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by Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The last time there was a substantive discussion at a presidential debate about the climate was 20 years ago. And Democrat Al Gore’s predictions have pretty much come true. — … Last month, Chris Wallace of Fox News unexpectedly raised the subject during the first
Federal Agency
‘It’s a Sea Change’: How Climate Went from the Back Burner to a Central Issue in This Year’s Debates
October 22, 2020
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At ABLC 2021 we’ll be focused on three interlocked strands: emerging technologies and the feedstocks they work with, the vibrant stream of commercial-scale project, what the policy outlook for the 2020s will be like? Stability? Will there be the incentives and markets where lowest-carbon fuels, renewable chemicals, protein, advanced foods and sustainable
October 22, 2020
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com ) … To that end, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), state corn organizations, ethanol groups and the auto industry, are working with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to conduct vehicle testing using 15 percent ethanol (E15) at the University of California at Riverside (UCR). The Renewable Fuels
October 22, 2020
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(Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today has awarded up to $5.5 million in clean diesel funding to the Mid-Atlantic Region organizations to support their clean diesel programs and projects to reduce emissions. The organizations include the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association, Inc. (MARAMA), for a $1.7 million
October 22, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy and Next Rung Technology shared this illuminating slide guide on the creation, valorization and disposition of bioenergy data assets. By looking at data types, data assets, checking back in on bioenergy technology life cycles, and more, we can get a
October 22, 2020
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by Michael Berube (U.S. Department of Energy) Every October, we celebrate Bioenergy Day by spreading awareness of how the efforts of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) are contributing to groundbreaking technologies to produce the next generation of biofuels and bioproducts that: Diversify transportation energy options Lower transportation sector emissions Stimulate the
October 21, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) You’ve probably heard of Honeywell UOP, but did you know they are working on making commercial renewable aviation biofuels a reality? At ABLC Digital, they shared this illuminating slide guide on their latest projects, including ones with AltAir, United Airlines, World Energy, and others. Also take
October 21, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service) The USDA Forest Service announced it is now accepting applications for approximately $10 million in funding through the 2021 Wood Innovations Grant and the 2021 Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Grant. These grants seek to support local economies through wood products and wood
October 21, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Wood and waste energy accounted for nearly one-fourth of U.S. renewable energy use in 2019, while biofuels accounted for 20 percent of renewable energy consumption, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Oct. 19. … Biofuels, including fuel ethanol, biodiesel
October 20, 2020
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The 2020 Agricultural Policy and Outlook Conference will be held from 12:00PM-1:30PM over four days: November 9, 10, 12, and 13. Monday, November 9, 2020 – Agricultural Finance Outlook Tuesday, November 10, 2020 – Agricultural and Environmental Policy Outlooks Thursday, November 12, 2020 – Trade and Macroeconomy Outlooks Friday, November
October 20, 2020
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by J. Richard Hess (Idaho National Laboratory) …Even though MSW (municipal solid waste) has great potential, not much was known about the cost and quality of feedstocks that could be derived from MSW or MSW blends for fuel production. In a recent study, INL principal investigator Vicki Thompson and her
October 19, 2020
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(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) NREL, Oak Ridge Scientists Reveal Economics Must Include More Than Size of Poplar Trees — Popular wisdom holds that tall, fast-growing trees are best for biomass, but new research by two U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories reveals the size of trees is only part of the
October 19, 2020
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by Doug Rebout (GazetteXtra) … The EPA has consistently undercut the Renewable Fuel Standard by granting Small Refinery Exemptions—or waivers—to big oil, essentially cutting billions of gallons of biofuel demand and cutting off this vital market to corn farmers. The president has an opportunity to make this right and follow
October 19, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Oct. 15 issued its final Fuels Streamlining Rule, which streamlines the agency’s existing regulations for gasoline, diesel and other fuels. It does not, however, change the stringency of existing fuel quality standards. The new rule goes into effect on Jan. 1.
October 19, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA released updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data on Oct. 15, reporting two additional SRE petitions have been filed for Renewable Fuel Standard compliance year 2019. No other changes were made to the agency’s SRE data. According to the EPA’s SRE data dashboard,
October 16, 2020
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by Erin Murphy (The Courier) Campaigning in Iowa on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump touted his administration’s work to boost the ethanol industry and help farmers in Iowa. Trump’s administration this year issued a rule that allows gas stations to sell a higher ethanol blend year-round. “They were killing ethanol,”
October 16, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) commissioners approved a policy statement that they are open to establishing market rules that will allow for putting a price on carbon dioxide emissions. The statement, which was not immediately released publicly, does not take action to implement a
October 16, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Joe Biden put some space between his clean energy plan and that of the Green New Deal during last night’s town hall, while also pitching renewables and carbon capture. … Former Vice President Joe Biden pitched a future dependent on renewables and carbon capture,
October 16, 2020
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by Maxine Joselow (E&E News/Governors’ Solar and Wind Energy Coalition) California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols yesterday outlined her vision for EPA over the next four years. And it starts with science. Nichols — who is widely viewed as a candidate for EPA administrator should Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden
October 15, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced over $27 million in funding for 12 projects that will support the development of advanced plastics recycling technologies and new plastics that are recyclable-by-design. As part of DOE’s Plastics Innovation Challenge, these projects will also help improve existing recycling
October 15, 2020
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by Julie Chao (Berkeley National Laboratory) If you’ve eaten vegan burgers that taste like meat or used synthetic collagen in your beauty routine – both products that are “grown” in the lab – then you’ve benefited from synthetic biology. It’s a field rife with potential, as it allows scientists to design biological
October 15, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Joe Biden and key Democrats in Congress say they want to use the trade agenda to fight global warming if they win the White House and Senate next month, POLITICO’s Gavin Bade reports . Biden’s trade agenda calls for a global ban on fossil
October 15, 2020
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by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) The EPA recently denied 54 so-called “gap year” small refinery exemption requests, but Renewable Fuels Association CEO Geoff Cooper tells Brownfield the agency is still considering 31 petitions for 2019 and a couple for 2020. “We just need EPA and this Administration to adopt that
October 14, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Argonne National Laboratory’s Systems Assessment Center on Oct. 9 announced the 2020 release of the suite of Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) models. GREET is a life-cycle analysis tool that can be used to examine the energy and environmental effects
October 13, 2020
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(Diesel Technology Forum) … “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimate that the Commercial Vehicle Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Standards Phase 1 rules saved 270 million tons CO2 and 530 million barrels of oil between 2014 and 2018, and that the Phase 2 rules
October 13, 2020
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by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) With his $2 trillion plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Joe Biden might seem a far from ideal president for the Texas oil and gas industry. But new analysis by Goldman Sachs says that compared with a second term of the Trump administration, a Biden presidency
October 13, 2020
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by P.J. Huffstutter, Karl Plume and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump enjoys broad support among farmers, but some are unhappy about the impact of his trade and biofuel policies on crop prices and international demand for U.S. agricultural products. Democrat challenger Joe Biden has seized on the biofuel issue,
October 13, 2020
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by Michael Bates (NGT News) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has officially launched the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck (M2FCT) and the H2NEW consortia to advance fuel cell truck and hydrogen production R&D. The announcement builds upon DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office’s (EERE’s) intention to invest up to $100 million over
October 13, 2020
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by Steve Kopperud (Brownfield Ag News) This was the week agriculture – organized and individual – emerged from the political closet and started laying down markers for the November 3 election. The Ag CEO Council, comprised of the heads of 21 of the nation’s largest ag groups, including the American Farm Bureau
October 9, 2020
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by Chris Teale (Smart Cities Dive) More than 200 elected officials at the city and state level issued a joint declaration Thursday calling on automakers to stop supporting the Trump administration’s rollback of national and state clean car standards. The “Clean Cars Declaration” urges General Motors (GM), Toyota, Fiat Chrysler, Nissan, Subaru, Hyundai and
October 9, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Agriculture) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested $22 million out of the up to $100 million in grants available to increase American ethanol and biodiesel sales. These funds were made available through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to
October 9, 2020
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by Steve Zabarnick (University of Dayton Research Institute) With increasing demand for a greater variety of sustainable alternative aviation fuels, the importance of a systematic pathway for the accurate testing, validation and approval of alternative jet fuels has never been more important. Part of this process is the FAA-sponsored “D4054 Clearinghouse”
October 9, 2020
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(Algae Biomass Organization) …ABO also announced at the Summit the 2020 Algae Industry Awards, presented to companies and individuals that have made extraordinary contributions to the science and business of algae. Additionally, six student scientists were presented with this year’s Young Algae Researcher Awards for their contributions and submissions to Summit’s
October 8, 2020
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(Algae Biomass Organization) The virtual Algae Biomass Summit concluded last week, and the most significant takeaway was that the new online format provided a more dynamic collaboration than ever before, and with larger group of participants spread across the globe. Speakers, poster presenters, exhibitors, sponsors, and hundreds of attendees gathered continue the momentum
October 8, 2020
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(Office of Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)) U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), James Lankford (R-OK) and Angus King (I-ME) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to save taxpayer dollars by reducing the federal funding available for the acquisition and leasing of new federal vehicles. The Domestic Reduction In Vehicle Expenditure and Lowering Emissions from State
October 8, 2020
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y Lisa Grouette (Globe Gazette) At a press conference in Mason City on Wednesday, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig expressed enthusiasm over recently launched plans to advance biofuel infrastructure projects within the state. Ernst and Naig, along with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) toured the
October 8, 2020
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by Eric Wolff (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Democratic nominees in considering appointing a senior adviser to oversee energy and climate policy across the government if he wins next month’s election. Ben Lefebvre and Anthony Adragna report that there’s no firm list of who might occupy such a post, but former Obama adviser John
October 8, 2020
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(Illinois State University/Biomass Magazine) David Kopsell, professor of horticulture at Illinois State University, and LC (Liangcheng) Yang, assistant professor of environmental health at ISU, have received a two-year, nearly $150,000 grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The purpose of this USDA-NIFA grant program is to increase the capacity
October 7, 2020
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by Dave VanderGriend (ICM/Urban Air Initiative/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … But what we thought we did know was that he (President Donald Trump) was determined to remove regulations that were holding back American business. So that held some excitement and promise as to the art of the possible. As we looked
October 7, 2020
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by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A survey of ethanol plant CEOs and general managers shows the COVID-19 downturn had a significant impact on their operations. Most producers have substantially ramped up production since spring, but a full recovery is expected to take many months. … About 84% of CEOs
October 7, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The 106-billion-gallon global (21-billion-gallon domestic) commercial jet fuel market is projected to grow to over 230 billion gallons by 2050. Cost-competitive sustainable alternative jet fuels for aviation are needed to decouple carbon growth from market growth. With this in mind, the U.S. Department of Energy
October 7, 2020
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Louisiana, Renewable Energy Group said it will undertake a capacity expansion of its Geismar, Louisiana biorefinery by 250 million gallons annually to 340 million gallons per year. This announcement follows a thorough review and site selection process. Construction should begin in mid to late
October 7, 2020
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(Bioenergy Insight) The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected 12 organisations and projects to receive around $3 million (€2.55 million) in funding to help reduce food loss and waste and divert food waste from landfills by expanding anaerobic digestion (AD) capacity in the US. The project types chosen for
October 6, 2020
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by Justin Miller (Texas Observer/Popular Science) … Thousands flocked to the region to get a piece of the boom. “You could be someone with no college degree, no high school diploma … and get out here and make $50,000 to $60,000 a year, easy,” says (Josh) Thomas, who was
October 6, 2020
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by Michael Bates (NGT News) Nacelle Solutions says two renewable natural gas (RNG) facilities in Wisconsin – S&S Jerseyland Dairy in Sturgeon Bay and Dallmann East River Dairy in Brillion – have been completed and recently begun operations. Nacelle will own, operate and maintain the RNG processing equipment under a long-term service
October 6, 2020
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(Biogenic CO2 Coalition) Scientifically Backed Change in Status of Carbon Emissions from Ag Feedstocks Could Provide Massive Boost to Struggling U.S. Economy — The Biogenic CO2 Coalition, a working group of leading trade associations that support American agriculture, today released a new economic impact analysis in support of its petition for a U.S. Environmental
October 6, 2020
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by David B. Fournier and Linda Falcon (Perkins Coie LLC/Biofuels Digest) …However, those companies that take proactive steps to protect their intellectual property will have a decided advantage and those who do not will be at a significant competitive disadvantage. Here, we review five things any biofuels company should do
October 6, 2020
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by Ryan McCrimmon (Politico) The agriculture secretary has kept farmers in Trump’s corner, but Democrats claim he crosses the line between public duties and political promotion. — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue offered a spirited pitch for voters to reelect President Donald Trump at an official USDA event with North Carolina food
October 5, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) : The Supreme Court will hear an appeal from oil companies aiming to overturn lower court rulings that state court is the proper venue for the climate change lawsuit brought by the city of Baltimore. The case is seen as a bellwether for the
October 5, 2020
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(Bergeson & Campbell) On September 29, 2020, EPA announced that it has submitted for review and approval an information collection request (ICR) on Anaerobic Digestion Facilities Processing Wasted Food to Support EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Program and Sustainable Management of Food Efforts to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). EPA’s Federal
October 2, 2020
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(Bailout Watch) The U.S. government’s efforts to stabilize the financial system at the start of the global pandemic last spring have propped up the fossil fuel industry, which entered the year with heavy debt loads and was slammed by the sharp drop in the price of oil after the pandemic
October 2, 2020
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by Larry Lee (Brownfield Ag News) … President Trump signed a continuing resolution funding the government after returning from campaign stops in Minnesota, about an hour after Washington officially ran out of money. Farm Bureau economist John Newton tells Brownfield the continuing resolution immediately replenishes 20 billion dollars for Commodity Credit
October 2, 2020
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by Reagan Colyer (Montana State University News Service) A research team led by faculty in Montana State University’s College of Agriculture received $5.1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy designed to explore camelina, an oilseed with the potential to be an alternative biofuel and multi-use crop. The MSU team, led by Chaofu
October 1, 2020
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(U.S. Customs and Border Protection) Effective September 30 at all U.S. ports of entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will detain palm oil and palm oil products made by FGV Holdings Berhad and its subsidiaries and joint ventures. CBP’s Office of Trade directed the issuance of a Withhold Release
October 1, 2020
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Despite estimates that ethanol producers could lose up to $8 billion this year, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue says he has no authority to make payments to plants through the Commodity Credit Corporation under the latest round of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2). The secretary
September 30, 2020
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by Rohan Somwanshi, Shikha Singh and Mugunthan Kesavan (S&P Global Platts) US corn sales to China shows insufficient domestic supply; US ethanol output blip will not impact DDGS exports to Southeast Asia; Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand to stay top buyers of US DDGS China is expected to maintain a steady ethanol program despite a
September 30, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Securities and Exchange Commission member Allison Herren Lee said on Tuesday that “climate change presents a systemic risk to the financial market” and that “there’s certainly evidence that climate risks are currently underpriced.” Lee, who was appointed to the SEC by Trump, said she wants
September 30, 2020
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The CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program, with input and support from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions and Chief Commercialization Officer, is pleased to present the fifth session in the Energy Innovation Series. Innovation in Transportation Fuels will focus on innovation occurring in alternative fuels, including biofuels,
September 30, 2020
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by Art Cullen (Washington Post/Storm Lake Times) One big reason Republicans are shoving a Supreme Court appointment through the Senate before the election is their rising fear of losing the upper chamber — and the White House — in November. Those fears are well-founded. Two weeks ago, one of the
September 29, 2020
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(Illinois State University) Though farmers consider pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) nothing more than a weed, Illinois State Professor of Genetics Dr. John Sedbrook is working to change their perspective—and the plant itself. Sedbrook and his student researchers in the School of Biological Sciences are genetically modifying pennycress as part of a
September 29, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC Digital in July, Jim Dooley, Chief Technology Officer at Forest Concepts shared this illuminating presentation on the latest innovations in biomass pretreatments, how they maximize flowability, their crumbler solutions that can handle any moisture content and a wide range of materials, how they
September 29, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … In today’s Digest, how Florida-based Transform Materials is literally transforming the petrochemical industry’s ability to convert flared natural gas often emitted at hydraulic fracking wellheads into hydrogen and acetylene using microwave plasma technology, and how scientists who re-engineered the plastic-eating enzyme PETase have now
September 29, 2020
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by Robert Rapier (Forbes) This week at a campaign rally in Jacksonville, Florida, President Trump made a puzzling claim. Near the end of a story about Kamala Harris, Trump said “The great state of Iowa — where I made ethanol possible for them…” I can’t even begin to understand what that means, but
September 28, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA is soliciting applications for two different cycles of the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program. The first cycle closes Oct. 1, while the second is open through April 1, 2021. The program aims to assist in the development of new
September 28, 2020
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by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) …What did become clear was Democrats in both the House and the Senate are paying more attention to biofuels at the moment. And yet, given that Congress is going to pass a temporary funding bill, and then go campaign, it’s probably going to take
September 28, 2020
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … So as we look for better biofuel feedstocks, we look at switchgrass because of new U.S. Department of Energy AND U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to study it for biofuels. Could it be the next biofuel feedstock Rockstar? Or will it be a
September 28, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The D.C. Circuit on Friday hosted the annual legal rite: a challenge to EPA’s blending mandate under the Renewable Fuel Standard, with this round focusing on the rule governing 2019 requirements. Biofuel producers argued that rule should have added additional ethanol volumes to account for
September 28, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., on Sept. 24 introduced the Next Generation Fuels Act, a bill that establishes a minimum octane standard for gasoline and requires sources of added octane value to reduce carbon emissions by at least 30 percent when compared to baseline gasoline. The
September 25, 2020
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by Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) President Donald Trump, looking to shore up support in the U.S. Farm Belt during a tight race for re-election, is taking steps to help producers of corn-based ethanol using a list of policy goals that a group of Midwest senators discussed with him a
September 24, 2020
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by Kelpie Wilson (US Biochar Initiative Newsletter) Biochar stories and research are found online everywhere now. That’s great, but how can you determine which information is most current and credible? Providing you with reliable answers is the goal of USBI’s new Biochar Learning Center (BLC) on the USBI website. Over the next year,
September 23, 2020
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by Chuck Abbott (Successful Farming) … Trump administration could spend $50 billion — quadruple the cost of the auto industry bailout — in less than three years to buffer the impact of trade war and pandemic on agriculture. Farm groups welcomed the second round of coronavirus assistance while critics said
September 23, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Agriculture) – United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand today announced that USDA will begin accepting applications on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, to expand the production of advanced biofuel by providing payments to eligible producers. USDA is making $7 million
September 23, 2020
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by Doug Durante and Larry Pearce (Morning Consult) … But a bigger problem has existed for decades in the air we don’t see — air polluted with toxic ultra-fine particles, or UFPs. For more than 30 years, a small group of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulators have hidden a far more lethal
September 23, 2020
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(Mankato Free Press) President Donald Trump and his Environmental Protection Agency have about six weeks to keep their promises to farmers on ethanol, which have been broken for the past three years. While farmers have backed Trump in varying degrees since he took office, their wellspring of patience seems to be running
September 23, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Sept. 17 published updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data that reflects the denial of 54 gap year SRE petitions announced by the agency on Sept. 14. The data also shows seven new SRE petitions have been filed in recent weeks, including five
September 22, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA released a proposed rule on April 13 that aims to streamline and modernize the agency’s existing fuels regulations. In the rulemaking, the EPA said it is proposing “some slight modifications to the Renewable Fuel Standard,” but indicated it does not plan
September 22, 2020
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by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Brian Jennings, CEO of the American Coalition for Ethanol, told audience members at the 2020 Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo during the general session panel Sept. 16 that the gap waiver denial, two days before, is a win, but there’s more work to do. Take
September 22, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy leads the Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium, which is a collaborative effort among 9 labs to develop first-principles based knowledge and tools to understand and mitigate the effects of biomass feedstock and process variability on biorefineries. From understanding and predicting microbial performance to
September 22, 2020
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(Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Small stockpiles of biomass such as sewage, food waste, and wood chips are often overlooked in visions of future sustainable fuel and chemical production. The dismissal arises because transporting these materials to a large-scale, centralized bio-refinery would require more energy than they produce. Yet there is enough
September 21, 2020
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(Rural America 2020) ‘Trump’s Broken Ethanol Promise’ campaign will focus on the President’s failure to deliver on promises on ethanol and E15: Will highlight how Trump has undermined the needs of farmers by providing waivers to big oil to avoid ethanol requirements — 30 billboards launch today across Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan,
September 18, 2020
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(American Coalition for Ethanol) The American Coalition for Ethanol’s fuel-marketer focused Flex Fuel Forward website releases tool for fuel retailers to see how E15-compatible their station is right now. — The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) today launched a tool on its fuel-marketer focused flexfuelforward.com website to provide retailers with a free way
September 18, 2020
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by Jerry Hagstrom (DTN Progressive Farmer) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday that the House will take up the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act sponsored by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., just as the House Energy and Commerce Committee released the text of energy legislation that includes it.
September 17, 2020
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by Joshua R.Elmore, Gara N.Dexter, DaviniaSalvachúa, MarykateO’Brien, Dawn M.Klingeman,KentGorday, Joshua K.Michener, Darren J.Peterson, Gregg T.Beckham, Adam M.Guss (Metabolic Engineering) Engineered P. putida to catabolize xylose and arabinose. Identified bottlenecks in xylose catabolism in P. putida and improved growth rate. Max sugar consumption rate in corn stover hydrolysate was 3.3 g/L/h. Simultaneous catabolism of glucose, xylose,
September 17, 2020
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(The Gazette) President Donald Trump has been receiving praise from farm state Republicans for his decision to deny the “gap year” waivers and increase access to E15 corn-based ethanol. But it also was panned by Democrats Wednesday as nothing more than a political ploy. “What the administration has done is really
September 17, 2020
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by Stephanie Kelly, Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The Trump administration is considering at least $300 million in cash aid to U.S. oil refiners that are denied exemptions to U.S. biofuel blending laws for the 2019 compliance year, two sources familiar with the matter said. … Although the administration has yet to
September 17, 2020
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EPA Releases Final Rule Intended to Promote Transparency in Developing Regulatory Guidance Documents
(Bergeson and Campbell) On September 14, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a pre-publication version of a final rule establishing the procedures and requirements for how EPA will manage the issuance of guidance documents consistent with Executive Order (EO) 13891, “Promoting the Rule of Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents.”
September 17, 2020
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by James P.Szybist, StephenBusch, Robert L.McCormick, Josh A.Pihl, Derek A.Splitter, Matthew A.Ratcliff, Christopher P.Kolodziej, John M.E.Storey, MelanieMoses-DeBusk, DavidVuilleumier, MagnusSjöberg, C. ScottSluder, TobyRockstroh, PaulMiles (Progress in Energy and Combustion Science/Science Direct) The Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima) initiative from the US Department of Energy aims to co-develop fuels and engines
September 16, 2020
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(Renewable Fuels Association) The House Committee on Energy and Commerce today unveiled the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, which contains provisions requiring more transparency and accountability in EPA’s process for evaluating small refinery exemption requests under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The provisions are based on the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act, introduced
September 16, 2020
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by Larry Lee (Brownfield Ag News) The World Trade Organization has ruled in favor of China, saying President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods violates international regulations for trade. The WTO panel says the U.S. could not prove the tariffs were necessary, but the ruling also does not force the U.S. to
September 16, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Seven federal lawmakers sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on Sept. 15 expressing disappointment with the agency’s failure to cooperate with the Government Accountability Office’s investigation into the small refinery exemption (SRE) wavier process. The investigation has been ongoing for several months.
September 16, 2020
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by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden late on Tuesday attacked President Donald Trump’s record on ethanol, saying his administration’s recent moves to help the industry were too little, too late and transparently political. U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden late on Tuesday attacked President Donald Trump’s
September 16, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) : The Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy organization argued in a new report that funding research and development would provide an immediate economic and jobs stimulus while setting up a more sustainable long-term economy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Federal research spending led to 2.7 indirect
September 16, 2020
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(Biogenic CO2 Coalition) Includes Legal Justification to Change Status of Carbon Emissions from Ag Feedstocks — The Biogenic CO2 Coalition today filed a Petition for Rulemaking with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), providing a detailed explanation of the scientific and legal basis for the agency to propose a rule to recognize that biogenic carbon emissions
September 15, 2020
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U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, has released the Transportation Annual Technology Baseline (ATB). The ATB will provide detailed cost and performance data, estimates, and assumptions for current and potential vehicle and fuel technologies in the United States. This data
September 14, 2020
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by John Herath (Farm Journal Ag/Web) Applications for oil refiners to be exempted from the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) have been a contentious election for President Donald Trump in Iowa. His administration took a step to alleviate those political pressures Monday by denying so-called “gap year” waiver requests. The 10th Circuit
September 14, 2020
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by Bill Tomson (Agri-Pulse) The U.S. and Brazil have agreed to revive for 90 days the expired tariff rate quota that allows some U.S. ethanol to flow to the South American country duty free, the two countries said in a joint statement Friday night. It’s a stopgap deal that takes effect
September 14, 2020
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by Rachel Koning Beals (Market Watch) At least one farm group says gesture doesn’t wipe out a pro-Big Oil presidency to date — Trump has approved using existing filling station pumps to distribute higher-ethanol gasoline. “Subject only to State approval, our important Ethanol Industry will be allowed to use the 10% Pumps
September 14, 2020
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) United States Department of Agriculture is on a quest for public- and private-sector input on the most innovative technologies and practices that can be readily deployed across U.S. agriculture, making this a very broad opportunity for Digest readers in a range of sectors. USDA is
September 14, 2020
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by Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Trump administration officials are developing a plan to offset the potential economic damage of denying dozens of refineries waivers from biofuel-usage mandates: giving them financial aid. The approach is actively being discussed by top Environmental Protection Agency officials as the administration courts two important voting blocs for President
September 12, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Energy)The Integrated Strategies to Enable Lower-Cost Biofuels report summarizes the findings of a qualitative analysis to identify integrated strategies needed for more affordable biofuels. It outlines five key strategies needed to achieve lower fuel production costs in an integrated biorefinery and provides high-level research needs across the
September 12, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) hosted the 2019 Project Peer Review on March 4–7, 2019, in Denver, Colorado. During the event, 447 projects in BETO’s research portfolio were presented in 14 simultaneous review sessions and two poster sessions. Projects were systematically reviewed by
September 12, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Agriculture) U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue yesterday announced the invitation for nominations of qualified candidates to be considered for a two-year term on USDA’s Task Force on Agricultural Air Quality Research. The Task Force advises the Secretary on air quality and its relationship to agriculture
September 12, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Energy) Today(September 1, 2020), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the award of approximately $72 million in federal funding to support the development and advancement of carbon capture technologies under two funding opportunity announcements (FOAs). Under this cost-shared research and development (R&D), DOE is awarding $51 million
September 12, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs on Sept. 3 announced it is providing funding to hire consultants to identify, evaluate or assess the market for energy or mineral resources that a Tribe will process, use or develop. According to a notice published
September 11, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy gave a timely update on their latest activities in the transportation sector at ABLC Digital in July. From the multiple pathways the DOE is pursuing for biofuels and bioenergy to opportunities in aviation, Michael Berube, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of
September 11, 2020
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) EPA’s Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee is meeting virtually this week to provide policy advice, information, and recommendations on a range of environmental issues and policies important to agriculture and rural communities. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper provided testimony on steps the EPA needs to
September 11, 2020
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by Lori Potter (Kearney Hub) … There are tariff and other trade issues that make U.S. ethanol less competitive in export markets. Also, industry leaders continue to wait for Environmental Protection Agency officials to rule on a growing number of applications from small fuel refineries seeking waivers to Renewable Fuels
September 10, 2020
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by Zia Abdullah (U.S. Department of Energy) Techno-economic analysis leads to a market-responsive biorefinery concept — … THE CHALLENGE: REDUCE BIOMASS TO BIOFUEL CONVERSION COSTS — … The production of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass is hindered by high conversion costs, creating a need for new pathways with less severe conditions, higher
September 10, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Energy) The Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Review of Technical Pathways report provides an overview of commercial jet aviation fuel and summarizes learnings from three BETO-supported workshops. In addition, the report focuses on insights for reducing costs and optimizing the value proposition of sustainable aviation fuel. Download the report to learn
September 10, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agriculture Service) Brazil’s commitment to ethanol and biodiesel despite this year’s market uncertainties is one focus of the “Brazil: Biofuels Annual” report released earlier this month by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). The report also looks at rising corn ethanol production in Brazil. Despite lower
September 10, 2020
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by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In New York state, Reuters reports that RIN prices skyrocketed a two-year high of 55 cents for D6 credits on the back of its exclusive story that President Trump told the EPA to deny all gap-year SRE applications. The RIN prices, not seen that high since
September 10, 2020
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(National Corn Growers Association) Building out the infrastructure needed for future mid-level blends of ethanol continues to be a priority of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). Over the past three-years, NCGA and state partners have worked with Wayne Fueling Systems to produce and sell fuel pumps certified to deliver fuel containing up
September 10, 2020
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(U.S. Grains Council) A boom in demand for hand sanitizer in South Korea since the outbreak of COVID-19 is no shocker, but the related jump in U.S. ethanol imports to the country to meet that need may be more surprising. Even more importantly, this uptick in demand is opening doors for
September 7, 2020
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(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now accepting nominations for the 2021 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. These prestigious awards recognize innovation by American businesses and researchers that redesign chemical products and processes to reduce or eliminate the use and manufacture of hazardous substances. “As we
September 5, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A report recently filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Information Network provides insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted ethanol and biodiesel producers in Canada. According to the report, a biodiesel plant in Quebec idled in April. The nation’s remaining biofuel
September 4, 2020
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(AZO Cleantech) For years, researchers have been trying to harness the crop-growing benefits of the symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), for example, can deliver water and nutrients to the roots of plants like sorghum, a grain used to produce biofuels. The US Department of Energy (DOE)
September 4, 2020
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by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) … And with the election just two months away, all signs are Trump is trying to push back a decision on the how much ethanol to blend into the nation’s gasoline supply until after the ballots are cast, so as not to alienate voters in
September 4, 2020
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(SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry) SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), as a member of a mid-Atlantic consortium, has received $630,000 over five years from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop biomass systems and products with the potential to put abandoned lands and people
September 4, 2020
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(KMA Land) A key U.S. Senator says Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue should act to help the pandemic-damaged biofuels industry, despite Perdue’s disputed claim he lacks authority without Congress to do so. Senate Finance Chair Chuck Grassley says he’s personally urged Secretary Perdue to provide direct aid to biofuels, ravaged by the pandemic.
September 4, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Energy/ARPA-E) Today, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy announced $16.5 million in funding for six projects as part of the Systems for Monitoring and Analytics for Renewable Transportation Fuels from Agricultural Resources and Management (SMARTFARM) program. These projects will develop technologies that bridge the data gap in the biofuel
September 4, 2020
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by Jim Ramm (EcoEngineers) The VRIN is an important piece to maintaining RFS compliance — Intimate knowledge of clean fuel regulations and record-keeping requirements is needed to maintain compliance in the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The USEPA bases much of its compliance enforcement on the number of renewable energy credits
September 1, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Produce Magazine) The USDA on Aug. 31 announced the implementation of the agency’s OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative and released new information on rates and terms that will help lenders apply for loan guarantees to support rural businesses, infrastructure and community facilities. The agency released a final rule on the
September 1, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The European Commission in August launched a public consultation on the potential revision of the 2018 Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) to better align the policy with the European Union’s new Green Deal and its goal of making the EU climate neutral by 2050. The REDII is
September 1, 2020
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(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative explores how simultaneous innovations in fuels and engines can boost fuel economy and vehicle performance while reducing emissions. Co-Optima researchers publish their latest scientific findings in journal articles, conference papers, technical reports, presentations, and fact sheets. Thirteen new
September 1, 2020
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by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) … Under draft rules to be published Tuesday, the U.S. Forest Service would be limited in its ability to conduct environmental reviews of drilling projects while oil and gas companies would not be required to provide as much notice to the public. READ MORE U.S.
September 1, 2020
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by Rodrigo Viga Gaier (Reuters) Brazil allowed a non-tariff quota for ethanol imports to expire on Monday, which will result in U.S. producers having to pay a 20% tariff unless the Brazilian government takes new action. “The expiry date was today and nothing was decided, but that does not stop the
September 1, 2020
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(Western Illinois University) Just 12 months after Western Illinois University Agriculture Professor Win Phippen announced the award of a $10 million federal grant to investigate the use of Pennycress as a commercial cash crop, a second grant has been awarded that dovetails into the initial grant and helps ensure a
September 1, 2020
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by Michael Bates (NGT News) Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) says the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded over $7.1 million in funding to three projects advancing clean automotive transportation technologies supported by the utility. SoCalGas’ Research, Development & Demonstration department will provide $730,000 in additional funding for the projects, which are led
September 1, 2020
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(Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis) … In the near term, we must continue to significantly grow solar and wind energy, energy storage, and electric vehicles while conducting more research into new technologies, advanced biofuels, and smaller and safer nuclear power. … Congress can make clean energy choices
August 31, 2020
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(AZO CleanTech/Colorado State University) Biofuel and bioenergy systems are integral to scenarios for displacing fossil fuel use and producing negative emissions through carbon capture and storage. But the net greenhouse gas mitigation benefit of these systems has been controversial, due to concerns around carbon losses from changes in land use and
August 31, 2020
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(Farm Progress/Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association, and the National Corn Growers Association on Friday filed a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit supporting and defending the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2019 regulation that allowed year-round availability of E15. The Clean Air Act requires EPA to
August 31, 2020
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(BOL/Reuters (Google translation)) Brazil is unlikely to renew the tariff-free quota for ethanol imports that expires today, and as a result, purchases from outside Mercosur should start paying a 20% tax, a government source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. With the end of the quota, which would mainly
August 31, 2020
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by Philip Brasher (Agri-Pulse) House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson supports Joe Biden’s plan to eliminate President Donald Trump’s tariffs on China but said he isn’t sure what the alternative is for countering Chinese trade practices. “First thing I want to see is to stop these tariffs. I think it’s been
August 31, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Take genotype + environment + management practices and you’ve got phenotyping, a measurable characteristic or trait of a plant. In this case, we look at sorghum from Purdue University’s Dr. Melba Crawford and how they are using multi-modality sensing and modeling for high throughput phenotyping of
August 31, 2020
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by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register/Ames Tribune) … “I’ve sat in front of the president, and he does look you in the eye, and he does listen to you,” (Bill) Couser said, adding, “It just makes you wonder what happens after that.” He holds out hope Trump will heed the requests
August 28, 2020
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by Ricardo Della Coletta (Associated Press/U.S. News and World Report) A group of Brazilian lawmakers made a final push Thursday to try to convince President Jair Bolsonaro not to reduce tariffs on American ethanol, a major Trump administration request. — A group of Brazilian lawmakers made a final push Thursday
August 28, 2020
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by Peter Murphy (University at Buffalo) UB engineering professor Ian Bradley and his research group are collaborators on a $2 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy that will study the use of algae to purify wastewater while simultaneously producing biomass for fuel production. The project is led by
August 28, 2020
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by O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa) Theresa Greenfield, the Iowa Democratic Party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate, says federal policy should expand the use of biofuels in boats and planes. “Ask the Department of Defense to use biofuels as part of a reduction of their carbon footprint, too,” Greenfield says. “…There’s
August 28, 2020
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The Digest recently reported on CoverCress and why the U.S. Department of Energy’s $13 million grant for new high-value feedstock, pennycress, is so key. For an in-depth visual guide on how CoverCress is delivering new farm income and low carbon intensity feedstocks while producing cover crop benefits, how it fits between
August 28, 2020
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by Pat Rynard (Iowa Starting Line) Sen. Joni Ernst’s undying loyalty to Pres. Donald Trump was rewarded tonight with a high-profile speech at the Republican National Convention. She repaid Trump for the political boost to her reelection campaign by betraying the Iowans she’s serving, vouching for the President on the exact
August 27, 2020
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by Sarah Motter (WIBW) Congressman Roger Marshall says Kansas is home to 10 biofuel facilities providing high-quality jobs for plant workers in rural communities throughout the state, along with thousands of bushels of soybeans and milo each year. He says overall, the biofuels industry is responsible for about $4 billion in
August 27, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA published notice on Aug. 26 requesting comment on sources and analytical approaches on which to base an EPA determination of an updated weighting factor (F-factor) for E85 flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) for model years 2021 and later. The notice explains that the
August 27, 2020
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Notice of Request for Information (RFI) on Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s Medium- and Heavy-Duty Truck Research and Development Activities & SuperTruck Initiative DEADLINE November 9, 2020
(U.S. Department of Energy/Federal Register) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comment on its Request for Information (RFI) number DE-FOA-0002372 regarding the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Medium- and Heavy-Duty Truck Research and Development Activities & SuperTruck Initiative. The purpose of this RFI is to