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by Isabella Fertel (USA Today) … A Nov. 20 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows text alongside a picture of a bewildered-looking man. “When people talk about climate change but don’t mention how animal agriculture is the biggest contributor,” it says. The post garnered more than 500 likes in a week. But the
Federal Agency/Executive Branch
December 6, 2022
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(Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)/Federal Register) In this action, EPA determines that renewable diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, naphtha, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) produced from canola/rapeseed oil via a hydrotreating process all meet the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction threshold of 50 percent required for advanced biofuels and biomass-based diesel
December 6, 2022
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by Jim Wiesemeyer (AgWeb) Renewable diesel capacity topped 2 billion gallons per year as of August, according to the latest data released from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). But EPA used a lower figure, 1.5 billion gallons per year, based on the EIA info as of February. “Domestic renewable diesel
December 6, 2022
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by Jenna Hoffman (AgWeb) A reality check on foreign-owned farmland — This summer, a sale of 300 acres of North Dakota farmland raised eyebrows and alarm. The $2.6 million price tag was noteworthy, but the bigger kicker was the buyer — Chinese company Fufeng Group. Various government officials, including North Dakota’s
December 6, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hexas is a biomaterials company focused on the production of regenerative, plant-based raw materials that replace wood and fossil fuel-based materials in multiple applications. Applications for these plant-based materials include: energy, chemicals, packaging, textiles, composites, structural/non-structural products, bioremediation, and more. Hexas has developed a farm-to-fiber platform
December 5, 2022
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(Inside EPA) EPA is finalizing approval of canola oil for several additional types of fuel under the renewable fuel standard (RFS), expanding the options of biofuel producers seeking RFS credits and brushing off assertions from environmentalists that the move will expand canola production and potentially threaten protected species. In a
December 5, 2022
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by Jeremy Beaman (Washington Examiner) Congressional lawmakers are drawing up legislation to cut down the near-record compliance costs associated with the Renewable Fuel Standard, which has pitted corn staters and some in the oil industry against each other for more than a decade. The bicameral effort would seek to control the volatile prices of
December 5, 2022
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by Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton (Bergeson & Campbell) On November 21, 2022, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a Science & Tech Spotlight on biorecycling of plastics. Biological recycling, or biorecycling, is an emerging technology that uses microbes, such as bacteria or fungi, to break down plastic into
December 2, 2022
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(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) EPA is requesting nominations of prospective candidates for membership on the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) established under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Nominations are due no later than December 12, 2022. Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified persons to be considered for
December 2, 2022
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by Theresa Duque (Science Daily/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) New technique could fast-track future carbon-free solar fuels — Scientists have demonstrated a new technique, modeled after a metabolic process found in some bacteria, to convert carbon dioxide into solar fuels through artificial photosynthesis. Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have
December 1, 2022
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(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Today, EPA issued a multi-part proposal that will build on the strong foundation for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program started in the Biden-Harris Administration and seeks to advance the priorities of energy security, less pollution, and consumer protection. The RFS “Set” proposal requests public input on
December 1, 2022
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(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) On December 1, 2022, EPA announces a proposed rule to establish required Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes and percentage standards for 2023, 2024, and 2025, as well as to propose a series of important modifications to strengthen and expand the RFS program. The proposed volume targets and
December 1, 2022
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico Pro) EPA is poised to propose increases in renewable fuel blending requirements under an upcoming proposal setting the future of the Renewable Fuel Standard, according to two people familiar with the proposal. The agency is expected to soon release its biofuel blending volumes under the RFS for
December 1, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Energy) On the Go is a podcast on alternative fuels, advanced vehicles, and emerging transportation technologies that are transforming mobility as we know it. We sit down with experts and fleet practitioners from national laboratories, federal agencies, utilities, and transportation stakeholders to give you on-the-ground insight into
November 30, 2022
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(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan announced that EPA’s Office of Environmental Education is now accepting applications for the 2023 President’s Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) and Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). “Students, educators, and young people have contributed so much to
November 30, 2022
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by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) Opponents of three carbon capture pipelines proposed in Iowa and surrounding states want federal regulators to call for a moratorium on construction, saying current safeguards are inadequate to protect people who live near the projects. About three dozen environmental, public health and tribal groups on Monday
November 30, 2022
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by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) U.S. senators from Nebraska and Minnesota introduced legislation on Tuesday that would expand nationwide sales of E15, a gasoline with a higher blend of ethanol, after gaining support for the bill from an oil industry trade group for the first time, Senator Deb Fischer from Nebraska told
November 30, 2022
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(International Trade Administration/Federal Register) The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee (REEEAC or the Committee) will hold a hybrid meeting, accessible in-person and online, on Wednesday December 7, 2022, at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, DC. The meeting is open to the public with registration instructions provided
November 30, 2022
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA has approved a fuel pathway that allows Chevron U.S.A. Inc. to generate D6 renewable fuel renewable identification numbers (RINs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard for several biofuels produced from soybean oil via coprocessing with petroleum at its refinery in El Segundo, California (Chevron
November 30, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ChemCatBio’s mission is to accelerate the catalyst and process development cycle for bioenergy applications – but how? What’s the potential impact of a billion-ton bioeconomy? What are the catalysis challenges in the conversion of biomass and waste feedstocks and how can we overcome them? NREL’s
November 30, 2022
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by Carlos Anchondo (Politico Pro) The federal agency said the permitting process for carbon dioxide wells could be streamlined. — EPA told lawmakers it’s taking steps to improve the permitting process for wells used to inject carbon dioxide underground, following calls to shorten the current timeline. In a 41-page report, the
November 29, 2022
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(Solutions from the Land) … Solutions from the Land was especially pleased to have been selected by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to co-host the opening event at their pavilion on Agriculture Day, which focused on issues related to adaptation, mitigation, and food systems. At the event, moderated by California
November 29, 2022
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(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) U.S. Grains Council staff, alongside agribusiness and producer members, recently had the privilege of participating on the USDA agriculture trade mission (ATM) to East Africa. Held in both Nairobi, Kenya, and Zanzibar, Tanzania, the ATM is an example of the USDA’s commitment to expanding and diversifying
November 29, 2022
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(American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA has closed its application period for the latest round of the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program, which provides $100 million in grants to pay up to 50 percent of the cost of equipment for station owners to add or upgrade equipment and
November 29, 2022
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(Inside EPA) EPA’s revised timeline for complying with renewable fuel standard (RFS) biofuel blending mandates is “dystopian,” according to refiners who are suing to scrap a compliance extension that they say led to an unmanageable pile-up of multiple deadlines as the agency seeks to compensate for its own implementation delays.
November 29, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In this project, researchers aim to establish a mechanistic pathway and characterize vs potential and pH, and demonstrate direct conversion of flue gas at high faradaic efficiency and current density. They also aim to demonstrate that the integrated flue gas feed with an optimized flow cell
November 29, 2022
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(Environmental Protection Agency) Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a new process to expand the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing (Recommendations). The Agency is inviting managers of standards development organizations, ecolabel programs, and other similar organizations to apply for potential assessment and
November 28, 2022
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by Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton (Bergeson & Campbell) The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) announced on October 19, 2022, the release of a report finding that life cycle assessments (LCA) of transportation fuels are valuable tools for measuring environmental impacts, but uncertainties remain in the current models
November 28, 2022
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(Internal Revenue Service) The Internal Revenue Service today issued three notices asking for comments on different aspects of extensions and enhancements of energy tax benefits in the Inflation Reduction Act. The IRS anticipates that constructive comments from interested parties will aid the agency in drafting the guidance items most reflective
November 28, 2022
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by Ariana Fine (NGT News) The Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association (PNWH2) – a public-private partnership of tribal, labor, government, environmental and private sector hydrogen company leaders – has submitted its 20-page concept paper to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), outlining the significant breadth and depth of possibilities for a hydrogen hub in
November 28, 2022
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by Addy Hatch (Washington State University Insider) … WSU (Washington State University) researchers in eight programs among three colleges on two campuses are exploring energy sources, testing, supply-chain logistics and policy in the quest for sustainable air transportation. The university is a co‑leader with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology of
November 28, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Energy) The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Technology Transitions (OTT), in partnership with the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), intends to issue a lab call on Carbon Dioxide Removal Measurement, Reporting, and Verification Best Practices and Capabilities. The lab call is funded by
November 23, 2022
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The Department of Transportation (DOT) is preparing to execute a new grant program specified in the Inflation Reduction Act Section 40007. This Act gives the DOT $297M for new grants to advance sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and low emissions aviation technologies to reduce emissions from aviation and aid in addressing
November 23, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service) Project funding may be used to establish, reopen, retrofit, expand, or improve a sawmill or other wood-processing facility in close proximity to federal or Indian lands that need ecosystem restoration and will generate byproducts. The emphasis is on areas of unnaturally severe high fire or
November 23, 2022
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Join the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) on December 13, 2022, from 2-3 p.m. ET for a webinar on the Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Grand Challenge Roadmap. This discussion will outline the six action areas that support the Grand Challenge’s goals of: Reducing life cycle greenhouse gas emissions
November 23, 2022
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(Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA/Federal Register) The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) requests public input for NRCS to use to inform how NRCS will implement funds received under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to fund the deployment of climate-smart practices on US farms, ranches, and forestlands through four Farm Bill
November 23, 2022
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by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) As a proud graduate of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), I was disappointed to read a recent commentary about ethanol by a research scholar at my alma mater. “A Chance to Phase Out Support for Corn Ethanol in the Renewable Fuel Standard,” by
November 23, 2022
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(Climte Now) with George Peridas, Jonathan Kusel, and Joshuah Stolaroff — In the international carbon offset market, the average price of removing one tonne of CO2 from the atmosphere is still below $15 USD, nowhere near enough to cover the costs of carbon capture and storage (CCS). As Dr. Sheila Olmstead (University
November 22, 2022
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(Climate Now) Since its founding in 1952, the mission of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has been to meet urgent national security needs through scientific and technological innovation. Expanding from its focus on nuclear weapons science at the height of the Cold War, LLNL has become a national research leader in counterterrorism, intelligence,
November 22, 2022
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(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Committee charged with evaluation of Agency policies and programs at the intersection of agriculture and climate change — Today (November 16, 2022), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the appointment of 20 members, including the new Committee Chair and Committee Vice-Chair to the
November 22, 2022
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(Inside EPA) A coalition of small refiners is sketching out its legal arguments against EPA’s blanket policy of denying all petitions from smaller refineries for economic hardship waivers from the renewable fuel standard (RFS), as many refiners seek to overturn the agency’s mass denials of their waiver applications earlier this
November 22, 2022
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(Renewable Fuels Association) In a letter sent yesterday to U.S. Senate and House leadership, a broad coalition of energy and agriculture organizations called on Congress to quickly adopt legislation that would resolve inconsistent fuel volatility regulations. Specifically, the groups expressed support for legislation that would result in equal regulatory treatment for all gasoline
November 22, 2022
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by David Meade (NASA Langley Research Center/Biobased Diesel Daily) Scientists from NASA and Boeing recently met near Seattle to test whether an aircraft with engines burning different blends of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) produced fewer soot particles than traditional jet fuel. In its efforts to accelerate progress towards a sustainable aviation
November 22, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Energy) On Monday, Nov. 7, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy issued topics for Phase One of the Fiscal Year 2023 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. These topics aim to advance the development and commercialization of new ideas and research from
November 21, 2022
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by Mike Gauntner (WFMJ) Restaurant and convenience chain, Sheetz has announced it is reducing the price of one of its gasoline products to $1.99 a gallon during Thanksgiving week. — Restaurant and convenience chain, Sheetz has announced it is reducing the price of one of its gasoline products to $1.99
November 21, 2022
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by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol Producer Magazine’s editor previews the feature articles in the publication’s December edition while reflecting on the rise of EVs, the promise of higher-level ethanol blends and the enormity of the industry’s burgeoning SAF opportunity. … Yes, it looks imminent that domestic gasoline use
November 21, 2022
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by Herman K. Trabish (Utility Dive) New aggressive planning is needed to identify the long-duration storage technologies and find the land to grow enough resources to reach Biden net zero emissions goals, a DOE national lab reports. — Four major viable paths to a net zero emissions “clean electricity” power
November 18, 2022
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by Louise Lerner (University of Chicago News) UChicago breakthrough creates methane fuel from sun, carbon dioxide and water — For the past two centuries, humans have relied on fossil fuels for concentrated energy; hundreds of millions of years of photosynthesis packed into a convenient, energy-dense substance. But that supply is
November 18, 2022
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by Erin Voegele (EthanolProducer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Nov. 17 released updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data, reporting that four new SRE petitions were filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard during the past month. According to the agency, nine SRE petitions are now pending, up from five that were pending
November 18, 2022
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(Inside EPA) EPA is poised to finalize its approval of canola oil as a feedstock for the manufacture of “advanced” low-carbon fuels qualified to earn credit under the renewable fuel standard (RFS), after the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) completed review of the measure. OMB completed review
November 18, 2022
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by Katie Schroeder (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Shoring up its provisions on biointermediates, the EPA is catching up with new and envisioned biofuel production goals. Following a workshop on the topic, Ethanol Producer Magazine spoke with a policy expert to learn more. Biointermediates have potential to give ethanol producers a chance
November 18, 2022
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(Argonne National Laboratory/Department of Energy) Are you an innovator interested in developing your clean energy or climate tech startup? Applications are now open for the Chain Reaction Innovations (CRI) entrepreneurship program, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). CRI is a two-year fellowship program that propels
November 17, 2022
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K-State Scientists Receive Collaborative Grant to Advance Biofuel Production and gricultural Economy
(Kansas State University) Kansas State University researchers are part of a five-year collaborative grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to improve oilseed crops for use as biofuels and other bioproducts. Timothy Durrett, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, and Ruth Welti, university distinguished professor of biology, received nearly $1.9 million to
November 17, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BioMADE’s mission is to enable domestic bioindustrial manufacturing at all scales, develop technologies to enhance U.S. bioindustrial competitiveness, de-risk investment in relevant infrastructure, and expand the biomanufacturing workforce to realize the economic promise of industrial biotechnology. CEO Douglas Friedman presented these slides at ABLC Next
November 17, 2022
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(Renewable Fuels Association) A report released today (November 16, 2022) by the U.S. Energy Information Administration demonstrates clearly that higher blends of ethanol helped moderate fuel prices in the wake of the Ukraine invasion. The report noted that the U.S. ethanol blend rate hit a record summer average of 10.5% in 2022 and
November 17, 2022
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On November 30th, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), and National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will host the Status of Gasification Technology of Biomass and Solid Wastes (Waste Coal, Waste Plastics and MSW) and Pathways for Net-Zero Carbon Economy workshop. The workshop
November 16, 2022
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Calumet Specialty Products Partners L.P. is considering plans to ramp up sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production at its Montana Renewables biorefinery to as high as 230 MMgy. That facility, currently focused on renewable diesel production, began commissioning this fall. Calumet in February 2021 announced plans to produce renewable
November 16, 2022
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on Nov. 15 continued its work to develop the 2023 Farm Bill with a hearing focused on rural development and energy programs. The Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program, BioPreferred Program, Rural Energy for America Program, and
November 16, 2022
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(Environmental Protection Agency) Committee charged with evaluation of Agency policies and programs at the intersection of agriculture and climate change — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the appointment of 20 members, including the new Committee Chair and Committee Vice-Chair to the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal
November 16, 2022
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(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) Meeting Purpose: The Department of Transportation (DOT) is preparing to execute a new grant program specified in the Inflation Reduction Act Section 40007. This Act gives the DOT $297M for new grants to advance sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and low emissions aviation technologies to reduce
November 16, 2022
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(FERN’s Ag Insider/Successful Farming) The EPA should increase the advanced biofuels share of the fuel market by 1 billion gallons a year to reflect the land rush into renewable diesel production, said the trade group Clean Fuels America Alliance on Monday. The recommendation would raise the federal mandate for second-generation
November 16, 2022
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by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) The relatively new organization, Alternative Fuels and Chemicals Coalition, held their second annual conference November 6-8 just outside of Washington, DC. One benefit of this organization and conference is that they recognize the reality of the intertwining of fuels and chemicals in the practical
November 15, 2022
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Nov. 9 delivered its proposed rule to set Renewable Fuel Standard blending obligations for 2023 and beyond to the White House Office of Management and Budget. OMB review marks a final stage before a proposed rule is released for public comment.
November 15, 2022
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(SciTechDaily/Arizona State University) The study found that planting the grass miscanthus on 23.2 million hectares of existing marginal agricultural lands – land that often lays fallow or is poor in soil quality – across the United States would provide enough biomass feedstock to meet the liquid fuel demands of the
November 15, 2022
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by Ariana Fine (NGT News) Biofuel is closer to becoming a cost-competitive, climate-friendly solution for slashing carbon emissions in cars and trucks, according to two new studies. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has collaborated with the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
November 15, 2022
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by Brian Jennings (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ACE believes farmers should have the opportunity to monetize low-carbon practices by selling their corn to ethanol plants that have pathways into clean fuel markets at the state or federal level, creating maximum value and meaningful change. … Whether working to
November 15, 2022
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by Arianna Skibell (Politico’s Power Switch) … A GOP-led House probably spells doom for any ambitious new climate bills, such as this year’s Inflation Reduction Act. But the Senate offers Democrats a guardrail against GOP attacks and could even yield some gains for President Joe Biden’s agenda. Here are three ways
November 14, 2022
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by Beth Burmahl (Argonne National Laboratory) Argonne collaborates with U.S. laboratories on research to identify promising biofuels for different engine types. — Biofuel is closer to becoming a cost-competitive, climate-friendly solution for slashing carbon emissions in cars and trucks, according to two new studies. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory
November 11, 2022
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by Rachel Frazin (The Hill) The Biden administration announced a new proposal on Thursday to require the largest recipients of federal contracts to both set targets to reduce their planet-warming emissions and disclose how much they are contributing to climate change. Under the rule, companies that get more than $50 million in annual contracts from
November 11, 2022
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by Meredith Lee Hill (Politico Pro) A likely Republican takeover of the House and possibly the Senate is threatening Biden’s agriculture-focused climate agenda he plans to tout at COP27. — President Joe Biden will take to the stage on Friday at the United Nations Climate Change Conference to tout historic investments
November 11, 2022
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by Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) A Republican U.S. senator plans to submit federal legislation with the support of a major oil industry trade group that would expand national sales of E15, a higher ethanol-gasoline blend. Senator Deb Fischer, of Nebraska, the third-largest U.S. corn-producing state, told Reuters on Thursday she
November 11, 2022
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(Environmental Protection Agency) Today (November 9, 2022), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is responding to petitions from the California Air Resources Board, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, and the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association to address harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter
November 10, 2022
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(Clean Fuels Foundati0n) The Environmental Science Program hosted the Clean Fuels Sustainability Workshop Nov. 1-2 in St. Louis. It focused on a number of policy, energy, environmental and economic issues impacting the biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel industries. The workshop was preceded by a general session with the
November 10, 2022
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(American Journal of Transporation/GTI) The HyVelocity Hub, comprised of leading energy companies and organizations, announced today that it is applying for U.S. Department of Energy Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub funding to accelerate the development of clean hydrogen projects in Texas, Southwest Louisiana, and the U.S. Gulf Coast. GTI Energy, The Center
November 10, 2022
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by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) Protestors opposed to carbon pipeline projects in Iowa disrupted the opening of a two-day Carbon Capture Conference and Expo. At least seven people stood up at separate times during an early panel discussion Tuesday, blowing whistles and cursing representatives from carbon pipeline and associated industries
November 10, 2022
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(Renewable Fuels Association) Testimony, Comments Provided to Treasury, IRS, USDA — In separate comments and testimony to the U.S. Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Renewable Fuels Association laid out the ethanol industry’s priorities as the agencies prepare to implement the Inflation Reduction Act’s
November 9, 2022
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(U.S. Department of State) Greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping sector are significant, increasing, and on a trajectory that is incompatible with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Compared with country emissions, the sector would rank among the top 10 largest emitters globally. To help place the sector on a pathway
November 8, 2022
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by Tina Hilding (Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture/WSU Insider) A new method to treat sewage can efficiently convert leftover sludge to biogas, an advance that could help communities lower their waste treatment costs while helping the environment. Reporting in the journal, Waste Management, a Washington State University research team tested a pretreatment
November 8, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines initiative are exploring how simultaneous innovations in fuels and engines could boost fuel economy and vehicle performance, while reducing emissions—advancing the underlying science needed to deliver better fuels and better engines sooner. In this
November 8, 2022
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(White House) Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced $1.5 billion under the President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to build and upgrade America’s national laboratories and advance American leadership in science, research, and innovation. Strengthening our national labs will increase economic growth, create good-paying, local jobs and help attract skilled workers needed to
November 4, 2022
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(Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen) The Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2) announced today that it will submit an application to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a regional clean hydrogen production and distribution hub to be funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Under the Act,
November 4, 2022
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(GrainNet) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Growth Energy agreed under their consent decree to delay by two weeks the issuance of the proposed 2023 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). EPA is now required to propose the biofuel requirements by no later than November
November 4, 2022
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(Environmental Protection Agency) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced initial public engagement and input opportunities for a subset of new and existing programs funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. These programs, which include funding for air quality projects and climate projects addressing clean energy, transportation, methane emissions, and
November 4, 2022
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(Growth Energy) Today, Growth Energy sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury on implementation of Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) tax credits for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In her letter, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor calls on regulators to ensure that policies reflect the most updated and accurate science-based lifecycle carbon assessment
November 4, 2022
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) GAO Report: EPA Unable to Prove Small Refiners Pass RFS Costs to Consumers — Not all small refineries are able to pass costs to comply with the Renewable Fuel Standard on to consumers at the pump, the Government Accountability Office said in a new report
November 4, 2022
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by Cassie Mullen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Last month, we kicked off a conversation with Joshua Jadlocki, senior petroleum scheduler at Sheetz, about what the retailer has experienced with its adoption of higher blends of ethanol, such as E15. Our discussion concludes today. RFA: The whole country was talking about your
November 3, 2022
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) The major biofuels interest groups and National Farmers Union are trying to intervene in a lawsuit challenging EPA’s recent decision to reject 69 pending applications for small-refinery exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard, according to a motion filed with a federal appeals court on Tuesday.
November 3, 2022
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(Office of Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts (R-NE)) There’s no reason why the U.S. should be reliant on authoritarian regimes like Iran, Russia, and Venezuela to supply the fuel we need. We have more than enough resources to restore our energy independence and bring fuel prices down. In Nebraska, we’re doing our
November 2, 2022
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(Inside EPA) Refiners are filing suit against EPA’s “alternative” schedule for small refineries to turn in credits for renewable fuel standard (RFS) compliance, in litigation that will likely allege the extended schedule merely further complicates an already delayed and complex situation that occurred because of EPA’s failure to issue RFS
November 2, 2022
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by Katie Schroeder (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Drive Clean Initiative and Next Generation Fuels Act are simultaneously finding support in the ethanol industry. Both aim to usher in higher blends of ethanol, but via different mechanisms. One effort rides on low-carbon, the other high octane. … But as the RFS
November 2, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In this project, researchers aim for market-ready production of carbon nanotubes from TVA flue gas-derived CO2, including a TEA and LCA in collaboration with NREL. The researchers have a goal of 80-90% less cost than today’s market. Anna Douglas of SkyNano presented these slides at
November 2, 2022
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“This (the Biden Administration’s EPA and DOT regulatory efforts to mandate transition to electric vehicles) completely inverts the statutory system, transforming it into a tool for forcing electrification rather than the technology-neutral, performance-based system Congress created.” — Heritage Foundation’s Derrick Morgan in The Washington Examiner. READ MORE
November 1, 2022
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(Minnesota Bi0-Fuels Association) The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels), along with other biofuel and agriculture stakeholders in the state, sent a letter to Gov. Tim Walz on Oct 17 asking him to remain committed to a regulatory solution that will ensure the year-round availability of E15. In April this year, eight
October 31, 2022
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by Andrew Careaga (Missouri University of Science and Technology) The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently awarded a $2.05 million grant to a Missouri S&T researcher to study how different types of sustainable aviation fuels could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes. Dr. Philip Whitefield, Curators’ Distinguished Professor emeritus of chemistry
October 31, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In this project, researchers are designing and developing tailored dual-function materials (DFMs) and the accompanying pressure-swing process for reactive capture and conversion (RCC) of CO2 to directly produce methanol. This will favor lower capital and operating expenses and offer compatibility with a dynamic energy grid
October 31, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This Project aims to advance the Technical Readiness Level through experimental and modeling to enhance the efficiencies while assessing the TEA/LCA of a dual functional catalytic porous polymer for simultaneous capture and conversion of CO2 to value added chemicals (formic acid initially) under natural gas
October 28, 2022
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Agriculture, fuel interests and several states see EPA’s March 2022 decision to reinstate California’s legal authority to implement a zero-emissions vehicle sales mandate and greenhouse gas emissions standards as a back-door way to move the entire country away from gasoline-powered vehicles. Several state-level agriculture interest
October 28, 2022
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA has announced it will host a virtual listening session on Nov. 3 that focuses, in part, on Section 22003 of the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides $500 million in biofuels infrastructure funding. A 30-day public comment period is also being opened. President Joe
October 28, 2022
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by Robert Zullo (Wisconsin Examiner) Across the country, states are inking agreements with neighbors or striking out on their own to pursue billions in federal funding to set up “hydrogen hubs,” clustered centers for production, storage and use of the gas that many see as a crucial piece of the puzzle
October 27, 2022
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by Justin Roberts (Ag Informer/ National Corn Growers Association) With the Department of Energy’s announcement to release 15 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) called on policymakers to advance ethanol as a solution to increase the nation’s fuel supply and lower prices for
October 27, 2022
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by Brent Barnett (Brownfield Ag News) US Representative Ashley Hinson is calling on the Biden administration to ramp up domestic oil production and put more emphasis on renewable fuels. “Ethanol should be front and center in our all of the above energy strategy,” she said. “Expanding the use of homegrown biofuels,
October 27, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The objective of this project is to develop an electrochemically-driven CO2 separator (EDCS) with 155 kg/m2yr air capture at <5.4 GJ/t (1.5 MWh/t), to characterize PAP ionomer properties to support future Development, and to demonstrate EDCS module with 200 g/day removal and >0.4 CO2 captured
October 27, 2022
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by Emma VandenEinde (KUNC) As the airline industry works to cut its carbon dioxide emissions, a team of researchers believe they’ve found a “runway” to 100% sustainable aviation fuel. Their findings – published this week in the journal Joule – demonstrate harnessing the power of lignin. It’s a biopolymer that makes up one-third of almost
October 26, 2022
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(Michigan Farm News) According to Honeywell, depending on the type of ethanol feedstock used, jet fuel produced from their ethanol-to-jet fuel process can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80% on a total lifecycle basis, compared to petroleum-based jet fuel. — The tech company Honeywell recently announced a new, innovative ethanol-to-jet
October 26, 2022
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by Cheyenne Roche (Creston News Advertiser) … Panelist and Greenfield farmer Randy Caviness said his great-grandfather never made the switch from horses to tractors in the early 1900s. “Our biggest crop at the time was oats,” Caviness said. “He told my grandfather, ‘If we get rid of the horses, what
October 26, 2022
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(Inside EPA) Liquid fuels interests challenging EPA’s reinstated approval of California’s vehicle greenhouse gas rules are focusing their legal attacks on claims that the move improperly addresses issues of “vast significance” without clear Clean Air Act (CAA) authority, teeing up a “major questions” argument after the Supreme Court’s elevation of
October 26, 2022
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by Jim Seurer and Doug Sombke (Glacial Lakes Energy and South Dakota Farmers Union/Biofuels Digest) … For the first time since the enactment of the Renewable Fuel Standard, the statutory volumes established in the authorizing legislation now give way to EPA discretion. The 36 billion gallons we were supposed to reach—and
October 25, 2022
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by John Green (The Hutchinson News) Governor Laura Kelly joined a handful of local leaders in Hutchinson Friday for a roundtable discussion focused on economic and agricultural growth in central Kansas. … Kelly said water is an issue she has heard about at every roundtable she’s attended, but the issues
October 25, 2022
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by Sam Sutton (Politico Pro) Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday said she was exploring how the administration could develop standards for voluntary carbon markets as part of broader efforts to address climate change. “We’re looking into what we might do to promote the development of a strong voluntary carbon trading
October 24, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The National Carbon Capture Center is a centralized test facility providing comprehensive support for technology testing and evaluation, relating to process, engineering, operational, analytical, troubleshooting and maintenance. The NCCC aims to accelerate technology development, scale up, cost reduction and commercialization of CO2 capture, utilization and
October 24, 2022
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(American Economic Association/Environmental Protection Agency/White House) Biden-Harris Administration Seeks Public Input on Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund–Stakeholder Input Will Help Shape First-of-Its-Kind Federal Fund to Mobilize Clean Energy and Climate Projects and Reduce Pollution in Disadvantaged Communities Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a coordinated stakeholder
October 24, 2022
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by Patrick Cooley (The Columbus Dispatch) … Ohio has at least 88 gas stations that sell unleaded 88, up from 10 or 15 in 2016, according to the Renewable Fuels Association. (A spokesperson cautioned that the association’s list is not comprehensive.) Nationwide, around 2,400 stations sell E15, about 1.5% of the total.
October 24, 2022
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by Maria Lameiras (UGA Today) Cutting-edge technologies will enable researchers to reengineer poplar trees to produce alternatives to petroleum-based products — A multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Georgia and two partner institutions have been awarded a $15.8 million grant over five years from the U.S. Department of Energy
October 21, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Energy) Combining chemical and biological processes is a promising new strategy for the valorization of mixed plastic waste, according to researchers from the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) Consortium. BOTTLE is a collaboration between scientists from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and
October 21, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This Project aims to update a 2014 NETL study that quantifies the cost and performance associated with capturing point-source CO2 from industrial plants. It’s a part of the search for CO2 capture, and Sally Homsy and Tim Fout of the National Energy Technology Laboratory presented
October 21, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Meanwhile, Topsoe has been picked to support first sustainable aviation fuel-production in Brazil. Brasil BioFuels will build a new biorefinery to produce sustainable aviation fuel and second generation biofuel using Topsoe’s Hydroflex and H2bridge technologies. The new biorefinery will be built in Manaus, Brazil, and
October 21, 2022
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“Nebraska has already demonstrated that E30 can be used in regular vehicles without reducing performance or requiring extra maintenance. …Promoting higher ethanol blends should be a centerpiece of our national strategy to lower gas prices.” — Office of Governor Pete Ricketts (R-NE) announcing results of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved study.
October 21, 2022
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(Office of Governor Pete Ricketts) Today, Governor Pete Ricketts announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the continuation of groundbreaking research being done in Nebraska on E30 fuel. Results of the State’s initial pilot program, launched in 2019, showed that E30 is safe and reliable fuel for use
October 21, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is looking for a diverse pool of subject matter experts to participate in its 2023 Project Peer Review. We are striving to expand our reviewer pool to broaden participation and create a more inclusive and equitable review process.
October 20, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The objective of this project is to demonstrate the UK CO2 capture process at Nucor Steel Gallatin treating electric arc furnace evolved gas with a CO2 concentration of ~1.5 vol%.Kunlei Liu and Heather Nikolic of the University of Kentucky showed these slides at the National
October 20, 2022
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by Willie Vogt (Farm Progress) Farmers have expressed a fair share of interest in work done by ClearFlame. The startup created by two Stanford University grads developed technology that will retrofit a diesel engine to run on pure ethanol. While the trip from new idea to marketable product can be a
October 20, 2022
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by Rachel Schutte (Farm Progress) Bipartisan letter comes as the agency prepares to issue the ‘set’ rule in coming weeks. — As the Environmental Protection Agency prepares to issue its “set” rule under the Renewable Fuel Standard, a bipartisan group of thirteen senators sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan urging the
October 20, 2022
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(Brookhaven National Laboratory/Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science has selected Brookhaven National Laboratory to lead a new research effort focused on potential threats to crops grown for bioenergy production. Understanding how such bioenergy crops could be harmed by known or new pests or pathogens could help speed
October 19, 2022
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(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels), along with other biofuel and agriculture stakeholders in the state, sent a letter to Gov. Tim Walz on Oct 17 asking him to remain committed to a regulatory solution that will ensure the year-round availability of E15. In April this year, eight
October 19, 2022
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Japanese government is seeking public comments on a draft policy to promote decarbonization in the aviation industry. The policy, in part, would require flights to be carbon neutral by 2050 and require airlines to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). A report filed with the
October 19, 2022
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by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Starting now, the U.S. EPA—with input from other agencies—will have new guideposts and increased interpretive authority for determining the annual renewable volume obligations of the RFS. — Starting in 2023, the Renewable Fuel Standard’s yearly required volumes will no longer be based on the
October 19, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This Project aims To execute and complete a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for a commercial-scale, carbon capture system that separates 95% of the total CO2 emissions at Holcim Ste Genevieve Cement Plant using AirLiquide’s Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) assisted Cryocap FG technology.Kevin O’Brien
October 19, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Growth Energy released a study conducted by ABF Economics that found that nationwide access to E15, a 15 percent ethanol blended fuel, could save drivers billions in annual fuel costs, create new jobs, and return billions to the U.S. economy. Specifically, the data show that a
October 19, 2022
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(Heirloom Carbon) … There is only one location big enough to permanently store the 6–10 billion tons of CO2 the world needs to be capturing from the atmosphere each year by 2050 to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change — and that’s deep underground in geological reservoirs. There’s 506 billion tons
October 18, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This Project aims to design, build, and operate a 10 MWe Large Pilot membrane capture system. Brice Freeman and Richard Baker of Membrane Technology & Research showed these slides at the National Energy Technology Laboratory’s Carbon Management Project Review Meeting in August. READ MORE
October 18, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) News arrives from Colorado that BOTTLE consortia researchers led by NREL have developed a process that can convert mixed plastics to a single chemical product, working toward a solution that would allow recyclers to skip sorting plastic by type. Combining chemical and biological processes is a promising new strategy
October 18, 2022
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EPA Abused Discretion by Denying Suncor Colorado Refineries Exemption from Clean Air Law, Court Says
by Michael Karlik (The Gazette) The federal appeals court based in Denver has overturned a 2019 decision of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that refused to grant Suncor Energy’s Commerce City Refinery an exemption to a key environmental law. Although the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit cautioned the
October 18, 2022
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by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) Following an April 12 announcement by President Biden, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a series of emergency waivers allowing E15 (gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol) to be sold during the 2022 summer driving season. Without this action, E15 could not have been used in most
October 18, 2022
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by Katie Schroeder (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With CCS expanding rapidly, there is an accompanying need for technology to monitor the CO2 underground. A North Dakota ethanol producer, environmental researcher and a geophysicist explain how it’s done. As the number of new and proposed carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects in
October 17, 2022
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by Jael Holzman (E&E News/Greenwire) With climate change pushing the U.S. toward more rapid adoption of new technologies, many Republicans and Democrats are in rare agreement on one key point: This country needs a lot more mines. But exactly how much new mining is required for the energy transition isn’t clear.
October 14, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This Project aims to develop an initial engineering design (IED)and estimated cost for capture and compression of CO2 generated from an operational ethanol production facility. It’s a part of the search for CO2 capture, and Jason Laumb, Director of Advanced Energy Systems Initiatives at the University
October 14, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences and the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems at the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the selection of six projects to conduct research and development that
October 13, 2022
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by Evan Halper (Washington Post) … Carbon capture generally involves chemical processes that separate out carbon dioxide from industrial gases. Newer, more costly, variations of the technology work like giant vacuums, sucking the carbon dioxide directly from the air. The carbon dioxide is usually then compressed into a liquid and routed
October 13, 2022
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(Strategic Biofuels/Business Wire) Standardized requirements will be instrumental for environmental credits enabling commercialization of forestry waste-derived renewable fuels — Today (October 12, 2022), the U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, awarded Strategic Biofuels a cooperative agreement under its Wood Innovations Program for the first phase of a
October 13, 2022
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The objective of this project is to harness the power of photosynthetic microalgae to maintain a high-pH, high-alkalinity microalgal culture to create a carbon-negative system for carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion to value-added products from power plant flue gas. Feng Chen of the University of Maryland
October 13, 2022
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(Federal Aviation Administration) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued more than $16 million in grants to 14 universities across the country for research to reduce aviation emissions and noise. The university teams are members of the Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT), part of the FAA’s Air Transportation Center
October 13, 2022
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(Brookhaven National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have engineered duckweed to produce high yields of oil. The team added genes to one of nature’s fastest growing aquatic plants to “push” the synthesis of fatty acids, “pull”
October 12, 2022
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(Advanced Biofuels Association/Biodiesel Magazine) Michael McAdams, president of the Advanced Biofuels Association, on Oct. 5 issued the following statement in response to announced OPEC+ production cuts: “Today, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia announced its largest oil production cut since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. And
October 12, 2022
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RFA Provides Input on IRA’s Clean Fuel Production and CCUS Credits, Biofuels Infrastructure Grants
(Renewable Fuels Association) As federal agencies continue to work on implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Renewable Fuels Association on Saturday filed two sets of comments to the Internal Revenue Service, related to credits for carbon sequestration and clean fuel production. RFA also submitted comments last week to USDA on