hits Record High and CO2 Emissions Reach a Record Low
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) EPA’s 50th Annual Automotive Trends Report shows that all large automotive manufacturers are meeting current GHG standards -- Today, Nov. 25, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its 50th annual Automotive Trends Report, demonstrating that model year 2023
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
India and Norway to Deepen Collaboration on Renewable Energy, Green Hydrogen, and Green Shipping
(Energetica/Fuel Cell Works) India and Norway explore ways to enhance collaboration in renewable energy, green hydrogen, and green shipping during PM Modi's meeting with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. India and
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
COSCO SHIPPING Signs Green Methanol Production MOU with CP Group and Freepoint Commodities
(COSCO Shipping) On November 15, COSCO SHIPPING, CP Group Co., Ltd., and Freepoint Commodities collectively inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the production of green methanol. This partnership aims to capitalize on each party’s strengths, foster greater collaboration, and establish
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Towngas and CPN Sign Green Methanol Distribution MOU to Promote Hong Kong as a Green Port
(Towngas) The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas) and Chimbusco Pan Nation Petro-Chemical Company Limited (CPN) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Both parties agreed to establish a long-term partnership to jointly develop domestic and international green
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Synata Bio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Synata Bio is a company that utilizes a proprietary technology to convert waste carbon emissions from industrial sources into valuable products. Their system, based on gas fermentation, transforms waste gases like carbon dioxide and hydrogen into
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
APHIS Issues Regulatory Status Review Responses: Covercress, GCMBNA, Moolec, and MSU
(US Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently reviewed the following plants modified using genetic engineering to determine whether they posed an increased plant pest risk as relative to non-modified comparator: Covercress,
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Neste and PCS to Bring Renewable Solutions to Southeast Asia’s Chemicals Industry
(Neste) Neste will supply renewable Neste RE to PCS in Singapore. PCS will produce essential products, such as ethylene, propylene or butadiene, for customers in various industries. -- Neste and Singapore-based essential chemicals company PCS Pte. Ltd. (“PCS”) have launched a cooperation for
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Firefly Partners with Brazil’s Sanepar on Feedstock
by Fayaz Hussain (SAF Investor) British sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) developer Firefly Green Fuels has signed an agreement with Brazil’s largest water and sanitation company Sanepar to increase its access to sustainable feedstock for biofuels production while expanding its footprint into the
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Uruguayan Company to Sell Biofuel to The Netherlands
(Merco Press) Uruguay is to ship to The Netherlands 300 tons of biofuels from ALUR's corn oil distillery in the Capurro neighborhood of Montevideo. These are the first biodiesel productions from distillery corn oils, it was also reported this week. The product
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
COCOBOD Makes Breakthrough in Converting Shea to Biodiesel
by Elizabeth Punsu (B&FT Online) Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), through the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), has successfully produced biodiesel from shea butter, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has said. Speaking at a durbar of chiefs and
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Bunker Fuel Hubs Report Problems with Cashew Nut-Based Biofuel Blends
by Jamey Bergman (Riviera) A Singapore-based fuel testing group has recommended that shipowners avoid cashew nut fuels and blends -- ’Several’ ships in the fuel bunkering hubs of Singapore and Rotterdam have reported operational problems after apparently bunkering fuel blended with Cashew
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Petrobras in Talks with Raizen, BP for Partnership in 'Big' Comeback on Ethanol
by Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Fabio Teixeira (Reuters) Brazilian state-run oil company Petrobras is in talks with Raizen (RAIZ4.SA), BP (BP.L), and Inpasa for a possible joint venture in ethanol, two sources told Reuters, as the firm's CEO aims big in a comeback to the
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Iowa Supreme Court Decision Upholds Survey Access for Summit Carbon Solutions Pipeline
(Summit Carbon Solutions) Court Decision Supports Progress on Pipeline Project and Infrastructure Advancements Across Iowa -- The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld Summit Carbon Solutions’ ability to conduct land surveys under Iowa Code section 479B.15, allowing the project to continue its careful
November 25, 2024 Read Full Article
Stellantis Line-Up Fully Compatible with Green HVO Fuel
(Stellantis) Full compatibility: All Stellantis cars and light-duty commercial vehicles has been validated for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) Diesel use, also known as “green Diesel”; Eco-Friendly Fuel: HVO Diesel offers the same performance as traditional Diesel and is derived from renewable sources, such
November 24, 2024 Read Full Article
DHL Express and Shell Sign Deal to Drive Sustainable Air Freight at Brussels Airport
(DHL Group) The 1-year deal includes the delivery of 25 kt SAF into Brussels via pipeline to the airport. -- 1-year deal for delivery of 25 kt sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) into Brussels; Expected greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction of around 80 kt
November 24, 2024 Read Full Article
Vision RNG Announces Renewable Natural Gas Agreement at Waste Connections Landfill in Nebraska
(Vision RNG/Business Wire) Vision RNG LLC has signed a 20-year renewable natural gas (RNG) agreement with L.P. Gill, Inc., a subsidiary of Waste Connections, Inc. The Jackson, Nebraska project will initially convert 1,200 cubic feet per minute of landfill gas into
November 24, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to The Price Companies and US Bio-feedstock Prospects.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This presentation deck is a company overview for Price Companies, a wood processing company established in 1965. It emphasizes the company’s proactive focus on sustainable growth by highlighting its innovative practices and commitment to responsible forestry. The
November 24, 2024 Read Full Article
MAHLE Awarded Contract from MAN Truck & Bus for Hydrogen-Powered Truck
(MAHLE) MAHLE to supply components for hydrogen engine of “MAN hTGX”, winner of Truck Innovation Award 2025; Series order for around 200 vehicles with first deliveries to customers in 2025; Head of Sales Dr. Roger Busch: “MAHLE solutions deliver performance, efficiency and long
November 24, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Awards for Up to $2.2 Billion for Two Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs to Bolster America’s Global Clean Energy Competitiveness and Strengthen Our National Energy Security
(U.S. Department of Energy) Gulf Coast and Midwest Hydrogen Hubs will Create Tens of Thousands of High-Quality Jobs, Deliver New Economic Opportunities, and Reinforce America’s Clean Manufacturing Boom -- As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy
November 24, 2024 Read Full Article
Retailers to Offer Discounted Gas Ahead of Thanksgiving: Circle K and Sheetz Will Lower Prices by 40 Cents per Gallon.
(NACS) Sheetz is reducing the price of its Unleaded 88 gas by 40 cents per gallon beginning Tuesday, November 19, through the end of the month, November 30, according to a report from USA Today. USA Today reported the discount will only be
November 23, 2024 Read Full Article
Drought Causes Challenges for Kansas Ethanol Plant
by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) The CEO of an ethanol plant in northwest Kansas says 2024 has been a challenging year. Derek Peine is with Western Plains Energy in Oakley. “For us in particular, we suffered another year of drought. So that’s
November 23, 2024 Read Full Article
EPA: 1 New SRE Petition Filed, 130 SRE Petitions Currently Pending
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Nov. 21 released updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data, reporting that one new SRE petition has been filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard in the past month. According to EPA, 130
November 23, 2024 Read Full Article
Trump Selects Brooke Rollins to Be Agriculture Secretary
by y Maegan Vazquez (Washington Post) Rollins runs the America First Policy Institute, which has largely stayed out of the spotlight but has made numerous proposals for the second term. -- President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he has picked Brooke Rollins, a former
November 23, 2024 Read Full Article
Automakers to Trump: Please Require Us to Sell Electric Vehicles
by Coral Davenport and Jack Ewing (New York Times) Three of the nation’s largest automakers, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, are strategizing with other car manufacturers on how to make a delicate request of President-elect Donald J. Trump: Don’t scrap the
November 23, 2024 Read Full Article
Argus Biomass Industry Awards Nomination DEADLINE March 4, 2025
(Argus Media) The Argus Biomass Industry Awards recognises the thought leadership and key efforts of individuals and companies in tackling climate change and leading by example, to bring sustainability to the forefront of business. Submit your entry today to nominate an
November 23, 2024 Read Full Article
Agents of Change Youth Fellowship Application DEDLINE December 15, 2024
(Wilson Center) Recognizing the significance of the MENA region when it comes to climate response and the potential for youth leadership in the region to shape a more sustainable, peaceful, and prosperous future for the world, the Wilson Center is
November 23, 2024 Read Full Article
Trump Picks Scott Bessent, Financier Who Embraced MAGA, for Treasury
by Jeff Stein (Washington Post) Bessent, who prevailed after an intense lobbying effort by his allies, has emerged over the past year as a trusted Trump adviser -- President-elect Donald Trump on Friday selected hedge fund executive Scott Bessent to be the next
November 23, 2024 Read Full Article
Study Finds American-Made e-Fuels Could Transform Aviation and Grid Resilience while Halving Emissions
(International Airport Review) A new study reveals that American-made e-fuels, produced using surplus renewable energy and waste CO2, could significantly reduce aviation emissions, enhance grid resilience, and drive economic growth. -- A new paper from the Environmental Defense Fund, Intermittent Production of Electricity-based
November 22, 2024 Read Full Article
Fischbach, Ways and Means Colleagues Request Input from Stakeholders on Biofuel Tax Policy
(Office of Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-07) ) Yesterday, Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach (MN-07) and several of her colleagues on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee released a request for information from relevant stakeholders on biofuel tax policy. Public Law 117-169, enacted in 2022, made significant
November 22, 2024 Read Full Article
A Major Turn: Big Oil Bets on Biofuels with More than 40 Projects Planned by Turn of Decade
by Lars Klesse and Kartik Selvaraju (Rystad Energy) Under increasing pressure to decarbonize and shift away from traditional fossil fuels, the world’s leading oil and gas companies are ramping up investments in the biofuels sector. Major players such as BP, Chevron, Shell,
November 22, 2024 Read Full Article
EPRI, TVA Complete World's Largest Renewable Diesel-Powered Combustion Turbine Demonstration
(EPRI) EPRI and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced the successful demonstration of renewable diesel as a combustion turbine fuel for power generation. The demonstration---the first U.S. test and the largest conducted in the world---was performed on a 76-megawatt dual-fuel natural
November 22, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaJet
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This presentation deck for LanzaJet highlights the company’s role in the growing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) market. The presentation deck emphasizes the urgent need for SAF due to increased air travel and environmental concerns, presenting SAF
November 22, 2024 Read Full Article
Georgia Hydrogen Summit --- December 4, 2024 --- Atlanta, GA
Hydrogen is rapidly emerging as a game-changer for policymakers, economic development leaders, and transportation innovators worldwide. It presents incredible opportunities for innovation, growth, and sustainable economic transformation as a clean energy solution. Georgia is now embracing hydrogen’s potential to play
November 22, 2024 Read Full Article
Sen. Moran Meets with SAF Coalition
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) visited with members of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Coalition in Washington D.C. this week, where he discussed the need for greater legislative efforts to support the production and deployment of SAF in the 119th
November 22, 2024 Read Full Article
Sora Fuel and Emerging Fuels Technology, Inc. Will Collaborate to Accelerate Development of Efficient, Globally Scalable Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to Meet Growing Market Demand.
(Sora Fuel/Business Wire) Combination of leading technologies is game changing in the race to decarbonize air travel which accounts for 2.5% of global CO2 emissions and 4% of global warming. -- Sora Fuel, a venture-backed startup that produces sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using only water,
November 21, 2024 Read Full Article
EcoCeres and Euglena Enter into Memorandum of Understanding to Promote Sustainable Aviation Fuel and Renewable Diesel Usage in Japan
(EcoCeres) EcoCeres Inc.,(EcoCeres) a leading pure-play renewable fuel producer, and Euglena Co., Ltd.,(Euglena) a leading innovative biotechnology company, are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on November 18, 2024, to collaborate in promoting the use
November 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Danish Front-Runners Sign Milestone Agreement to Drive Sustainable Aviation Transformation
(SAS Group) In a landmark move towards a sustainable aviation industry, SAS, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Copenhagen Airport, and Aalborg Airport have signed a collaboration agreement to form a joint and united front, supporting Danish production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (eSAF). This partnership
November 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Private Sector Buyers Drive Sustainable Aviation Fuel Growth Through Strategic Purchases
(Watershed) Through Watershed, companies including BlackRock, Ripple, Samsara Inc., and Block, Inc. are taking steps to address their corporate emissions by purchasing SAFc that will add sustainable aviation fuel directly to Alaska Airlines passenger flights, leading to an estimated 75% reduction
November 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Sulzer Technology Enabling Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production in China
(Sulzer) Sulzer solutions have been selected for high-quality Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production in support of China’s carbon neutrality strategy. Made from renewable feedstocks, SAF meets rigorous aviation performance standards while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. The
November 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Whyalla Set to Take Flight with Sustainable Aviation Fuel Project
(Government of South Australia) Energy company Zero Petroleum will explore the development of a low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel production facility in Whyalla, with the support of the State Government and industry. Zero Petroleum, a leading producer of synthetic fuel, is exploring the
November 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Trump Administration Plans to Roll Back Biden's Stricter Fuel-Efficiency Standards
by David Shepardson, Rachael Levy and Chris Kirkham (Reuters) Effort would be similar to Trump policy during first administration; Move aims to satisfy campaign promise to end EV mandate; Automakers find Biden regulations too onerous, source says - President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration plans to target federal
November 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden Inks Billion-Dollar Climate Deals to Foil Trump Rollbacks
by Benjamin Storrow, Kelsey Tamborrino, Brian Dabbs and Jessie Blaeser (Politico) The administration is accelerating the approval of large loans for clean technologies that the president-elect attacked on the campaign trail. ... The Department of Energy is racing to close $25 billion
November 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Federal Agencies Announce New Sustainable Aviation Fuel Implementation Framework to Reduce U.S. Aviation Carbon Emissions
(U.S. Department of Energy) New Implementation Framework Identifies Key Opportunities to Increase Biofuel Production To Deliver Economic Opportunities and Healthier Communities to Rural and Agricultural Areas Across America -- An interagency team led by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S.
November 20, 2024 Read Full Article
HSBC, Cathay Pacific and EcoCeres Partner for Major Sustainable Aviation Fuel Initiative in Hong Kong
(Cathay Pacific) Tri-party pilot will support Hong Kong’s use of innovative decarbonisation technologies and Hong Kong’s aspiration as a regional SAF hub -- HSBC Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific and EcoCeres are launching a significant initiative to support the use of sustainable aviation
November 20, 2024 Read Full Article
PM Modi Meets Brazilian President Lula, Reaffirms Cooperation in Energy, Biofuels, Defence
(Economic Times) Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with various world leaders, including Brazilian President Lula, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in sectors like energy, defense, and agriculture.
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
China to Launch First Marine Biofuel Export Quotas in 2025 to Support Biodiesel Industry
by Tim Jay (Global Trade) China plans to issue its first export quotas for marine bunker fuel blended with biodiesel, aiming to bolster domestic biofuel producers affected by European Union anti-dumping tariffs. Industry sources and consultancy JLC report that the government
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Turn Your Cooking Oil into Biofuel Research at the Gobble Grease Toss --- November 29, 2024 --- Lexington, KY
by Lindsay Travis (University of Kentucky) Lexington residents can help advance biofuel research at the University of Kentucky by recycling used cooking oil at the 15th annual Gobble Grease Toss. The event will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 29, at Redwood Cooperative School, 166 Crestwood
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit --- March 11-12, 2025 --- San Francisco, CA
Join 2,500 global leaders from agribusinesses, technology giants, food brands, farmers, policymakers, investors, and start-ups for strategic networking, exclusive industry insight and start-up discovery. Scaling Performance-Driven Solutions for Climate & Economy The World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco unites more than
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
COP29: UN Approves Article 6.4, Launches Global Carbon Market
by Vasil Velev (Carbon Herald) COP29 has started at a blistering pace with the approval of the Article 6.4 mechanism, laying the foundation for countries to trade carbon emission reductions. Through these trades higher emitting economies will ideally be able to achieve their climate
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Germany Pauses Biofuel Ticket Rollovers to Address Oversupply
by Thomas Washington (S&P Global) Over-compliance with CO2 reductions of 24% in 2022 alone; Industry lobby groups identify certification of imports as problem; Producers across Europe have been struggling -- Germany has put a halt to greenhouse gas emissions ticket rollovers in 2025 and
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Finding Could Help Turn Trees Into Affordable, Greener Industrial Chemicals
(North Carolina State University News) ... Lignin, a polymer that makes trees rigid and resistant to degradation, has proven problematic. Now those NC State researchers know why: They’ve identified the specific molecular property of lignin — its methoxy content — that
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
White House Releases Report on Growing U.S. Biomanufacturing Capacity for the American Bioeconomy
(White House) The global bioeconomy is projected to expand at a rapid pace in the coming decade due to advancements in key technology areas, such as the ability to program microbes to act as microscopic factories by manipulating their DNA. The
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
RFA Applauds Formation of National Energy Council
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) President-elect Donald Trump on Nov. 15 announced plans to launch the National Energy Council, which aims to oversee a path to “U.S. energy dominance.” North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will chair the council. Trump
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
House GOP Tax Writers Seek Industry Input on Biofuel Credits
by Chris Cioffi (Bloomberg Tax) House Republican tax writers are seeking comments from biofuel supply chain stakeholders as existing tax credits near expiration and Treasury guidance on a replacement credit remains outstanding. Guidance on the 45Z credit enacted in the Democrats’ 2022
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
MetGen Integration with NewEnergyBlue Will Create Full Array of Biochemicals Refined from Agricultural Waste
(NewEnergyBlue/PR Newswire) NewEnergyBlue, the clean-technology designer of biomass refineries that turn agricultural waste into highly decarbonized biofuels and biochemicals, and MetGen, the Finnish pioneer in advanced enzymes and lignin fractionization, today began integrating their renewable technologies and business units to vigorously
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
bp and MIGASA Agree to Supply Non-food Industrial Waste to Produce Biofuels at the Castellón Refinery
(bp) -- bp has signed an agreement with the agri-food group MIGASA for the supply of up to 40,000 tonnes per year of non-food industrial waste from vegetable oil for a decade. -- bp will use the biological feedstock to produce
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Corteva Announces Intent to Partner with bp to Develop Low Carbon Intensity Bio-Feedstock for Aviation Fuel Production
(Corteva/PR Newswire) Corteva Inc. (NYSE: CTVA) announced today a collaboration with bp (NYSE: BP, LSE: BP.L) on the companies' shared intent to form a crop-based biofuel feedstock joint venture (JV). The JV envisaged by Corteva and bp would produce and deliver crop-based biofuel feedstocks
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Sustainable Marine Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This presentation deck from Due Diligence Wolf Paul Bryan provides a brief overview of the shipping industry, highlighting its significant role in global trade and its substantial contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. The presentation deck emphasizes
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Credit Program Offers Incentives for Missouri Fleets
by Valerie Swiantek (NGT News) The Biodiesel Coalition of Missouri (BCM) is opening a cost-share opportunity for fleets — the Biodiesel Credit Program. This annual program is reserved for fleet operations located in Missouri that utilize biodiesel blends of B6 or higher. “Missouri biodiesel
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Indigo Ag and Truterra Form ‘Landmark Collaboration’ in Carbon
by Margy Eckelkamp (AgWeb) After being in the market alongside each other for four years, Truterra will begin offering Indigo Ag carbon programs, and Indigo Ag science will back Truterra’s carbon measurement. -- Today (November 18, 2024), Indigo Ag and Truterra announced
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Chairwoman Stabenow Introduces Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act (Farm Bill)
(Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry) U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) Monday introduced the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act. The bill includes $39 billion in new resources to keep farmers farming, families fed, and
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Future Hydrogen VTOL Flies Free
by Russ Niles (AvWeb) Vertiia is designed as a long-range, high-speed VTOL. -- The first free flight of an eVTOL that will be powered by hydrogen took place in Australia earlier this week. The Vertiia used battery power to do 50 vertical takeoffs and
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Trump Picks Former Congressman Sean Duffy to Lead Transportation Dept.
by Ian Duncan (Washington Post) President-elect Donald Trump said in a statement Monday he has selected former congressman and Fox Business host Sean P. Duffy to run the Transportation Department, a job that comes with a vast budget and sweeping safety
November 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Washington, D.C., Is about to Get Busy: What Will Happen during the 76-Day Sprint from Election Day to Inauguration Day
by Mark J. Washko (Bergeson & Campbell) There is much that happens in Washington, D.C., and in the states in the 76 days between Election Day (November 5, 2024) and Inauguration Day (January 20, 2025). My last post identified some of the unfinished business
November 18, 2024 Read Full Article
New International Bioeconomy Forum Strengthens Engagement Between U.S. and India on Promoting and Protecting the Bioeconomy
by Sydney O’Shaughnessy (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine) On September 13, 2024, the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE) and the U.S. National Academies’ International Bioeconomy Roundtable held an in-person event at the Global Bio-India 2024 conference in New Delhi, India, to discuss the
November 18, 2024 Read Full Article
China to End Export Tax Rebates on Aluminum, Copper, Biofuel Feedstock Dec. 1
(S&P Global) ... In a statement Nov. 15, China's finance ministry said that from next month, it will end tax relief for exports of products spanning aluminum, copper and biofuel feedstocks, which previously benefited from a 13% rebate on export duties. Reduced
November 18, 2024 Read Full Article
5 Stocks that Benefit from Car Modernization and Biofuel Expansion by Mover e Combustível do Futuro
(Global Happenings) ... Fuel of the Future includes incentives for biofuels, creating mandates for SAF , green diesel and biomethane. ... “We should have a broad renewal of car engines by 2032 and the main automakers have already announced around 130 billion investments
November 18, 2024 Read Full Article
Interview: Biofuel Sector Unprepared for Launch of EU Traceability Platform: BioLedger
by Suzanna Hayek and Uzma Gulbahar (S&P Global) Lack of motivation to register across supply chain: CEO; Potential impacts on supplies -- The deadline for implementing the EU's biofuels traceability platform, the Union Database for Biofuels, is rapidly approaching on Nov. 21, yet
November 18, 2024 Read Full Article
Interview: Star Bulk Will Use Biofuels to Comply with FuelEU Maritime Rules
by Max Lin (S&P Global) Large bulker operator to introduce bioblends to bunker mix from 2025; Company size allows Star Bulk to use EU's pooling mechanism: exec; Regulatory clarity needed for methanol, LNG and ammonia investments -- Star Bulk -- one of the largest
November 18, 2024 Read Full Article
Gasum Selects Wärtsilä for Another BioLNG Project in Sweden
(Wärtsilä) Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, will supply Nordic energy company Gasum with biogas upgrading and liquefaction solutions for their new bioLNG plant. The plant will produce high-quality bioLNG from agricultural and organic household waste. The order was booked
November 18, 2024 Read Full Article
Sweet Sorghum Farmers Waiting for Govt to Announce Separate Ethanol Pricing
by Prabhudatta Mishra (The Hindu Business Line) A swift decision may help some mills to start convince farmers to plant the crop in January since meeting the sowing window is very crucial for the success of any biofuel project -- Trial of