(Clean Energy Education & Empowerment Awards) Female undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers currently undertaking research in clean energy are invited to apply! Entrants with the most compelling posters will be invited to attend the …

(U.S. Department of Energy Newswise)  Systems biology leads the way to exascale computing on Summit supercomputer. —  … To improve biofuel production, scientists must understand the fundamental interactions that lead to the expression of key traits in …

by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board/Real Clear Energy)  … The ethanol industry wants EPA to remove a regulatory barrier to higher ethanol blends. In exchange, the refining industry wants to sunset the Renewable Fuel Standard. Late in …

by Rod Boshart (Sioux City Journal)  Democratic gubernatorial candidate Fred Hubbell called out Gov. Kim Reynolds Saturday for not taking a more-aggressive public stance on behalf of Iowa farmers and rural interests being hurt by President …

by Chris Barncard  (University of Wisconsin-Madison)  Some chemicals used to speed up the breakdown of plants for production of biofuels like ethanol are poison to the yeasts that turn the plant sugars into fuel.
Researchers from the …

by Dan Looker (Successful Farming) Lawsuits and EPA petitions are in the works.  —  … “I would say the status quo right now is unacceptable for the industry,” says Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. “If …

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  …  Biogas – Turning Hog Waste into Resources  —  Biogas technologies turn organic wastes, including manure, into energy and compost. When manure is turned into biogas, the smells, …

by David R. Baker (San Francisco Chronicle)  A California program to fight climate change may now add more to the cost of gasoline than the state gas-tax increase that many voters want to repeal.
The Low Carbon Fuel Standard, designed …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business-Cooperative Service/Federal Register)  This Notice announces the solicitation of applications for funds available under the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program (the Program) to provide guaranteed loans to …

(U.S. Department of Justice) A Colorado business owner pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to impair and impede the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for his role in a $7.2 million renewable fuel tax credit scheme, announced Principal …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  For several years now we have seen a significant number of players pivoting from biofuels towards smaller but higher-value markets in chemicals, nutrition,  nutraceuticals, pharma, materials, flavorings, fragrances, cosmetics and more. We’ve …

by Zack Colman and Scott Waldman (E&E News) The last time carbon dioxide levels hit the mark the Trump administration envisions for the end of the century, crocodiles roamed the poles and palm trees existed where glaciers …

by Andy Banker (KPLR11)  Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill spent the primary election day visiting biofuel plants in Missouri.
“Happy Primary Day,” McCaskill said while getting off her campaign bus to tour MidAmerica Biofuels in Mexico, Missouri.
It was …

(Velocys)  The USDA has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact on the environmental assessment report for Velocys’ planned Mississippi biorefinery.  
Velocys plc (VLS.L), the renewable fuels company, announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) …

(WCAX)   Both houses of Congress have passed their respective versions of the Farm Bill, a massive piece of legislation that affects farmers around the country.
Now, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, will …

by Chuck Abbott (Fern’s Ag Insider)  One-in-seven farmers who voted for President Trump in 2016 would not vote for him today, according to a poll released on Monday. The escalating trade war was the leading cause …

by Niina Heikkinen (E&E News)   Whether it’s in haze-shrouded cities, plumes of car exhaust or even clear skies, fine particle pollution can be found just about everywhere in the United States.
… Exposure to fine particles is linked …

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Poltico’s Morning Energy) Does the world have enough oil to go around if 2.5 million barrels of Iranian petroleum is put behind a wall of U.S. sanctions? That’s the questions oil traders …

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News)  Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) has announced new grant funding for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LNNL) and Stanford School of Engineering’s Spormann Laboratory to conduct new power-to-gas research.
The two entities will …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy’s Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy says that 1.2 billion tons of biomass would be available at $40 or less per ton by 2040, and 1 …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The European Court of Justice has ruled that organisms altered via genome editing are GMOs and subject to GMO regulation in Europe, including warning labels for foods. 
And in the US, President …

(Argonne National Laboratory/Biomass Magazine) Named for the mythical god with two faces, Janus membranes –double-sided membranes that serve as gatekeepers between two substances—have emerged as a material with potential industrial uses. Creating two distinct “faces” on …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The goal of the US Department of Energy’s Demonstration and Market Transformation focus at the BioEnergy Technologies Office is to de-risk bioenergy production technologies through validated proof of performance at the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  From Portugal comes the news that SilicoLife was awarded with a SME instrument phase 1 grant for the commercial evaluation of its BUTANOVA technology, a new biological process to produce n-butanol.
BUTANOVA …

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Trump administration’s proposed freeze of vehicle fuel efficiency standards sought by the Obama administration and plan to end California’s power to enforce its own rules has placed the spotlight …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  At today’s (August 1, 2018) H2@ Scale project kickoff meeting in Chicago, EERE’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Steven Chalk announced the release of a request for information (RFI) soliciting stakeholder feedback on opportunities …

(Urban Air Initiative)  After being one of the first to embrace and encourage high octane fuels as a solution for reducing emissions and improving air quality, the Urban Air Initiative is relieved to finally see octane …

by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner)  The House Energy and Commerce Committee is on course to create legislation to develop a national biofuel program that places consumers first, said Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon, the Republican chairman …

(Algae Biomass Organization)  This month the momentum for supporting technologies that put carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to good use got a boost in Congress with the introduction of the bipartisan Carbon Utilization Act of …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The US Department of Energy’s Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy says that 1.2 billion tons of biomass would be available at $40 or less per ton by 2040, and 1 …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office issued a request for information (RFI) titled, Understanding Catalyst Production and Development Needs at National Laboratories. Catalysts increase the rate of a chemical …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In March, EcoStrat CEO Jordan Solomon announced the US Standards for Biomass Supply Chain Risk (BSCR) this year. This has been an ongoing 3 year USDOE/BETO project which we are leading …

by Jeremy Martin (Union of Concerned Scientists/Biofuels Digest)  … Here, we untangle the opaque way (former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott) Pruitt rigged the system for his fossil fuel friends and what this means for the …

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy)  Bob Dinneen, the outgoing CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, told reporters Wednesday that he thinks EPA staff is working on a rule to allow year-round sales of 15 …

(Renewable Fuels Association)  The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) today welcomed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) request for public comments on how high octane fuels could facilitate engine efficiency improvements and reduced emissions under 2021-2026 fuel …

(Environmental Protection Agency)  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) propose to amend certain existing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas emissions standards for passenger cars and light …

by Brady Dennis, Michael Laris and Juliet Eilperin (The Washington Post) The Trump administration on Thursday announced plans to freeze fuel efficiency requirements for the nation’s cars and trucks through 2026 — a massive regulatory rollback likely to spur …

by Jessie Stolark (Energy and Environmental Study Institute)  On Wednesday July 25, the House Energy & Commerce Committee held a hearing to educate members on the complexities of the compliance markets for biofuels, as Environment and …

by Sabine Lieberz (US Department of Agriculture)  This report provides an overview on the biofuel use mandates in the various EU-28 member states. It supplements the EU-28 Biofuel Annual Report.
The 2009 EU Energy and Climate Change …

by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner)   Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler confirmed to senators Wednesday that the Trump administration this week will release a proposal to weaken Obama-era fuel efficiency standards. Wheeler, in his first testimony …

by Timothy J. Rudnicki (Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association)  … Let’s be clear here. There are legitimate complaints from the biofuel industry because (acting Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew) Wheeler’s predecessor turned over the agency to Big Oil. …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The USDA has announced it will authorize up to $12 billion in aid to assist farmers who have been impacted by retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods. The ethanol industry …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  On July 25, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing that aimed to educate members of the subcommittee on renewable identification numbers (RINs) …

(National Biodiesel Board)  NBB brief is the first to challenge EPA’s accounting for small refinery “hardship” exemptions in the annual RFS volumes  —  On Friday July 27, 2018, the National Biodiesel Board filed an opening brief in …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Vertimass technology was originated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where scientists discovered novel catalysts that convert a wide range of alcohols into various hydrocarbon blend stocks which can be used in …

by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer)  Appeals Court to Hear Whether EPA Followed Law Prior to Granting Exemptions  —  The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver will hear a Renewable Fuels Standard lawsuit challenging EPA’s …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The US Department of Energy has a key project called Co-Optima, which aims to determine key fuel properties that enable improved engine efficiency, provide key science to enable high efficiency combustion …

(Bergeson & Campbell)  On July 20, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report on its audit of EPA’s implementation of the OIG recommendations for the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards …

by Andy Stiny (Santa Fe New Mexican)  … And those lawn clippings? They could be used to convert algae into a mass-produced, economical biofuel to be used in cars, trucks and airplanes.

Molecular biologist Amanda Barry …

by Roberta Rampton and Lisa Lambert (Reuters)  President Donald Trump on Thursday said his administration is very close to granting a waiver that would allow the sale of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol year-round.
“I’m very close, I …

by Kurt Liedtke (Herald and News)  On Wednesday, members of Red Rock Biofuels, political dignitaries, corporate representatives and a large community contingent gathered on the outskirts of Lakeview for a groundbreaking ceremony for the $320 …

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest)  Sorghum sights are set high with EPA approval and recent genetic improvements  — … U.S. EPA opened up pathways for sorghum oil to become renewable fuels. 
…
Sorghum is a grass grown in …

by Anthony Bush (Marion Star)  … Most urgently,  (Agriculture) Secretary (Sonny) Perdue must follow the president’s directive to work with the Environmental Protection Agency to end harmful sales regulations on higher ethanol blends like E15 and …

by Alex Guillén (Politico’s Morning Energy)  The Trump administration is expected to formally roll back vehicle fuel economy and emissions requirements later this week, and a draft version of the EPA-NHTSA rule posted Friday evening by …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, …

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy)  Fuel economy rules from EPA and the Department of Transportation that were widely expected this week will be delayed, as the feds are adding analysis to give them better …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  On July 10, the U.S. Department of Energy officially launched the Lab Partnering Service, an online, single access point platform for investors, innovators, and institutions to identify, locate, and obtain …

by Byron Dorgan (Arent Fox LLP/National Biodiesel Board/The Hill)  … A recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report released to Congress on the environmental and resource conservation impacts of biofuel production deliberately misses the mark because of what it excludes. …

(Office of Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE))  U.S. Senator Deb Fischer, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement today after participating in an event at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to announce an …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  This is the first of a two-part series in which we look at strategic shifts in global commodity prices and policies that could dramatically impact the outlook for biofuels, In this …

by Damian Paletta and Caitlin Dewey (Washington Post)  The U.S. Agriculture Department on Tuesday plans to announce a $12 billion package of emergency aid for farmers caught in the midst of President Trump’s escalating trade war, …

(National Sorghum Producers)  On May 25, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of data availability (NODA) concerning renewable fuels produced from grain sorghum under the RFS program.
EPA’s analysis shows grain sorghum, when …

by Doug Sombke (Ethanol Producer Magazine/South Dakota Farmers Union)  South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke discusses how the EPA’s proposed Renewable Enhancement and Growth Support rule would hurt both the ethanol and agriculture industries  —  … There …

by Tim Albrecht (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Experts in multiple industries support the idea of a high-octane fuel standard, but some prefer it as a replacement to the RFS.  —  Octane is important. The ethanol industry knows this, …

by Robert Pore (Kearney Hub)  … Aurora Cooperative is opening its new A-Stop 24 pump site just north of Grant on Highway 61. Friday’s ceremony was attended by Gov. Pete Ricketts, area chamber members and Nebraska …

by AJ Taylor (KIOW)  Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) stressed the importance of biofuels to rural communities and the need to uphold the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) during a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on the …

by Madelyn Beck (Harvest Public Media/KUNC)  … That’s because for the last few years, the EPA and the Department of Energy have been at odds, with taxpayer money creating a new biofuel industry that may not …

(Ergon – West Virginia, Inc./Business Wire)  Ergon – West Virginia, Inc., Wrongfully Denied Small Refinery Hardship Relief  —  The United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit has vacated and remanded the United States …

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy)Mark your calendars, readers. An EPA official told E&E News that the Trump administration will propose its plans for weakening Obama-era clean car standards next week. The plan will provide …

(U.S. Department of Energy) The idea of bacteria as diverse, complex perceptive entities that can hunt prey in packs, remember past experiences and interact with the moods and perceptions of their human hosts sounds like the …

(Nebraska Public Power District) Nebraska Public Power District is taking another step forward in the carbon world with a second Department of Energy (DOE) study. This most recent initiative has a goal of developing an …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, new evidence has appeared that a Trump Administration shift on US low carbon fuel policy may have cost US corn growers an estimated $3.65 billion.
The mechanism? A secretive effort …

by Niv Elis (The Hill)  The White House is expressing concerns that a funding bill set for a vote Thursday in the House does not make deep enough cuts for agencies such as the Environmental Protection …

(Los Alamos National Laboratory/Phys.Org)  Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and partner institutions provided today the first published report of algae using raw plants as a carbon energy source. The research shows that a freshwater production …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … News spread like wildfire at the 2018 BIO World Congress in Philadelphia that Renewable Fuels Association CEO Bob Dinneen will transition into the role of RFA’s Senior Strategic Advisor, and …

(Office of Queensland Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Cameron Dick)  Queensland’s potential as the biofuel hub of the Asia Pacific has taken centre stage in Washington this week at a meeting with the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Croda’s new Eco Range of surfactants is 100% renewable and 100% biobased. Croda’s is the first plant of its type in North America to produce 100% renewable, 100% biobased surfactants. The versatile …

(Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites nominations of scientific experts from a diverse range of disciplines to be considered for appointment to the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) and four SAB …

by Amanda Reilly (E&E News)  The Trump administration on Friday asked a federal court to throw out a lawsuit over EPA’s decision to exempt refiners from annual renewable fuel requirements.   Government lawyers raised procedural arguments against …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Before renewable jet fuel production comes renewable jet fuel certification. What is involved? FAA and CAAFI stalwart Mark Rumizen presented on the process, the steps, the milestones and more at ABLC 2018 …

(Colorado School of Mines)  Nanette Boyle, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Colorado School of Mines, has been awarded funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Early Career Research Program.
Boyle will receive $750,000 over five …

(Red River Farm Network)  The ethanol industry will continue to pursue a fix for the damages brought on from EPA’s issuing of small refinery waivers. Ahead of a public hearing Wednesday, Renewable Fuels Association Executive …

(Associated Press/The Vindicator)  … The threat of counter-tariffs on U.S. farm goods and the impact of President Donald Trump’s other policies on immigration and biofuels, though, have some farmers more worried than ever about their ability …

(The Hagstrom Report/The Fence Post)  The Environmental Protection Agency finally replied to a letter that Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and 11 other senators sent in April inquiring about waivers to the Renewable …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … Lignin has developed into a sustainable and very satisfactory alternative to fossil fuels.
But applications have been needed. Firstly, applications that work, then applications that pay, then applications at scale. Let’s …

by Tristan R. Brown (Seeking Alpha)  The worsening state of America’s trade relations with Canada has raised the risk that U.S. ethanol will be targeted with import tariffs due to its political importance. China and Brazil have …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  It’s known by the ungainly acronym ABPDU, which might as well decode as “All Bioeconomy Processes Developed Upstairs,” but actually stands for the far more modest “Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit.”
It’s run …

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ditched a detailed plan that would have forced refiners to blend more biofuels into their gasoline and diesel in 2019 to compensate for volumes likely to be …

(U.S. Department of Justice)  Took Trade Secrets and Proprietary Information When He Accepted a Job with a Competitor  —  Josh Harry Isler, age 55, from St. Ansgar, Iowa, pled guilty today in United States District Court in …

by Robert Walton (Utility Dive)  Rising electricity demand could lead to sustained absolute growth of 80 terawatt-hours per year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.  —  … The study considers three scenarios, …

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Biomass Magazine)  Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Georgia developed a new genetic engineering technique to dramatically improve an enzyme’s ability to break down …

(International Trade Administration/Federal Register)  Pursuant to provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Department of Commerce announces the renewal of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee (the Committee).
The Committee shall advise the Secretary …

by David Shepardson (Reuters) California is ready to work with major automakers on revisions to greenhouse gas emission vehicle rules through 2025 and sees a “window” for a deal in the coming months, the state’s top …

by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner)  President Trump’s nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court could be good news for the ethanol industry and clean energy programs where adherence to the law is often challenged.
Trump said Kavanaugh, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  A Petro Brexit (a/k/a, British companies exiting petroleum for the sustainable bioeconomy) : New report highlights how to ensure Britain becomes a world leader in bio-based chemicals
In the UK, a recent …

by Doug Durante (The Hill/Clean Fuels Development Coalition)  With a final rule on fuel economy likely to come out in the near future, a considerable amount of attention has centered on higher octane fuels as a …

by Mario Parker (Bloomberg)  … The EPA also jettisoned a plan to incorporate an additional 1.5 billion gallons of biofuel requirements in last week’s proposal to make up for the potential waivers granted to small refineries. …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Bottom line, if you’re in the business of financing a renewable fuels project with a loan guarantee in the mix, you’re probably talking with some combination of New Energy Risk, Stern …

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy)  In a Q&A with The Washington Post on Friday, (EPA Acting Administrator Scott) Wheeler showed he differs from Pruitt in at least one major way. He said he considers an endangerment …

(U.S. Government Accountability Office)  The Renewable Fuel Standard aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand the nation’s renewable fuels sector through 2022. It requires that transportation fuels (such as gasoline and diesel) sold in the …

by Tom Rickey (Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Phys.Org)  Last month a rocket thundered off a NASA launch pad in Virginia, destined for the International Space Station. Nestled among the 7,400 lbs. of supplies was a handful of …

by Lynn L. Bergeson (Bergeson & Campbell/Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group)  On June 27, 2018, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) issued a new report, Moving Beyond Drop-In Replacements: Performance-Advantaged Biobased Chemicals …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  What is the Feedstock Conversion Interface Consortium and why does it exist?
The Why is simple. #1 issue plaguing High and Low Temperature IBR projects is consistent operability of preprocessing and primary …

by Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post)  Scott Pruitt, the former Oklahoma attorney general who relentlessly pursued President Trump’s promises of deregulation at the Environmental Protection Agency, resigned Thursday after controversies over his lavish spending, ethical …

by Kim Askey (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)  A scalable processing technique developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory uses plant-based materials for 3D printing and offers a promising additional revenue stream for biorefineries. Scientists created a new …

(University of Portsmouth)  A new family of enzymes has been discovered which paves the way to convert plant waste into sustainable and high-value products such as nylon, plastics, chemicals, and fuels.
The discovery was led by members …

by Jessica Holdman (Bismark Tribune)  … The North Dakota Industrial Commission approved an $83,810 Renewable Energy Program grant to Midwest AgEnergy Group to research using North Dakota barley for biofuel and a high value protein …

by Erin Voegele  (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The U.S. EPA has announced it will hold a public hearing in Ypsilanti, Michigan, July 18 to gather public input on its proposed rule to set 2019 renewable volume obligations …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Harnessing Methane & Methanol as Feedstocks, that’s the subject of this overview of the uses of methanol when used by engineered platform organisms for fuel and chemical production. The background is …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … Yes, Virginia, there is cant, pettifoggery, self-dealing, obfuscation, and downright dirty pool when it comes to the deployment of biofuels, chemicals and advanced biomaterials — but there are also some …

(Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies)  Today, the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) released the 2018 edition of The Greatest Story Seldom Told: Profiles and Success Stories in Air Pollution Control. State and local air …

(Environmental Protection Agency)  This report is the second of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) triennial reports to Congress required under the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). EISA Section 204 calls for EPA to report …

by Helena Taveres Kennedy (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, D.C., the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee has appointed several new volunteers from industry, academia, nonprofits, and local government to the TAC which advises the federal government about …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In November 2011, the Digest ran a story on a remarkable proposition — advanced by Richard Hamilton, then CEO of Ceres — that biofuels companies – on the “level playing field” …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A bipartisan delegation of California lawmakers are urging the U.S. EPA to resolve any issues that prevent biomass and waste-to-energy pathways from receiving the same level of support as other …

by Berkeley Lovelace Jr. (CNBC) Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says President Trump has told him to assure American farmers that they won’t suffer from the U.S. trade fight with China. Perdue says he is calculating the potential …

(Algae Industry Magazine/Vice News Tonight/HBO)  The Department of Energy is trying to turn the Salton Sea, a lake in the California desert, into a farm for renewable fuels — and clean its infamously polluted water in …

by Maegan Murray  (Washington State University-Tri-Cities)  Efforts to create an environmentally friendly catalyst that will lower the cost and increase the efficiency in producing bio-based jet fuels has netted Washington State University researchers a $500,000 grant from the …

by Caitlin Dewey and Erica Werner (Washington Post)  The Senate passed its version of the $428 billion farm bill Thursday, setting up a bitter fight against the House over food stamps, farm subsidies and conservation funding.
The …

by Robinson Meyer (The Atlantic)  A new justice will likely weaken the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act.  —  … With Kennedy gone, a more conservative Supreme Court could overhaul key aspects of …

by Chuck Abbott (Successful Farming)  Rumors of USDA’s Tariff Easing Strategy Not Confirmed  —  Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is giving himself a couple of months – until around Labor Day – before deciding whether to proceed …

by Jeff Barber (Opisnet)  PA’s failure to include in its proposed 2019 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) an estimated 500 million gal of renewable fuels that a federal appeals court last year said the agency illegally excluded …

(Office of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)) … “As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I also have concerns that EPA may be ignoring or abusing the Administrative Procedure Act as they continue to grant waivers in …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The meanest, nastiest, ornierest, heat-seeking organism ever found that munches biomass and other microbes that got a booster via the DOE’s $40M grants for advanced microbes R&D. And aromatics without the …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)-funded Algae Technology Educational Consortium (ATEC) is proud to announce its first graduates from the algal certificate program at Santa Fe Community College in Santa Fe, …

by Ron Lamberty (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  … (W)hy oil refiners wouldn’t use ethanol as a source of octane, under a high-octane fuel standard, without an RFS or RINs.  — …  Ethanol is …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Slow to start and with fewer gallons than targeted through the Renewable Fuel Standard, cellulosic ethanol is showing signs of steady growth.  —  Cellulosic ethanol production has been gaining momentum …

by  Patrick Springer (West Fargo Pioneer)  … “It’s not a protest against President Trump,” said Pam Musland, marketing and communication supervisor for the North Dakota Farmers Union. “Our hope is to grab some media attention with …

(Argus Media)  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was considering applications to waive 2017 federal fuel blending requirements from 33 refiners this month, up from the 29 it confirmed in April, the agency said today (June 26, …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  Cattle waste and wastewater. Sludgy grease ensconced in restaurant and cafeteria grease traps.  Food waste—uneaten leftovers or culinary mistakes. Contrary to the lyrics in The Sound of Music, these aren’t a few of our …

by Dale Christensen (Argus Leader)  The new EPA Director, E. Scott Pruitt is reworking the EPA. It appears their new mission is to rewrite all the rules to benefit the Oil Industry! The old rule of order …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  On June 26, the U.S. EPA released a proposed rule that aims to require 19.88 billion gallons of biofuels to be blended into the U.S. fuel supply in 2019, up …

by John Duff (Delta Farm Press)  …  Regardless of policy, ethanol presents a value proposition to all involved. Ethanol gives farmers access to more markets and greater global market liquidity. In a world where 74% of …

by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters)  The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency has consistently ignored recommendations from the Department of Energy to reject or limit waivers to oil refiners seeking exemptions from nation’s biofuels law, according …

(National Biodiesel Board) Today (June 25, 2018), a diverse group of trade associations delivered a letter to Congressional leaders announcing a unified position to maintain and extend the current biodiesel blenders tax credit. In a letter to House …

(Office of Senator John Barrasso (R-WY))  U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), issued the following statement on the forthcoming biofuel mandate for 2019.
“I will carefully examine EPA’s …

(The Courier) … Yet (Iowa Senator Joni) Ernst’s recent attack against Pruitt at a Washington energy forum was triggered over Pruitt’s “lies” about the Renewable Fuel Standard: not expanding year-round sales for the 15 percent …

by Elizabeth Ingram (HydroWorld.com)  The Loan Programs Office at the U.S. Department of Energy still has up to $4.5 billion in loan authority available for Renewable Energy and Efficient Energy (REEE) projects.
The office was created by …

(NASA Tech Briefs Create the Future) The Create the Future Design Contest was launched in 2002 by the publishers of NASA Tech Briefs magazine to help stimulate and reward engineering innovation. The annual event has attracted more …

(Hood College)  The United States Department of Agriculture has awarded Hood College Professor of Biology Craig Laufer $100,000 over an 18-month period to fund research and development of cost-effective biofuels. Successful completion of this project would …

by  Tristan R. Brown (Seeking Alpha)  Three major policy developments by the White House have had a large impact on U.S. biofuel producers over the past week.
The EPA was initially reported to be on the verge …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  On June 20, 12 democratic members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and House Committee on Agriculture asked the U.S. EPA to provide additional information regarding its failed implementation …

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will propose setting a 19.88-billion-gallon biofuels blending mandate in 2019 under the Renewable Fuel Standard, up about 3 percent from 2018, according to two sources briefed on …

(Environmental Defense Fund)  A study available today in the journal Science finds that the U.S. oil and gas industry emits 13 million metric tons of methane from its operations each year—nearly 60 percent more than currently estimated by …

by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering delaying its widely anticipated announcement on Friday on 2019 renewable fuel volumes as it re-examines plans to force larger refineries to …

(Forest Concepts/EIN Presswire)  Forest Concepts LLC has been awarded a $1.8 million cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (https://www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy) to address the critical issues of poor flowability, high friction, and …

by Maegan Murray (Washington State University Tri-Cities)  WSU Tri-Cities associate professor Xiao Zhang is targeting the use of lignin — a common material that makes the cell walls of plants rigid — to create affordable biofuels …

(U.S. Department of Justice)  A federal grand jury for the District of Colorado has returned an indictment, which was unsealed today, charging two Colorado business owners with conspiring to defraud the United States and to commit …

by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters/Successful Farming)   The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency will propose reallocating biofuel blending obligations waived under its small refinery exemption program to other refiners, in an announcement that could come as early as Friday, according to …

by Suzanne Danforth and Jim Venhof (Genscape)  U.S. domestic ethanol demand suffered this spring relative to 2017, despite consistently favorable blending values and increasing Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requirements. The decline, following a period of historically low …