Federal Agency – Advanced BioFuels USA

Here’s How to Win on Climate-Change Policy

by Ted Halstead (Washington Post/Climate Leadership Council) … The real lesson to learn from these setbacks is that the political prospects of carbon taxation depend on how the revenue is used. As long as the public perceives a carbon tax as an increase in its energy costs and, therefore, a

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

U.S. EPA Recognizes Kansas Project that Produces Biogas for Vehicle Use

(NGV Journal) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized 30 clean water infrastructure projects (from large wastewater infrastructure projects to small decentralized and agriculture projects) for excellence and innovation within the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program. One of the initiatives recognized as “exceptional” is the Kansas – Dodge City

December 8, 2018 Read Full Article

New Report Finds EPA Could Be Doing Much More to Unlock Growth of Low-Carbon Biofuels

by Jesse Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) … The industry has been unable to produce the volumes called for under the advanced and cellulosic categories due to a variety of reasons – including the pace of technology, falling petroleum prices, and regulatory uncertainty, to name a few. Since the

December 7, 2018 Read Full Article

Penny for Your Corn? Stingy Trade-War Aid Irks U.S. Farmers

by P.J. Huffstutter and Mark Weinraub (Reuters) … Federal economists have calculated that the nation’s losses in corn – its largest crop by harvest and export volume – amount to just a penny per bushel, a pittance farmers call absurd. That’s in stark contrast to the substantial $1.65 per bushel the

December 7, 2018 Read Full Article

Renmatix, Gevo Ink Deal to Develop Cellulosic Hydrocarbons for Jet Fuel, Gasoline Markets

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We have word bubbling up simultaneously from Pennsylvania and Colorado that Gevo and Renmatix inked a joint development agreement to evaluate the commercial feasibility of creating renewable jet fuel by integrating Renmatix’s Plantrose Process with Gevo’s GIFT technology and alcohol to jet process. The key word

December 7, 2018 Read Full Article

C.J.’s Back and REGI’s Got Her: Warner Tapped as New Renewable Energy Group CEO

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Iowa, white smoke has emerged from the REGI conclave: Tesoro EVP and former Sapphire Energy CEO C.J. Warner has been named chief exec of Renewable Energy Group, at a pivotal moment for biodiesel in Washington and around the world and amidst a boom for renewable diesel

December 7, 2018 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to ARPA-E’s Agro-Energy Programs

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) advances high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment. ARPA-E awardees are unique because they are developing entirely new ways to generate, store, and use energy. ARPA-E projects have the potential to radically improve U.S. economic

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Increasing the Role of Advanced Biofuels in the US

by Leticia Phillips (UNICA/Ethanol Producer Magazine) …But EPA could still strengthen the RFS in ways that would encourage advanced biofuels to play a greater role greening the U.S. transportation sector. Here are our top two suggestions. • Expect more from advanced biofuels We think the volume requirements should be even higher.

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Relieving the Pressure: There’s movement at last to obtain an RVP waiver for E15 …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … “There’s a very tight window between today and June 1,” says Brian Jennings, CEO of the American Coalition for Ethanol. “The big-picture goal is for the proposed rule to be out for public comment and for EPA to wrap up a final rule prior

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Closed Doors, Open Windows: Tariffs in China and Brazil …

by Lisa Gibons (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Tariffs in China and Brazil have deeply affected U.S. ethanol exports, but other markets remain, new ones are opening and opportunities still abound for the world’s lowest-cost octane. Despite a 20 percent tariff rate quota implemented in 2017, Brazil has continued to purchase significant amounts

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Demand Destruction from Small Refinery Exemptions is Clear and Continuing

(Renewable Fuels Association) There has been a media blitz lately by the oil industry saying that ethanol demand has been unaffected by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rampant grants of Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) exemptions to small refineries. Recently, even some in the agriculture community have bought into these claims. Don’t

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

NREL Industry Growth Forum & Emerging Markets Day — May 8-10, 2019 — Denver, CO DEADLINE: December 7, 2018

Each year, NREL’s Industry Growth Forum recruits the most innovative, emerging clean energy start-up companies from across the globe to present to its investor base. Applicants range from prototype-stage to commercially ready with a renewable energy or energy efficiency technology solution. Since 2003, the companies have collectively raised over $6.4

December 5, 2018 Read Full Article

To Fulfill Biofuels’ Promise, Scientists Boost Plant Oils with Gene Editing

by Cici Zhang (Chemical and Engineering News) Increasing the fatty acids in crops’ seeds, leaves, and stems could make biofuels more economically viable — … Plant scientist Heike Sederoff of North Carolina State University, however, is very familiar with the oils that camelina offers. The highly concentrated fatty acids produced by

December 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Naval Academy Plans to Raise Seawall as Annapolis Sea Level Rise Looms

by Danielle Ohl (Capital Gazette) The Naval Academy will raise one of its walls to combat sea level rise up to 3 feet in three decades, an environmental threat the institution shares with neighboring downtown Annapolis. At the quarterly Board of Visitors meeting Monday, Superintendent Vice Adm. Ted Carter announced the

December 5, 2018 Read Full Article

A Summary of Federal Programs: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Technology Incentives

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A wide array of federal incentives supports the development and deployment of alternatives to conventional fuels and engines in transportation. These incentives include tax deductions and credits for vehicle purchases and the installation of refueling systems, federal grants for conversion of older vehicles to newer technologies,

December 5, 2018 Read Full Article

The Laws of Biofuels Deployment, and TACs that Whack: Heard on the Floor at the CAAFI Annual Meeting

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … This year, the TAC (Technical Advisory Committee of the Biomass R&D Board) did something about as audacious and rare as shouting loud praise of open markets and democratic values on the streets of Pyongyang. The TAC actually decided to write a document about the barriers

December 5, 2018 Read Full Article

WEBINAR: Biomass Production and Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin — December 6, 2018

Join the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office on Dec. 6, 2018, at 1 p.m. CST for a webinar on “Biomass Production and Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin.” In this webinar, Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory will jointly present modeling and analyses of potential

December 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Four Market and Policy Opportunities to Increase Agricultural Resilience

by Suzy Friedman, Colleen Willard and Stephanie Mercier (Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Farm Journal Foundation (FJF) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA)) In July 2018, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Farm Journal Foundation (FJF) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) convened, “Market and Policy Innovations for Resilient Agriculture,” a multi-stakeholder dialogue about opportunities to

December 4, 2018 Read Full Article

Throttled and Greens Sue for Auto Proposal Docs

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) THROTTLED: An administration official told Pro’s Zack Colman that EPA and NHTSA would reduce its projection for saved lives in its forthcoming finalized fuel economy rule. The reason: The agencies are revising estimates for how quickly motorists would ditch their cars and how many

December 4, 2018 Read Full Article

Kudlow Calls for End to Subsidies for Electric Cars, Renewables

by Megan Keller and Timothy Cama (The Hill) White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Monday the Trump administration will seek to end subsidies for electric cars and renewable energy sources, according to reports. Kudlow said he expected subsidies for electric cars would end by 2020 or 2021. …

December 4, 2018 Read Full Article

Rural Development Environmental Regulation for Rural Infrastructure Projects COMMENTS DUE December 24, 2018

(U.S. Department of Agriculture/Federal Register) The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD), comprised of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), Rural Housing Service (RHS), and Rural Utilities Service (RUS), hereafter referred to as the Agency, is issuing a direct final rule to update the Agency’s Environmental Policies and

December 3, 2018 Read Full Article

Florida ‘Best Site’ for Algae Cultivation

(Biofuels International) New research has evaluated a number of specific regions across the United States and concluded Florida is the best for algae production. According to a statement, the 19 month long study involving scientists from NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) and Arizona State University (ASU) concluded that Florida’s humidity and

December 3, 2018 Read Full Article

How AFD Cracked the Code for Extracting 30 HP More from E85

by Jeff Smith (Hot Rod Network) By now, everybody knows about ethanol and E85. If you don’t, it’s time you caught up with the rest of the world. … Today, the U.S. Department of Energy defines E85 as actually any blend of 51 to 83 percent ethanol with gasoline. This is required

December 3, 2018 Read Full Article

EIA Study: Refiners Could Meet 95 RON Standard Without More Ethanol

(Renewable Fuels Association) A new Energy Information Administration (EIA) study concludes that U.S. petroleum refineries would have “no problem” meeting a requirement to produce gasoline with a higher minimum octane rating (95 Research Octane Number, or “RON”) beginning in 2022, and assumes that refiners would not use more ethanol beyond current levels to

November 30, 2018 Read Full Article

Brain Regeneration, Data Storage with Biocomputers, Plastic from Waste Gases, Bamboo Diapers, Gene-Edited Wheat, Jackets from Bison Fluff : The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of November 29th

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of November 29th. … #3 Munich researchers use algae to convert waste gas to carbon fiber In Germany, researchers at the Technical University of Munich are

November 30, 2018 Read Full Article

Exclusive: EPA Lifts Advanced Biofuel Mandate for 2019 – Document

by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lifted its annual blending mandate for advanced biofuels by 15 percent for 2019, while keeping steady the requirement for conventional biofuels like corn-based ethanol, according to an agency document seen by Reuters on Thursday. The mandate includes 4.92 billion gallons for advanced biofuels

November 30, 2018 Read Full Article

Fueling the Future: Developing a More Efficient Process for Producing Biobased High-Octane Gasoline

by Zia Abdullah (U.S. Department of Energy) Over the past five years, the market share for premium gasoline in the United States has increased from 9% to 12%.1 To help meet the growing demand for high-octane gasoline, the Bioenergy Technologies Office and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed a novel process

November 28, 2018 Read Full Article

RFS Expiration a Common Misnomer

by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) The CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association says it’s a common misnomer that the Renewable Fuel Standard ends in four years. Geoff Cooper tells Brownfield the RFS doesn’t stop in 2022. “What stops in 2022 is the specific volumes being laid out in the law.”

November 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Court Won’t Dismiss Challenge to Part of Trump’s Car Efficiency Rollback

by Timothy Cama (The Hill) A federal court won’t dismiss a challenge by Democratic states and green groups to a key part of the Trump administration’s plan to roll back car fuel efficiency and emissions standards. At issue is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) April determination that the Obama administration’s plan to make

November 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Major Trump Administration Climate Report Says Damage Is ‘Intensifying across the Country’

by Brady Dennis and Chris Mooney (Washington Post) Scientists are more certain than ever that climate change is already affecting the United States — and that it is going to be very expensive. The federal government on Friday released a long-awaited report with an unmistakable message: The effects of climate change, including deadly wildfires,

November 23, 2018 Read Full Article

Department of Energy Announces $98 Million for 40 Transformative Energy Technology Projects; Fuel Cell Projects Funded for $12.5M

(FuelCellsWorks) The U.S. Department of Energy announced $98 million in funding for 40 new projects as part of OPEN 2018, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA‑E) latest open funding opportunity. These funds will support some of America’s top energy innovators’ R&D projects as they seek to develop technologies to transform the

November 22, 2018 Read Full Article

Octane Enhancement Cannot Come from the Oil Barrel

by Dave VanderGriend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ICM/Urban Air Initiative) … Today, at 10 percent of the motor fuel pool, ethanol is displacing the most lethal components in gasoline—toxic, carcinogenic aromatics. When lead was phased out of gasoline, refiners replaced it with an equally dangerous mix of toxic chemicals representing the worst part

November 21, 2018 Read Full Article

EPA Plans Biofuel ‘Reset’ as Program Misses Congress’ Targets

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will propose new targets for the final three years of the nation’s renewable fuel program in January, replacing ambitious decade-old goals set by Congress with volumes closer to the industry’s current output, two people familiar with the matter said. The planned reset

November 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Exclusive: Chevron Granted Waiver from U.S. Biofuel Laws at Utah Plant – Source

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted oil major Chevron Corp a 2017 hardship waiver from U.S. biofuel laws for its Utah refinery earlier this year, according to a source familiar with the company’s operations. Chevron, which reported a net income of $9.2 billion in 2017, becomes the

November 21, 2018 Read Full Article

EPA Approves Renewable Fuel Pathway for Andersons Ethanol Facility

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Indiana, Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a pathway for the generation of renewable fuel Renewable Identification Numbers under the renewable fuel standard program for the production of non-grandfathered ethanol. The ethanol is produced through a dry mill process

November 19, 2018 Read Full Article

National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Publishes “Gaseous Carbon Waste Streams Utilization: Status and Research Needs”

(U.S. Department of Energy) The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted a study, co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, Office of Fossil Energy, and Office of Science, and Shell, which resulted in a report titled Gaseous Carbon Waste Streams Utilization: Status and Research Needs.

November 18, 2018 Read Full Article

Colorado’s Air Quality Regulators Adopt New Vehicle Emission Standards

(Sierra Club) New Standards Mean Cleaner Air and Less Money Spent at the Gas Pump — Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) voted unanimously to adopt the Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) Program standards for cars and trucks. Vehicle emissions are among the largest contributors to carbon pollution in Colorado and contribute to

November 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Company Removing Nitrates from Water Using Algae

by Jon Vanderford (1011 Now) The algae found in a lab at the University of Nebraska’s Beadle Center may hold the key to clean water. Research on algae first started several years ago with a goal of producing oil. “The initial impetus was a DOE project involving many labs here in

November 16, 2018 Read Full Article

More RFS Exemption Requests Monroe Energy, Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf Want Full RFS Waiver

by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Pennsylvania’s governor and state refining interests are putting pressure on EPA to grant waivers to the Renewable Fuel Standard program, just ahead of the agency’s Nov. 30 deadline to finalize new biofuels volumes for the upcoming year. Monroe Energy, LLC, requested a waiver on

November 16, 2018 Read Full Article

EPA Extends Comment Period on RFS Information Collection Request New DEADLINE: December 13, 2018

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA is extending the comment period on a previously announced information collection request (ICR) that aims to consolidate and update recordkeeping and reporting burden and cost estimates related to the Renewable Fuel Standard program into a single, easy-to-understand format. The EPA said the

November 15, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuel Groups Ask Federal Judge to Freeze U.S. Refinery Waiver Program

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) A group representing biofuel companies asked a federal judge on Tuesday to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop exempting small refineries from renewable fuel laws until a lawsuit challenging the agency’s actions is resolved. Producers United argued, among other things, the EPA violated the law

November 15, 2018 Read Full Article

China Seen Importing US Ethanol via Alternative Routes Amid Trade War

by Srijan Kanoi (S&P Global Platts) China has switched to importing US ethanol via alternative routes since the US-China trade war erupted in April, the country’s General Administration of Customs data indicated Tuesday. … In a surprise to the market, the data showed that China imported ethanol from Indonesia and Malaysia,

November 15, 2018 Read Full Article

It Might Be Giant: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Nanocellulose, American Process Style

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A few years back, Research & Markets startled the bio world when they projected that the “Nanocellulose Market by Type (Cellulose nanocrystals, Cellulose nanofibrils, cellulose nanocomposites, and others) would reach $250 Million by 2019, signifying annualized CAGR of 19% between 2014 and 2019. Heft growth indeed, and a survey

November 15, 2018 Read Full Article

Editorial: Iowa State Analysis Makes Clear the Trade Wars’ Damage to Ag Producers

(Omaha World-Herald) A recent report from Iowa State University offers sobering findings that show why our country needs to resolve its tariff wars with China and other nations. The university researchers found that over the next year, the disruptions and loss of market share will cost the Iowa economy between

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Weaker RINs Lure Gasoline Shipping into US East Coast Ports: Sources

(Hellenic Shipping News) A decline in the US obligation for biofuels has prompted an increase in imports from Canada and Europe into the Atlantic Coast, according to market sources and federal government data. The renewable fuels obligation for a gallon of imported gasoline has fallen from 2.29 cents/gal October 3 to

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

DOE Announces SBIR/STTR FY 2019 Phase I Release 2 Topics

(U.S. Department of Energy) As part of last week’s posting of topic areas for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) research and development proposals, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced 12 topics to fund more than 100 new projects, totaling approximately $20 million. Nine

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

US to Conduct ‘Unprecedented Review’ of Biodiesel Import Duties

(National Biodiesel Board) Changes to the trade decisions finalized earlier this year will cause ongoing harm to U.S. biodiesel companies — On November 5, the U.S. Department of Commerce granted a request from the government of Argentina to initiate “changed circumstances” reviews of U.S. trade duties imposed on Argentine biodiesel companies. The

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Renewable Diesel Is Increasingly Used to Meet California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard

by Steve Hanson and Neil Agarwal (U.S. Energy Information Administration) … Renewable diesel net supply to California’s fuel market has increased since the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program went into effect in 2011, reaching 100 million gallons during the second quarter of 2018, or 10.1% of the total diesel supplied

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

American Biofuels Deserve Certainty

by Dan Kleiss (Morning Consult) … By all rights, that anti-biofuel campaign should have wrapped up in December 2016, when regulators dialed up conventional — typically corn-based — ethanol targets to 15 billion gallons, the legal maximum. Since then, gasoline consumption has continued to rise, while the ethanol requirement remains more or

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Iowa Senator Says Expect Fewer Biofuel Waivers from Wheeler’s EPA

by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may issue fewer biofuel waivers to small refineries under Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler than it did under its previous leadership, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa said on Tuesday. “I sense that Wheeler has a feeling that (former Administrator Scott

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Emails between the EPA and the oil industry show that EPA asked oil industry employees what test fuels they would “prefer to see tested” and then revised the test fuels in response to their input. The EPA also threw out three test fuels after preliminary results showed that ethanol lowered

November 13, 2018 Read Full Article

#Gasolinegate: EPA’s Role in Fair Gasoline Emissions Testing Draws Fire

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, researchers for a report published by the Urban Air Initiative contend that “technical data that shows the nation has been exposed to decades of flawed test fuels and flawed driving tests, which in turn means flawed emissions results and mileage claims”. The complete Beyond a

November 13, 2018 Read Full Article

Report on the Thermochemical Sciences Symposium at Auburn University

by Leyla Battista-Channell* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Auburn, Alabama: Home to the Auburn tigers, the “loveliest village on the plains,” and this year’s host to the Thermochemical Sciences Symposium. Previously held at other universities, why Auburn University this year? The Biosystems Engineering department at Auburn University has been on the rise

November 12, 2018 Read Full Article

Broad Genome Analysis Shows Yeasts Evolving by Subtraction

by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin–Madison) An unprecedented comparison of hundreds of species of yeasts has helped geneticists brew up an expansive picture of their evolution over the last hundreds of millions of years, including an analysis of the way they evolved individual appetites for particular food sources that may be

November 12, 2018 Read Full Article

ASU Teams Find New Ways to Harness CO2 to Reduce Biofuel Costs

(Arizona State University/Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy has announced 36 projects that together have been awarded $80 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development. Two Arizona State University research teams are among the grantees, with the grants to ASU totaling about $4.5 million. The two teams are headed

November 12, 2018 Read Full Article

Diverse Biofeedstocks Have High Ethanol Yields and Offer Biorefineries Flexibility

(U.S. Department of Energy/Phys.Org) … Researchers processed and experimentally measured ethanol production from five different herbaceous feedstocks. They examined two annuals (corn stover and energy sorghum) along with three perennials (switchgrass, miscanthus, and restored prairie). They determined that a lignocellulosic ethanol refinery could use a range of plant types without having

November 12, 2018 Read Full Article

Heard on the Floor: Reflections and the Buzz from ABLC Global 2018

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It was, at times, not unlike the old trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade and that was no coincidence, for there was optimism abounding and the deal-talk that flows from a general feeling that the advanced bioeconomy is, to use Amyris’ Joel Cherry’s characterization,

November 12, 2018 Read Full Article

U.S. Ethanol Producers Feeling the Pinch from Trump Trade War

by Jarrett Renshaw, Michael Hirtzer (Reuters) U.S. ethanol producers drew a bleak picture of their industry in quarterly filings and analyst calls this week, detailing how the critical farm belt business has been devastated by President Donald Trump’s trade war with China and biofuels management policies that they say have tilted toward oil

November 12, 2018 Read Full Article

2018 Midterm Elections—Implications for the Bioeconomy

by Jesse Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) And while the bioeconomy – biofuels, biobased products, chemicals, and more – enjoy bipartisan support, the new political landscape means that the biobased sector and stakeholders still need to be on their toes. With one of the largest freshmen classes ever, and

November 10, 2018 Read Full Article

White House, California to Discuss Vehicle Emissions Rules Next Week

by David Shepardson (Reuters) California clean air regulators will hold talks next Tuesday with their federal counterparts and the White House over Trump administration efforts to stop Sacramento from adopting tighter vehicle emissions rules than Washington, a spokesman for the state confirmed on Thursday. The video conference meeting will be the

November 9, 2018 Read Full Article

Fueling Growth in the Biodiesel Industry

by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) As we near the end of 2018, the biodiesel industry has seen some significant progress as we work towards sustainable industry growth. Today, biodiesel is creating an impact and presence in the current marketplace and is showing up as a leading player in the

November 9, 2018 Read Full Article

The 40 Hottest Technologies in the Advanced Bioeconomy 2018

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Impossible Foods took the #1 spot in the 2018 “40 Hottest Technologies in the Advanced Bioeconomy” rankings, published today in The Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily. The announcement was made live at the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference (ABLC Global), which is meeting

November 9, 2018 Read Full Article

Automakers Fight Trump’s Auto Emissions Rollback

by Timothy Cama (The Hill) Major automakers are pushing the Trump administration to abandon its plan to roll back climate change rules for cars. Companies had emphatically encouraged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) to undo the Obama administration’s plans to ratchet up greenhouse gas emissions and

November 8, 2018 Read Full Article

NIFA Listens – Stakeholder Guidance on Agriculture Priorities DEADLINE: November 30, 2018

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is seeking stakeholder feedback to inform the research, extension and education priorities of NIFA. In short, NIFA is the extramural funding agency within USDA. NIFA are attempting to ensure that they reach a broad spectrum of organizations involved in food and agricultural

November 7, 2018 Read Full Article

Diesel Helps Cities Meet Sustainability Goals and Stay within a Budget

(Diesel Technology Forum) As U.S. cities continue to expand, the drive to provide essential services with a minimal environmental footprint while working within a budget will be challenging. — … Today, alternatives to diesel exist, and others are still on the drawing board. For some applications, diesel is the only technology available. For

November 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Another Year of Uncertainty for Biofuels

by Michael McAdams (Biomass Magazine/Advanced Biofuels Association) As we approach the end of 2018, we reflect on a year that was full of surprises for the biofuels industry. What stands out the most was former U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s application of small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuels Standard to

November 6, 2018 Read Full Article

The Trump Administration Flunked Its Math Homework

by Robinson Meyer (The Atlantic) The administration’s clean-cars rollback is riddled with errors. In one case, it forgot to divide by four. In another, it accidentally deleted 700 billion miles of driving. … The mistakes range in scope from the comical to the bizarre, from the obviously accidental to the

November 6, 2018 Read Full Article

E15 Faces More Speed Bumps EPA’S Rule for Year-Round E15 Sales Is Still Not in Federal Register.

by Dan Looker (Success Farming) When President Donald Trump told a campaign rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa, last month that his administration will approve year-round sales of E15, farmers and the ethanol industry were pleased. They looked forward to more sales of the gasoline blend with 15% ethanol as early as

November 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Entrepreneurial Impact: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Cyclotron Road NEXT APPLICATIONS FALL 2019

Cyclotron Road is a fellowship program affiliated with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that supports leading entrepreneurial scientists as they advance a project with the potential for global impact. Since 2015, more than $15 million has been awarded to 41 fellows who have gone on to generate more than $75

November 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Federal Investments in Algae Cultivation Technologies Paying Big Dividends

by Matt Carr (Algae Biomass Organization/Biofuels Digest) Algae-derived products and technologies are on the cusp of changing nearly everything. Algae will transform how we eat; will make the materials in your shoes more sustainable; provide fuel for vehicles and planes; recycle greenhouse gases and deliver many more products that have yet to be commercialized. … There is a

November 6, 2018 Read Full Article

The Complex Dynamics of Coprocessing

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) While oil refiners adding a small percentage of renewable feedstock to their operations sounds simple, the political, economic, technical, societal and market consequences are anything but. In 2007, at the height of the biodiesel boom, ConocoPhillips and Tyson Foods announced a partnership to coprocess animal fats

November 6, 2018 Read Full Article

WEBINAR: DOE Announces Fiscal Year 2019 Funding Opportunities — November 6, 2018

(Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group) On October 30, 2018, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the topics for 2019 funding opportunities. Amongst the program offices that are participating in this solicitation, is the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, who will be hosting an informational webinar on November 6, 2018, at 2:00

November 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Ethanol Blog: Agriculture Cooperative to Offer Pre-Blended E15 at Terminals

by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) With the EPA anticipated to release a proposed rule to allow year-round E15 sales, agricultural cooperative company GROWMARK Energy has started offering pre-blended E15 at its terminals to serve gasoline retailers across the Midwest. The company has started offering E15 at terminals in Amboy,

November 5, 2018 Read Full Article

For the Times They Are a Changin’ – Conversions Abound from Diesel to Renewable Diesel

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … Phillips 66 and REG’s announcement about a new renewable diesel plant on the U.S. West Coast planned for 2021 comes after a notable increase in refineries that are being converted and changed over to renewable diesel. Change is good, especially in this case. … While it was

November 5, 2018 Read Full Article

USDA Seeks to Revise, Extend Information Collection on BIP Grants COMMENT DEADLINE: December 11, 2018

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) USDA’s Farm Service Agency has opened a public comment period on the revision and extension of a currently approved information collection associated with FSA Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership Grants to states. A notice published in the Federal Register indicates the information collection was originally needed for

November 5, 2018 Read Full Article

EcoAgriculture Partners Announces Climate Smart Agriculture Training Curriculum

(North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) EcoAgriculture Partners, a non-profit, integrated-landscape-management advocacy group, has announced a new climate smart agriculture (CSA) training curriculum is under development. Louise Buck, the organization’s director of collaborative management, was in New York City for last month’s Climate Week NYC , where she introduced the Training Curriculum

November 2, 2018 Read Full Article

Redesigning Poplar Trees to Take the Drought … and the Salt and the Heat

(North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) Poplar saplings being grown at the University of California Davis are not expected to survive the rigorous conditions simulating prolonged droughts and heat waves that are being imposed on them. But they are helping a team of researchers make ones that can. Poplar provides a

November 2, 2018 Read Full Article

EPA Acting Administrator Wheeler, USDA Secretary Perdue, and DOE Secretary Perry Send Letter to Congress on Biomass Carbon Neutrality — Managed Forests Can Bolster Domestic Energy Production

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, along with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Rick Perry, sent a letter to the House and Senate Committee on Appropriations. The letter describes the agencies’ work to

November 2, 2018 Read Full Article

EESI Joins Comments on Health, Environmental & Economic Benefits of High-Octane Biofuels +

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) … Automotive manufacturers are expressing interest in raising the minimum octane level of the U.S. gasoline pool as a low-cost compliance option for increasing fuel efficiency. Until now, all MPG gains in the passenger vehicle fleet have been accomplished through engine and vehicle

November 2, 2018 Read Full Article

Trump’s Trade War Looms over Divided U.S. Farm Belt ahead of Vote

by Humeyra Pamuk and P.J. Huffstutter (Reuters) … Some of the nation’s 3.2 million farmers and ranchers, traditionally staunch Republicans, are wavering in this election because of the trade dispute with China, the main buyer of U.S. soybeans and pork, interviews with nearly two dozen farmers showed. Those interviews and a survey

November 2, 2018 Read Full Article

The Energy 202: California Says Trump’s Fuel Standards Plan Will ‘Forfeit Our Best Chance to Fight Climate Change’

by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) California is coming out swinging in its official response to one of the Trump administration’s most consequential attempts at rolling back regulations to date — to freeze fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks through 2026. In a 400-page comment on the proposed rule that will be filed

November 1, 2018 Read Full Article

NFU Urges Administration to Honor Commitment to Biofuels

(National Farmers Union) Throughout his campaign for and tenure as president, Donald Trump has consistently pledged to support American-grown biofuels. However, his administration has too often failed to follow through on those promises in a timely fashion. In the most recent of such instances, President Trump announced his intentions to allow

November 1, 2018 Read Full Article

Environmental Groups File Petition with EPA Accusing It of Illegally Allowing Wildlife Habitat Conversion for Biofuels

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, following on the heels of an Environmental Protection Agency report to Congress documenting wide-spread habitat loss following enactment of U.S. biofuels policy in 2007, environmental and conservation groups filed a petition with EPA, asserting the agency has illegally allowed millions of acres of wildlife habitat

November 1, 2018 Read Full Article

Clean Octane Alliance Sees Open Road for Higher Blends

(Urban Air Initiative) … South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke and Urban Air Initiative President Dave VanderGriend said an update to the master list of future federal regulatory actions called the Unified Agenda does not include a previously proposed rule that would make any blends above E15 illegal to use in

October 31, 2018 Read Full Article

US Forest Service Opens RFP for Wood Innovations Program DEADLINE: January 23, 2019

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Forest Service is seeking grant applications for its Wood Innovations Program, which aims to support projects that expand wood product and wood energy markets, reduce wildfire risk, and improve forest health. The Forest Service issued the request for proposals (RFP) on Oct. 24, in

October 31, 2018 Read Full Article

RFA Urges EPA and NHTSA to Use SAFE Vehicles Rule to Advance High-Octane, Low Carbon Fuels

(Renewable Fuels Association) Ethanol-based high-octane, low-carbon (HOLC) fuel blends would enable cost-effective gains in fuel economy and significant carbon dioxide reductions, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) outlined in comments submitted Friday to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “The agencies should support this transition by developing

October 31, 2018 Read Full Article

Carbon Utilization Research Can Lead to Big Emissions Reductions

(Algae Biomass Organization) A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine makes the case for robust, coordinated research and development programs that can accelerate the development of technologies that can turn greenhouse into useful products such as fuels, construction materials, and chemicals. Algae cultivation is prominently featured in the report,

October 31, 2018 Read Full Article

EPA: Additional Small Refinery Petitions Filed for 2017, 2018

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has released updated data on small refinery waivers filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The new data shows that additional petitions were filed for 2017 and 2018 compliance years over the past month. As of Oct. 10, EPA data shows the agency

October 29, 2018 Read Full Article

Sen. Donnelly Backs E15 in Terre Haute Stop

by Mark Fitton (Tribune-Star) U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly stopped Saturday in Terre Haute to tout the use of E15, a gasoline blend containing 15 percent alcohol. … Donnelly, a Democrat and member of the Senate’s agriculture committee, said he’s been a champion of the fuel because it expands the market for Indiana

October 29, 2018 Read Full Article

Ethanol Rule Change Likely to Take Months, Even Years

by Charles Dunlap (The Mexico Ledger) … “The question is whether there will be a restraining order prohibiting the rules to go forward or not,” Murphy (Steve Murphy, POET general manager at the Laddonia refinery) said, adding the EPA is trying to apply the rule governing E10 to E15. “It has to

October 29, 2018 Read Full Article

U.S. Department of Energy 2019 Project Peer Review — March 4-8, 2019 — Denver, Colorado

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is hosting the 2019 Project Peer Review on March 4-8, 2019, in Denver, Colorado. Approximately 90% of projects in BETO’s early-stage research and development portfolio will be presented to the public and systematically reviewed by external subject-matter experts from industry, academia,

October 29, 2018 Read Full Article

E15 Rewards For Fridley and Richfield Drivers

(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) and KS95 FM rewarded drivers who fueled up with Unleaded Plus (E15) during an hour-long promotion at Bona Brothers Minnoco in Fridley today. From 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, MN Biofuels and KS95 rewarded 20 drivers who made the switch to E15.

October 29, 2018 Read Full Article

AltAir Fuels Wins Another DLA Energy Contract to Provide Renewable Diesel to the U.S. Navy

(Commercial Alternative Aviation Fuel Initiative) Congratulations go out to Bryan Sherbacow and the Team at AltAir Fuels! The company has won another Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Energy contract for the Rocky Mountain West Coast solicitation. The amount of the contract award is for 58 million gallons of a 30% blend of

October 29, 2018 Read Full Article

Op-Ed: Ethanol Needs to Win the Octane Race- Our Health Depends on It

(Urban Air Initiative/Governors’ Biofuels Coalition) … Octane is a necessary component of our fuel, and more of it is needed as car engines become more advanced and efficient. So competition is on the rise for where this octane will come from in order to keep up with new engine designs. There are

October 29, 2018 Read Full Article

Behind the Scenes with E15 as We Peel back the Layers

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … More recently in 2011, E15 was approved by the EPA for all vehicles 2001 and newer – nearly 9 out of 10 cars on the road today, or about 92 percent of all registered cars and trucks. In fact, according to Growth Energy, “E15 is the most

October 29, 2018 Read Full Article

Marathon Weighs Selling High-Ethanol Gas in Minnesota

by Mario Parker and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Company acquired Andeavor this month to become largest refiner; Trump promised to allow year-round sales of E15 gasoline — Marathon Petroleum Corp., the largest U.S. oil refiner following its $23.3 billion acquisition of rival Andeavor this month, is weighing a plan to start sales of high-ethanol

October 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Federal Funding Opportunities for Each of the Nine Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) Part 2: TRLs 4-9

by CJ Evans (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc./Biofuels Digest) This the second installment of an article that breaks down all of the many federal funding opportunities that are available to promote innovation into the nine Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) through which new technologies, concepts, and approach must progress to reach full commercialization. This

October 26, 2018 Read Full Article

New Report on Cell-Free Synthetic Biology and Biocatalysis!

(U.S. Department of Energy) Cell-Free Synthetic Biology and Biocatalysis Listening Day Summary Report Published — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) hosted a listening day in Denver, Colorado, last year to discuss research and development opportunities related to cell-free synthetic biology and biocatalysis. The objective of this listening

October 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Growing Algae More Sustainably for Biofuel Production

by Jessica Cox (Colorado State University/Phys.Org) … Another source used to create biofuel is algae – both single-celled microalgae and macroalgae such as kelp. Though algal biofuels are a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, there remains room to improve the production of the algae used to create them. Ken Reardon, the Jud and Pat Harper

October 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Sampling Guts of Live Moose to Understand How They Break down Biomass

(Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Phys.Org) Microbes in the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants such as moose help break down recalcitrant plant biomass into carbon nutrients, but how do they do this over the course of seasons when the moose diet changes, and what microbes are involved? Now, an international research team has studied

October 26, 2018 Read Full Article

HTDC Grants Assist Biodiesel Expenses on Big Island

(Big Island Now) The Hawai‘i Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) provided more than $900,000 in grant funds to 29 Hawai‘i-based manufacturing companies in June. The Manufacturing Assistance Program (MAP) grant assisted Pacific Biodiesel with funding for equipment purchases and qualified manufacturing expenses for its 5.5 MMgy biodiesel plant and value-added product development

October 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Today’s the Day: Comments Are Due

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Comments are due today on the Trump administration’s proposal to freeze Obama-era fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks. California remains front and center in the fight against the joint EPA-National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposal, vowing to fight the administration over its plan

October 26, 2018 Read Full Article

OMB Releases Estimated Timelines for EPA’s E15 Rule, 2 RFS Rules

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The Trump Administration has released estimated timelines for the development of three U.S. EPA rulemakings that pertain to the Renewable Fuel Standard and year-round E15 sales, including one that includes a “reset” of statutory blending targets. The administration released a summary of its Fall 2018 Unified

October 25, 2018 Read Full Article

RFA Analysis: Automakers Explicitly Approve E15 for More than 93% of New 2019 Vehicles

(Renewable Fuels Association) More than 93 percent of 2019 model year (MY) vehicles are explicitly approved by the manufacturer to use 15 percent ethanol blends (E15), according to the results of an annual analysis of warranty statements and owner’s manuals conducted by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). That is up from last year,

October 25, 2018 Read Full Article

Improving Ethanol’s Outlook: Fuel Economy Standards Help Make the Case for Midlevel Ethanol Blends.

by Chris Bliley (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … Automakers are responding by making smaller, higher-compression engines that demand higher octane. Improved engines are the first step toward achieving mid-level ethanol blends such as E25 and E30. … E30 would improve fuel economy standards, reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other harmful