Federal Agency/Executive Branch – Advanced BioFuels USA

Biden-Backed California Rule Pushes Clean Trucks

by Camille Von Kenel and Alex Guillen (Politico) Truck manufacturers will have to sell an increasing share of zero emissions vehicles now that the EPA has approved California’s regulations. California will require more zero emission trucks on the roads after a key Biden administration approval, a move that is bound

March 31, 2023 Read Full Article

Green Recovery Alliance: Accessing Federal Funding for Climate Action in US States and Localities — April 4, 2023 — ONLINE DEADLINE April 28, 2023

On April 4, 2023, 2-3:30 pm Eastern, as part of the Green Recovery Alliance, the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) and the Climate Group (CG) will host a webinar for states, tribes, localities, and interested stakeholders on opportunities and needs regarding applications for the upcoming US EPA Climate Pollution Reduction

March 31, 2023 Read Full Article

New Consortium Advances Technologies that Use Renewable Electricity to Turn Carbon Dioxide into Fuel

(U.S. Department of Energy) A new consortium of five U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories is developing an integrated portfolio of technologies that use renewable electricity to upgrade carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuels and chemicals. The CO2 Reduction and Upgrading for E-Fuels Consortium (CO2RUe) is funded by DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and

March 31, 2023 Read Full Article

Wastewater to Energy: New Treatment Process Can Improve Biorefinery Sustainability

(Univeristy of Illinois at Urgana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment/EurekAlert!) CABBI design simultaneously treats water and recovers biogas, generating revenue and reducing GHG emissions — Wastewater from biorefineries that convert plants into fuel is full of organic materials that cannot be efficiently treated with conventional wastewater systems, making it costly

March 31, 2023 Read Full Article

Fiery Train Derailment in Minnesota Prompts Evacuations

(Associated Press) A train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire in Minnesota early Thursday and nearby residents were ordered to evacuate their homes, authorities said. The BNSF train derailed in the town of Raymond, roughly 100 miles (161 kilometers) west of Minneapolis, about 1 a.m., according to a statement

March 30, 2023 Read Full Article

Rep. Schrier Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Aid Biofuel Research and Development

by Adrian Cortez (Office of Rep. Kim Schrier D-WA/Quad City Herald) U.S. Representatives Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME) introduced the Biochar Research Network Act of 2023 to increase research funding for biochar on March 21. Biochar is a charcoal-like product created by heating organic material in a low-oxygen setting to sequester carbon,

March 30, 2023 Read Full Article

Argonne, Progress Rail, Test Low-Carbon Fuels on the Path to Decarbonizing the Rail Industry

by Beth Burmahl (Argonne National Laboratory) Alternative fuels will help the rail fleet lessen its carbon footprint — Argonne scientists will test bio- and renewable diesel fuel on a locomotive combustion test engine. In response to sustainability goals, the freight rail industry is working to boost the use of lower-carbon

March 29, 2023 Read Full Article

GAO: Federal Agencies Should Track Progress toward SAF Goals

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Government Accountability Office on March 27 issued a report that includes recommendations on how three federal agencies can track progress related to the Biden administration’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge. … As part of the SAF Grand Challenge, the GAO was asked

March 29, 2023 Read Full Article

US Confronts Brazil over Ethanol Tariff

by Bill Tomson (Agri-Pulse) U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai told lawmakers last week she is putting Chief Agriculture Negotiator Doug McKalip in charge of working with Brazil to end its tariff on U.S. ethanol and now McKalip is preparing to go to there as U.S. tensions remain high over the

March 29, 2023 Read Full Article

How an Aquatic Organism Could Be Key to Net-Zero Aviation

by Camelia Sadeghzadeh (BBC/4:08 Productions) Aviation currently leaves a major footprint on the world’s climate, producing almost 2.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Giant kelp, the fastest growing seaweed in the world, is a highly promising source for making sustainable biofuels. Could it become a viable alternative to fossil fuels to

March 29, 2023 Read Full Article

IEDO FY23 $156 Million Multi-topic Funding Opportunity Announcement

(U.S. Department of Energy) The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced a $156 million funding opportunity that will advance high impact applied research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the U.S. industrial sector. The FOA, led by EERE’s Industrial Efficiency

March 28, 2023 Read Full Article

Powering Meaningful Progress with John Deere Power Systems

(John Deere) … “When thinking about how to move toward a low-carbon future, we as an industry need to be open to a variety of solutions to meet the vast and varied needs of the off-highway market. There will be no singular solution to reaching our goal of low- and near-zero-carbon

March 28, 2023 Read Full Article

The Agriculture Resilience Act: Rep. Pingree Reintroduces Bill to Put U.S. on Path to Net-Zero Agriculture Emissions

(Office of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME 1st)) Farming has always been a risky business. But today, extreme weather events and trade wars are creating challenges that threaten food production and jeopardize farmers’ livelihoods. We must work to keep farmers on the land and in business. We know that climate change impacts

March 28, 2023 Read Full Article

Agile BioFoundry 2023 Funding Opportunity DEADLINE April 21, 2023

(Agile BioFoundry) The Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)-funded Agile BioFoundry (ABF) consortium is overseeing a funding opportunity for industry partners to utilize ABF capabilities. This funding opportunity provides resources to ABF teams to perform research on behalf of external, collaborating investigators, for developing novel microbial hosts, augmenting

March 28, 2023 Read Full Article

EPA Fights Push to Revive RFS Waivers, Raising Chance of Circuit Split

(Inside EPA) EPA is fighting a legal push by Wyoming oil refiners for a stay of the agency’s denial of Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance waivers, a move the refiners say would require issuance of the waivers but which EPA says could only result in a remand and no waiver

March 28, 2023 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to Ag-Grid Energy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) AgGrid Energy is one of our most admired biogas project developers, and is on a rapid expansion curve as many of the best biogas companies are right now. Rashi Akki gave this overview of the company’s promise and progress, milestones achieved and ahead, at ABLC

March 28, 2023 Read Full Article

Techno-Economic, Feasibility, and Life Cycle Analysis of Renewable Propane

by Robert M. Baldwin, Mark R. Nimlos, and Yimin Zhang (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) The Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) has engaged with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to develop information that is critical to understanding the current and future landscape for renewable propane (RP) and the value

March 27, 2023 Read Full Article

Webinar: FY23 Conversion R&D FOA Informational Session — March 30, 2023 — ONLINE

On March 21, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced $14 million in funding to support and optimize the production of affordable biofuels and biochemicals while significantly reducing carbon emissions. The funding opportunity announcement (FOA) addresses specific technology pathways through two topic areas: Topic Area 1: Overcoming

March 27, 2023 Read Full Article

USDA to Hold Webinars on Changes to Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Following Passage of the Inflation Reduction Act — March 31 and April 4, 2023 — ONLINE

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced two virtual events that will provide updates on funding available under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The webinars will be held over Zoom and will be led

March 27, 2023 Read Full Article

USDA Trade Mission to Panama Brings Good News for Ethanol

by Riley Smith (Iowa AgriBusiness Radio Network) Alexis Taylor, USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, took her first trade mission trip to Panama. She led a group of almost 30 U.S. agribusinesses, farm groups, state and regional groups, and state departments of agriculture. Taylor says this was a great

March 27, 2023 Read Full Article

Ag Policy Blog: Despite Ethanol Industry Concerns, Iowa House Votes to Restrict Carbon Pipelines

by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) In one of the most heated political battles in the state, the Iowa House of Representatives on March 22 voted against the interests of the state’s biofuels industry in a 71-20 vote to tighten rules for carbon pipeline projects across the state. The bill passed

March 27, 2023 Read Full Article

Heard on the Floor at ABLC

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “We’re out of time”. … The subject was deployment vs development, whether we should go with what we have as opposed to waiting for better technology to come along. The context was the new report out from IPCC, the 2023 update on climate science. You can read it here,

March 27, 2023 Read Full Article

Key Words from ABLC

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Every ABLC, held each Spring in Washington, DC, reveals the zeitgeist of the renewable sustainable fuels world and bits of the bioeconomy it intesects. This year was no exception with the following Key Words providing a way to summarize the thoughts and ideas of

March 27, 2023 Read Full Article

White House Wants to Hear from You about Its “New Bold Goals and Priorities to Advance American Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing”

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) “You can do good and do well,” concluded Jim Lane, editor and publisher of the Daily Digest at the Presidential Forum on Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation which opened the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, Wednesday afternoon, March 22, 2023. In cooperation with the

March 22, 2023 Read Full Article

EPA Holds Virtual Hearing on Proposed E15 Waiver

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Environmental Protection Agency held a virtual hearing Tuesday on the recently proposed rule for a permanent waiver to allow eight states to sell E15 year round. For ethanol stakeholders, comments boiled down to one message: EPA took too long to respond to the governors’ request and must do

March 22, 2023 Read Full Article

Biodiesel Fuel Hub Coming to Pasco Thanks to Federal Grant

(Office of Maria Cantwell (D-WA)) Tidewater Terminal Company’s Snake River Terminal will supply cleaner fuel to Eastern WA farmers, help meet new state fuel standards, and reduce carbon footprint of wheat, barley, potato harvests U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that Tidewater Terminal Company has been

March 22, 2023 Read Full Article

Gov. Noem and Colleagues Request E15 Emergency Waiver

(South Dakota Government) Today (March 21, 2023), Governor Kristi Noem and three of her fellow governors sent a letter to EPA Administrator Regan requesting an emergency waiver to allow for E15 this summer during driving season. Governor Kristi Noem and three of her fellow governors sent a letter to EPA Administrator

March 22, 2023 Read Full Article

Biden Administration to Unveil “Bold Goals” for Biotechnology, Biomanufacturing — March 22, 2023 — Washington, DC and ONLINE

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Biden Administration unveiled bold new goals for biotechnology and biomanufacturing, plus a new report — a delegation of 14 high-ranking officials are headed to ABLC 2023 this week in the capital to provide first reactions and briefings to the bioeconomy industry on the

March 22, 2023 Read Full Article

Advanced Biofuels USA Ideas on Agricultural Policy and the Farm Bill

(Advanced Biofuels USA) As Congress begins work on the upcoming Farm Bill, Advanced Biofuels USA is well aware of the fiscal restraints that might not allow for increased funding levels for renewable energy or crop development R&D at Land Grant Schools, USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) laboratories, or small R&D businesses

March 21, 2023 Read Full Article

Taking a Diverse Approach Is Key to Carbon Removal, Says New Study

by Brendan Bane (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory/Phys.org) Diversification reduces risk. That’s the spirit of one key takeaway from a new study led by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The effective path to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century

March 21, 2023 Read Full Article

Alder SAF100 – Accelerating Development for Next Generation Sustainable Fuels

by Derek Vardon & Bruno Miller (Alder Fuels/Biofuels Digest) Today, we are providing a high-level technical analysis of what we are calling Alder SAF100, a new and 100% sustainable replacement for petroleum-based jet fuel. To demonstrate the viability of reaching that crucial 100% non-fossil production objective, Alder SAF100 has been created by combining hydrocarbons

March 21, 2023 Read Full Article

RFA Calls on EPA to Move Up Year-Round E15 Sales to Summer 2023, Despite Agency Delays

(Renewable Fuels Association) Months of regulatory delays by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have put Midwest drivers at risk of losing access to lower-cost, lower-carbon E15 this summer, the Renewable Fuels Association said at an EPA hearing today. RFA urged the agency to allow sales of the E15 fuel blend this summer, rather

March 21, 2023 Read Full Article

Powering America’s Farms into the Future

(Diesel Technology Forum) The Diesel Technology Forum issued the following statement in recognition of the 50th anniversary of National Ag Day which is celebrated in communities and classrooms across the country. One day is not enough to recognize the importance of America’s Farmers to our everyday lives. America’s farms are the breadbasket that feeds

March 21, 2023 Read Full Article

How SAF Experimentation Is Fuelling Change for Military Operators

by Mark Pilling (Flight Global) Over the past six months, an Airbus Defence & Space A400M tactical transport, NH Industries NH90 multirole helicopter and a Eurofighter Typhoon have become the latest military aircraft to undertake test flights with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). They join a growing list of defence assets demonstrating the

March 21, 2023 Read Full Article

A Team Built for Near-Site CCS

by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With carbon capture and sequestration taking ethanol towards net-zero, a rising CCS developer is focused on working with producers that are uniquely positioned to sequester near their plant. Vault 44.01 is a company named for the industry it serves—more specifically, the greenhouse gas molecule

March 20, 2023 Read Full Article

Big Oil Firms Touted Algae as Climate Solution. Now All Have Pulled Funding

by Amy Westervelt (The Guardian) Insiders aren’t surprised as ExxonMobil, the last remaining proponent of green algae biofuel, ends research — Algae research was central to Exxon’s green marketing campaigns for years, and frequently criticized as greenwashing rather than a genuine research effort. But several of its former research partners told the Guardian

March 20, 2023 Read Full Article

NREL: Regional Analysis Can Help Accelerate Deployment of SAF

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Made from nonpetroleum sources like waste and biomass, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has the potential to reduce aviation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50 percent or more compared to fossil-derived jet fuel. The aviation industry currently produces 3 percent of total GHG emissions in the

March 20, 2023 Read Full Article

Biden Will Let California Lead on Electric Trucks, Despite Industry Protest

by Anna Phillips (Washington Post) The EPA plans to grant California a waiver that will allow the state to phase out diesel-powered trucks, helping communities burdened by truck pollution — The Biden administration will approve new California rules to cut tailpipe pollution and phase out sales of diesel-burning trucks, according

March 20, 2023 Read Full Article

DOE Announces $590 Million to Increase Bioenergy Research

(U.S. Department of Energy) Funding to Four Bioenergy Research Centers Will Help Strengthen Diversity of Domestic Clean Energy Sources, Enhance Our Energy Security, and Revitalize Rural Economies — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $590 million to renew its four existing Bioenergy Research Centers (BRCs). This funding will help support the

March 20, 2023 Read Full Article

Department of Energy Announces $156 Million for Applied Research and Development Projects to Drive Industrial Decarbonization DEADLINE April 17, 2023

(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced a $156 million funding opportunity that will advance high impact applied research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the U.S. industrial sector. The FOA, led by

March 19, 2023 Read Full Article

Call for Proposals: Sustainable Aviation Fuel Policy Development DEADLINE April 21, 2023

(Institute for Transportation Decarbonization) The Institute for Transportation Decarbonization (ITD) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for research to support and inform decision-makers in the federal government on policy development to accelerate the production and adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The deadline for submission is April 21,

March 17, 2023 Read Full Article

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $750 Million to Advance Clean Hydrogen Technologies DEADLINE April 19, 2023

(U.S. Department of Energy) Funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Will Advance Electrolysis Technology, Reduce the Cost of Clean Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, and Provide Long-term Support for Hydrogen Hubs The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), today announced the availability of $750 million for research,

March 17, 2023 Read Full Article

Researchers Prove that Tough, Woody Lignin Can Be Broken Down in an Anaerobic Environment

by Sonia Fernandez (University of California – Santa Barbara/Phys.Org) It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. In this case, the “job” is the breakdown of lignin, the structural biopolymer that gives stems, bark and branches their signature woodiness. One of the most abundant terrestrial polymers on Earth,

March 17, 2023 Read Full Article

Strategic Biofuels Completes Application for Class VI Injection Well Permit with EPA & LDNR for the Louisiana Green Fuels Project

(Strategic Biofuels/Business Wire) —Strategic Biofuels, the leader in developing negative carbon footprint renewable fuels plants, announced today that it has completed the filing of its Class VI Carbon Sequestration Well Permit Application with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR). The Class VI application

March 17, 2023 Read Full Article

Companies Assisted by RFA Received $36 Million in Latest Round of USDA Infrastructure Grants

(Renewable Fuels Association) The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently concluded the latest round of its Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), and once again the Renewable Fuels Association helped dozens of retailers apply for, and win, grant awards that will expand the availability of higher ethanol blends like E15 and E85

March 17, 2023 Read Full Article

EPA Close to Finalizing Review of La. CO2 Storage Request

by Carlos Anchondo (Politico Pro Energywire) EPA Administrator Michael Regan wrote to Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) about the state’s application to secure primary enforcement authority. — EPA expects to finish its review in May of Louisiana’s application to gain regulatory oversight of carbon dioxide injection wells, according to an

March 17, 2023 Read Full Article

Ethanol Industry Says It Will Die if It Cannot Take Farmers’ Lands for a CO2 Pipeline. Will Trump Support Them?

by Timothy P. Carney (Washington Examiner) Iowa’s ethanol industry, which exists only because of federal and state subsidies and mandates, reportedly may collapse if it cannot build massive statewide networks of pipelines for distributing and burying the carbon dioxide emitted by its ethanol plants. These infrastructure projects would require taking farmers’ land through

March 17, 2023 Read Full Article

Funding Announced for Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program DEADLINE: May 30, 2023

(Utah Clean Cities) … The Biden-Harris administration opened applications for the first round of funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program. The multi-billion-dollar program will fund electric vehicle (EV) charging and alternative-fueling infrastructure in communities across the country and along designated highways, interstates, and

March 16, 2023 Read Full Article

From the Sea to the Sky: United Invests $5 Million in Algae-based Fuel Producer Viridos

(United Airlines) Viridos’ technology extracts algae oil from algae for potential future production of sustainable aviation fuel; United has invested in more future SAF production than any other airline1; Viridos investment is first by airline’s new UAV Sustainable Flight Fund since its launch United wants to turn microalgae into SAF through the first

March 16, 2023 Read Full Article

When Regan Says Hydrogen, Greens Hear Carbon Capture

by Jean Chemnick (Politico Pro Climate Wire) The EPA administrator hinted at how draft climate rules could promote the use of hydrogen at power plants. But environmentalists contend that carbon capture is the better technology. When EPA issues draft carbon rules for power plants next month, the proposals may require

March 16, 2023 Read Full Article

Maryland Governor Unveils Plan to Phase out New Gas-Powered Cars

by Zack Budryk (The Hill) Maryland will become the latest state to adopt the clean-car rules that originated in California, phasing out new gas-powered car sales by 2035, Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced Monday. The Advanced Clean Cars II rule, first implemented in California in 2022 under a provision of the

March 15, 2023 Read Full Article

Republicans Aim to Block California’s ‘Heavy-Handed’ EV Mandates

by Thomas Catenacci , Houston Keene (Fox News) A group of House Republicans introduced legislation Wednesday that would restrict California’s ability to ban traditional gas-powered cars as part of the state’s electric vehicle push. The four Republicans, led by Rep. John Joyce of Pennsylvania, said the bill — the Preserving Choice in Vehicle

March 15, 2023 Read Full Article

Farmers Sue Minnesota on Zero Emissions

by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Minnesota Ag Interests Sue State on Adoption of California Zero-Emission Mandate — Agriculture, biofuels and convenience store groups allege the state of Minnesota violated the Constitution and federal law in adopting California’s zero-emissions vehicles mandate, in a new lawsuit filed in federal court Monday. California

March 15, 2023 Read Full Article

US Senators Seek to Expand Sales of Ethanol-Gas Blend with Support from Big Oil

by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) U.S. senators reintroduced a bipartisan bill on Tuesday that would allow nationwide sales of gasoline with a higher blend of ethanol year-round, as a second heavy-weight oil trade group appeared ready to back the idea. Republican Senator Deb Fischer from Nebraska and Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar from

March 15, 2023 Read Full Article

Johns Hopkins Selected by U.S. Department of Transportation to Lead New $10 Million Center for Climate-Focused Transportation Solutions

(Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Newswise) Johns Hopkins University has been selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation to lead a new University Transportation Center focused on solutions aimed at preserving the environment. The transportation sector is currently the largest contributor to climate change in the U.S. The Johns Hopkins-based

March 13, 2023 Read Full Article

This “Climate-Friendly” Fuel Comes with an Astronomical Cancer Risk

by Sharon Lerner (Pro Publica) The Environmental Protection Agency recently gave a Chevron refinery the green light to create fuel from discarded plastics as part of a “climate-friendly” initiative to boost alternatives to petroleum. But, according to agency records obtained by ProPublica and The Guardian, the production of one of

March 13, 2023 Read Full Article

Why Big Oil Is Less Worried about Biden Phasing out Fossil Fuels

by Timothy Puko (Washington Post) For industry executives, the president’s slower approach is evidence that pragmatism is winning out. Climate activists are less than pleased. Oil and gas industry leaders say they’ve seen a big shift in tone from the Biden administration over the past year, helping to smooth over

March 13, 2023 Read Full Article

DOE Offers $50 Million for Tribal Clean Energy Projects

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy in mid-February opened a $50 million funding opportunity to support clean energy technology deployment on Tribal lands. Projects utilizing, biomass, biogas, renewable natural gas (RNG) and renewable hydrogen systems are among those eligible to apply. Through the funding opportunity announcement (FOA),

March 10, 2023 Read Full Article

Off the Ground

by Katie Schroeder (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Several alcohol-to-jet projects, partnerships and technologies have been announced in the past 18 months. Ethanol Producer Magazine checks in on each, looking at where they stand and what they might ultimately achieve. … Multiple airlines forged ethanol connections—some inking formal commitments—last year as interest

March 10, 2023 Read Full Article

USDA Announces $29 Million to Increase American-Made Fertilizer Production

(U.S. Department of Agriculture) Independent Businesses Submitted More than 350 Applications for $3 Billion in Funding to Expand Domestic Fertilizer Capacity; First Round of Awards Will Spur Competition and Give U.S. Farmers More Choices and Fairer Prices U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Department received $3

March 10, 2023 Read Full Article

Why EPA’s Huge Social Cost of Carbon Might Fail to Halt CO2

by Jean Chemnick (E&E Climatewire) EPA is about to finalize a sky-high value for carbon that could be used whenever the federal government leases land to oil drillers or buys new mail trucks. But its effect on actual policymaking may be limited. The agency’s stratospheric social cost of carbon — at

March 9, 2023 Read Full Article

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Availability of $16 Million for Pollution Prevention in Environmental Justice Communities DEADLINES June 6 and June 20, 2023

(Environmental Protection Agency) EPA grants made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will support businesses in developing and adopting pollution prevention practices that advance environmental justice and protect underserved communities Today (March 8, 2023), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $16 million for two new

March 9, 2023 Read Full Article

New Research Agreement Opportunity — March 14, 2023 — ONLINE

Join the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and its Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC) on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET, for a webinar about the recently announced Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) call. This opportunity will fund competitively selected CRADAs between

March 9, 2023 Read Full Article

Strategic Biofuels Seeks to Further Bolster Louisiana Green Fuels Project Via US DOE Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program

(Strategic Biofuels/Business Wire) Strategic Biofuels Seeks to Further Bolster Louisiana Green Fuels Project Via US DOE Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program. The company has been invited to submit a Part II application to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Title XVII Innovative Clean Energy Loan Guarantee Program for up to $1.6

March 9, 2023 Read Full Article

CO2 Pipeline Build-out Generates Bipartisan House Interest

by Jeremy Dillon (E&E News/Politico Pro) Lawmakers on a House panel found some consensus Wednesday on the operation and safety of carbon dioxide pipelines, as Congress seeks to reauthorize the agency responsible for the nation’s pipeline network. The bipartisan interest at a Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee hearing comes as backers of

March 9, 2023 Read Full Article

Wyoming Senators Ask Department of Energy to Clarify Small Refinery Exemptions

by Mary Stroka (County 17) Wyoming’s U.S. Senators, Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso, joined eight Senate Republican colleagues in asking Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to explain the department’s process for vetting and approving Wyoming’s small refinery exemptions to the renewable fuel standard. According to a news release from

March 9, 2023 Read Full Article

ASA CEO: Renewable Diesel Could Drive a New Era for Soybean Demand, but EPA Needs to Rethink the RFS

by Tyne Morgan (AgWeb) … The policy priorities for ASA differ year to year, but the excitement around biomass-based diesel and renewable diesel kicked into high gear during Commodity Classic last year. A year later, Censky (Steve Censky, American Soybean Association CEO) says soybean farmers are concerned with what EPA’s recent RFS proposal could

March 8, 2023 Read Full Article

USDA Celebrates Inaugural National Biobased Products Day

(U.S. Department of Energy) Department Also Announces BioPreferred® Program “Excellence in Procurement” Award Winners for 2022 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today kicked off the inaugural National Biobased Products Day and highlighted the accomplishments of people and organizations working to improve sustainability within the federal government. “By designating March

March 8, 2023 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to the Nexus of Hydrogen, Wind and Fuels

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Wind, Hydrogen and Fuels — they have a lot of cross impact, not just in the area of eFuels. Projects like Grön Fuels in Louisiana, and Gevo’s Net Zero One in South Dakota are showing that technologies like wind energy can drive down the carbon

March 7, 2023 Read Full Article

RFA Calls for Changes in EPA’s Draft Triennial Report on RFS

(Renewable Fuels Association) In formal written comments submitted today to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Renewable Fuels Association called for changes to the draft version of the Third Triennial Report to Congress on the environmental impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard. “Overall, a considerable amount of research is reflected in the external

March 7, 2023 Read Full Article

Virtual Public Hearing: Request from States for Removal of Gasoline Volatility Waiver — March 21, 2023 — ONLINE Public Comment DEADLINE April 20, 2023

(Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) Pursuant to provisions specified by the Clean Air Act (CAA), governors of eight states submitted petitions requesting that EPA remove the 1-pound per square inch (psi) Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver for summer gasoline-ethanol blended fuels containing 10 percent ethanol (E10). This action acts on those requests

March 7, 2023 Read Full Article

Ethanol Blog — Iowa, Nebraska Attorneys General to Sue EPA on Delay on E15 Rule Unless Effective Date Moved Up

by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) The attorneys general of Nebraska and Iowa announced their intent to sue the EPA on its proposed E15 rule for eight states, in a certified letter delivered to EPA Administrator Michael Regan on Monday. The states asked the agency to change the effective date of

March 7, 2023 Read Full Article

Sustainability in the Air Podcast

by Christy Sarkis (SimpliFlying) Gregory Constantine, Co-Founder and CEO of Air Company in Conversation with Shashank Nigam — Welcome to Season 3 of Sustainability in the Air, the world’s first podcast dedicated to sustainable aviation. Through in-depth conversations with top aviation leaders, we break through the clutter and provide a clear roadmap