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by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association) … When testifying recently before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the acting administrator was judicious in answering questions about EPA’s small refinery exemptions (SREs). He has publicly stated that there should be more transparency in the process for granting SREs, and that it would
Environmental Protection Agency
(National Biodiesel Board) Allowing year-round use of E15 is a positive step for ethanol, but doesn’t support biodiesel — Today, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and the American Soybean Association (ASA) wrote President Donald Trump asking that he “provide additional help to the nation’s farmers and rural communities by supporting policies that
September 21, 2018
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by Chris Prentice, Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published new data detailing how it drastically expanded a biofuels waiver program for oil refiners since President Donald Trump’s administration took office, responding to pressure from the corn lobby to boost transparency over the opaque program. The details published on
September 21, 2018
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by Bob Bowman (Clinton Herald) The ethanol industry is critical to the Midwest, supporting thousands of jobs and adding billions of dollars to our economy. It also drives corn demand at a time when Iowa farm family income is at the lowest level in over a decade. However, the sale of
September 20, 2018
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(Washington Examiner) The military cost of defending oil trade routes makes a solid case for keeping in place strong fuel-economy standards, the group Securing America’s Future Energy said in a report released soon after Trump began tweeting about OPEC prices on Thursday. “Following President Trump’s OPEC tweet this morning, in which he
September 20, 2018
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by Anna-Lisa Laca (AgWeb) Over the past year, farmers and ethanol advocates alike have pressed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be more transparent when it comes to Renewable Identification Number (RIN) waivers for small refineries. Today, EPA recognized that concern and created a handful of new sections on their website
September 20, 2018
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by Orrie Swazye (Yankton Daily Press and Dakotan) Our gasoline market today is 90 percent gasoline and Brazil’s 75 percent gasoline but oil still supplies 99+ percent of transportation fuels worldwide. As we begin to net export oil, oil remains a mandated commodity nations will go to war to gain
September 18, 2018
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA has announced its Chartered Science Advisory Board will hold a teleconference Sept. 26 to address several issues, including a new draft SAB review of EPA’s Framework for Assessing Biogenic CO2 Emissions from Stationary Sources. Efforts by the EPA and SAB to develop a
September 18, 2018
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by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Just a few blocks from the commotion and crowds at the Global Climate Action Summit, biofuel advocates gathered Thursday to champion more low-carbon fuel standards that could take the country’s biofuels industry in new directions. While the climate summit focused on all the various
September 17, 2018
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by Scott Irwin (FarmDocDaily) Small refinery exemptions (SREs) represent the latest controversy to engulf the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). When the U.S. Congress first created the RFS in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58) it included a temporary exemption for small refineries from the mandate through 2011. Under the
September 17, 2018
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by John Mosheim (Clean Energy Business Network) … Currently, electricity generated from the combustion of cellulosic biogas under the RFS is an approved pathway for RIN generation.[1] In July 2014 EPA approved this pathway for RIN generation from electricity derived from biogas feedstock from a variety of anaerobic digesters. In
September 14, 2018
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by Jesse McCurry (Wichita Eagle/Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission & Producers Association) … Our grains reach markets around the world and feed production at a dozen Kansas ethanol plants that produce nearly 500 million gallons of clean, renewable biofuel each year. Ethanol production alone supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the
September 14, 2018
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(Urban Air Initiative) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has refused to acknowledge it used faulty science and blending practices to paint an inaccurate picture of ethanol emissions in a long-awaited response to the Urban Air Initiative (UAI). In January 2017, UAI, the states of Nebraska and Kansas, and the
September 13, 2018
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by Tammy Duckworth (Quad City Times) … Time and again, he’s (Judge Brett Kavanaugh) chosen Big Oil over everyday Americans, serving as the lone dissenter in decisions that have pitted the fossil fuel industry against our farmers. In a recent case, Grocery Manufacturers Assoc. v. Environmental Protection Agency, he proved
September 10, 2018
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by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) While EPA remains in an impasse on requests to reallocate biofuels gallons lost to small refinery waivers of the Renewable Fuel Standard, a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would require the agency to reallocate those gallons. The EPA granted a
September 10, 2018
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by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) : Incoming RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper addresses the small refiner exemptions issued by the U.S. EPA last year, and how they affect the ethanol market — The U.S. EPA remains committed to meeting the statutory deadline for finalizing the 2019 Renewable Fuel
September 7, 2018
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by Kelly Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) EPA’s small refinery waivers under the Renewable Fuel Standard could cost the ethanol industry 4.6 billion gallons of domestic demand and close to $20 billion in sales revenue over the next six years, according to a recently updated analysis by the University of Missouri’s
September 7, 2018
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by Steve Vander Griend (Clean Fuels Development Coalition) Adding ethanol to gasoline improves it in every way. It lowers carbon, reduces common air pollutants for smog formation, lessens CO2 emissions, reduces sulfur content, and provides clean octane as a replacement for toxic aromatics. In short it makes gasoline significantly better
September 6, 2018
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by David Vander Griend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Urban Air Initiative) Dave VanderGriend, president of Urban Air Initiative, doesn’t mince words in his column this month, calling out EPA for what he says is collusion with the oil industry. — … The 15.8 billion gallons of ethanol we produce and the economic benefits it
September 5, 2018
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by Eric C. Evarts (Green Car Reports) Just as the Trump administration moves to roll back fuel economy standards, a new survey shows that Americans are dissatisfied with the fuel economy their cars already get. The American Customer Satisfaction Index survey for cars was released Tuesday, and among the 10 attributes the
September 5, 2018
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(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy today filed a lawsuit in federal district court, alleging that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) have improperly denied agency records requested by RFA, Growth Energy, and others under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
September 4, 2018
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by Brian Jennings (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … Consider this a blueprint for restoring the trust EPA has broken with farmers and rural America. 1. Make good on the president’s promises to allow E15 use year-round. Trump has made three or four public promises to allow E15 use year-round and
September 3, 2018
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by Robert Rapier (Forbes) … To recap, gasoline must meet a specific requirement called the Reid vapor pressure (RVP). If the vapor pressure of gasoline is too high, it evaporates too quickly and contributes more to smog formation. … Pure ethanol has an RVP of 2 psi. If the mixing was
September 3, 2018
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by Joshua Pedrick (S&P Global/Platts) The US Environmental Protection Agency is likely to set the 2019 cellulosic waiver credit (CWC) at $1.77 for each credit, down from $1.96 in 2018, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics. “The most important variable in the calculation of the CWC is the bulk sales price
September 3, 2018
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by Mikkel Pates (Forum News Service/Bismark Tribune) Now more than ever, farmers who believe in the future of ethanol need to speak up for it, says Gerald Bachmeier, president of the North Dakota Ethanol Producers Association. Bachmeier, who also serves as chief executive officer of Red Trail Energy LLC, in
September 3, 2018
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by Nick Sobczyk (E&E News) Democrats have long billed themselves as the party of climate science, and if they take back the House in November, they want to put global warming back on the congressional calendar. “It’s the 800-pound gorilla,” said Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), co-chairman of the Safe Climate Caucus.
September 3, 2018
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by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Two leading ethanol interest groups and one of the nation’s largest ethanol producers asked a federal court on Thursday to force two federal agencies to hand over records related to the issuance of small refinery waivers to the Renewable Fuel Standard. In a lawsuit
August 31, 2018
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by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Federal Agencies Disagree on Accounting for Small-Refinery Waivers in 2019 — EPA has made clear it is not considering public comments on small-refinery waivers and how they affect the Renewable Fuel Standard. But a USDA memorandum sent to EPA on Aug. 15 disputes the EPA’s
August 28, 2018
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Aug. 17, the owners of nearly 60 anaerobic digestion (AD) projects sent a letter to President Trump asking him to tell the U.S. EPA to prioritize the development of an electric pathway under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The letter cites efforts by members of
August 28, 2018
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) A bipartisan group of nearly 40 U.S. Senators led by Patty Murray (D-WA), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have sent a letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase volume obligations for biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuel and ensure any small refiner economic hardship exemptions
August 24, 2018
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(American Farm Bureau Federation) Though pleased with EPA’s proposal to increase renewable fuel volumes, the American Farm Bureau Federation warned that the agency’s excessive use of small refinery waivers diminishes the likelihood that volume targets will be met. “EPA’s excessive use [of small refinery waivers] will undermine the goals that were
August 24, 2018
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by Maxine Joselow and Benjamin Storrow (E&E News) … First came the rollback of clean car rules, an aggressive effort to unravel former President Obama’s program to reduce tailpipe pollution. Then came the Clean Power Plan replacement, another muscular move that dismantles Obama’s signature initiative for curbing emissions from the power sector.
August 24, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The 2019 proposed US Renewable Fuel Standard proposed volumes attracted a major raspberry from the ethanol industry. As the American Coalition for Ethanol noted: “Unfortunately, EPA continues to take actions which undermine the letter and spirit of the statute and harm the rural economy. While refiners
August 24, 2018
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy)EPA will no longer hold public hearings in Washington, D.C., Detroit and Los Angeles on the administration’s proposed freeze of Obama-era fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks, Bloomberg Environment reports. Instead the EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will hold two public
August 23, 2018
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(American Coalition for Ethanol) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) announced the official release of a White Paper today (August 17, 2018) entitled “The Case for Properly Valuing the Low Carbon Benefits of Corn Ethanol,” coinciding with a general session panel at the 31st annual ACE conference in Minneapolis which highlighted the
August 22, 2018
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(National Biodiesel Board) NBB also proposes multiple solutions to accounting for small refinery exempted volumes — Today, the National Biodiesel Board filed comments on the proposed Renewable Fuel Standards for 2019 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2020. NBB’s comments respectfully urge the Environmental Protection Agency in the final rule to increase the
August 17, 2018
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by O. Kay Henderson (RadioIowa) Republican Congressman Steve King today said the best thing the Trump Administration could do to alleviate farmers’ angst about the trade war would be to allow higher percentages of ethanol to be blended into gasoline year-round. “Let the market determine what that blend could be It could
August 17, 2018
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Earnings Season: as Novozymes, DSM, Amyris, Gevo, Corbion, and Aemetis Report, Who’s up, Who’s down?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In today’s Digest, let’s look at trends driving the industry’s results at scale — and while money is not the measure of all progress, it is the ultimate yardstick and especially for companies that have reached industrial scale. So, let’s look at Q2 earnings statements now
August 17, 2018
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by Patty Judge (Des Moines Register/Focus on Rural America) … Many of the political elites on the coasts have argued that progressives should simply write off the rural Midwest because it is too white, too old and too conservative to ever support a progressive national candidate. In 2017 Focus on Rural
August 16, 2018
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by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) More than 15 billion gallons of ethanol flows into the U.S. fuel supply each year, big business for midwestern corn farms and a drag on oil refineries in Texas. But with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now exempting smaller refineries from the federal mandate they blend
August 16, 2018
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(Urban Air Institute) A paradigm shift is needed in Washington, and it’s up to Rural America to push for change. “We need to join together and demand access to cleaner burning ethanol, which will help American farmers and improve the air our entire nation breathes,” according to Urban Air President Dave VanderGriend.
August 16, 2018
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by Seth Boyes (Dickinson County News) Steffes Company in Milford played host to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley on Monday Aug. 6. … “If you’re a member of Congress, you can’t keep your mouth shut if you think the president’s hurting your people,” he said. He went on to say the president seemed
August 15, 2018
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Pacific Ethanol Inc. released second quarter financial results on Aug. 9, reporting a slight increase in net sales. The company also discussed how current trade barriers and the U.S. EPA’s administration of the Renewable Fuel Standard are reducing short-term demand for ethanol. “Even with
August 14, 2018
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by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) … On top of that, a senior Senate aide close to the pro-ethanol camp led by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said “there is debate” over whether it will take legislation to enact the changes Trump seeks. “We view it as a technical correction,” the aide
August 14, 2018
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by O. Kay Henderson (RadioIowa) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s acting administrator met privately with Iowa commodity group leaders at the Iowa State Fair today — but Andrew Wheeler told reporters afterwards there is no decision yet on regulations that would allow a higher blend of ethanol to be sold year-round.
August 14, 2018
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) EPA wants 14 months to finish up an air quality study of the Renewable Fuel Standard, saying in a court filing Monday that the timeline “is the most expeditious one for the agency to complete the anti-backsliding study.” The study could ultimately lead to
August 14, 2018
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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 July, President Trump announced in Iowa that he was “very close …to pulling off” the ethanol industry’s
August 13, 2018
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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 Trump’s trade war with China rather than “towing the party line” in the trade dispute.
August 13, 2018
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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 he’s (President Donald Trump) supportive of year-round E15, let’s do it. Let’s see it.” These
August 10, 2018
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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, poor health effects, and methane emissions associated with hog farms are drastically reduced. At a
August 10, 2018
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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 to cut greenhouse gas emissions from fuel, now adds 12 to 14 cents per
August 10, 2018
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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 reported on the proliferation of applications both in the Digest and in What’s Nuu? and
August 9, 2018
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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 are today. In fact, there were no glaciers — not even in Antarctica. Although the
August 9, 2018
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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 to premature death and higher risks of asthma and heart attacks. After decades of
August 7, 2018
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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 are trying to answer after the Trump administration said it would be resuming sanctions on
August 7, 2018
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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 Trump announced $12 billion in relief for farmers impacted by the Administration’s trade policies
August 6, 2018
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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 technology consists on a novel and proprietary metabolic pathway designed computationally by SilicoLife and
August 3, 2018
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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 squarely on the state, where its political leaders are vowing an all-out fight . California
August 3, 2018
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(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 included in the latest EPA discussion about fuel economy standards. For the CAFE/GHG standards, the Environmental Protection Agency’s
August 2, 2018
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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 of the committee, on Wednesday. The committee’s environment panel held its fifth hearing Wednesday on
August 2, 2018
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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 ongoing RFS rulemaking. Pruitt pulling strings for polluters Last year Pruitt, acting on behalf of
August 2, 2018
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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 percent ethanol fuel, despite what Wheeler told Senate EPW earlier in the day. “We can
August 2, 2018
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(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 economy and tailpipe GHG standards for light-duty automobiles (CAFE/GHG). The solicitation for comments on high
August 2, 2018
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(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 trucks and establish new standards, covering model years 2021 through 2026. Public Comments: The EPA docket
August 2, 2018
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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 a legal battle with California and other states, as well as create potential upheaval in the
August 2, 2018
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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 Economy Subcommittee Rep. Shimkus (R-IL), chair, explores reforming the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Shimkus (R-IL)
August 1, 2018
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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 before Congress since replacing Scott Pruitt, said he hopes to come up with a “50-state
August 1, 2018
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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. How else can you explain the 2.25 billion gallons of ethanol that were lost via
August 1, 2018
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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) and the role RINs play in the Renewable Fuel Standard. In his opening statement, Subcommittee
(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 its lawsuit objecting to EPA’s methodology for establishing the 2018 Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS). NBB
August 1, 2018
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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 issuance of small refinery waivers, after the court ruled on Friday it is the proper
July 31, 2018
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(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 (PGCCA) Program. The PGCCA Program is sponsored by the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and
July 31, 2018
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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 many places and regions around the world, but also is increasingly being grown
July 30, 2018
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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 above. These regulations restrict the sale of higher blends during the summer months when travel
July 30, 2018
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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 The New York Times offers up details that confirm the many of the changes previously
July 30, 2018
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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 odds of surviving an inevitable court challenge, sources familiar with the discussions told ME. The
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. The EPA authors note that their report excludes any consideration of biofuels’ reductions of greenhouse
July 24, 2018
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(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 approved fuel pathway for grain sorghum under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): “More and more
July 24, 2018
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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 part, we look at grain markets and the emerging US-China trade war. As most know
(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 used to make ethanol at facilities that use natural gas, has a greenhouse gas
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 is no precedent for the anti-ethanol, pro-oil actions of a federal agency like we are
July 23, 2018
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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, the automakers know it and even the oil industry understands it. But when it comes
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 corn and ethanol board representatives. The A-Stop 24 will provide E10, E15, E30 and E85
July 23, 2018
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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 nomination of Mary Bridget Neumayr to be a Member of the Council on Environmental Quality
July 23, 2018
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(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 Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) denial of a 2016 petition for small refinery hardship filed by
July 20, 2018
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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 several options for public comment, but will stop short of revoking states’ ability to set
July 20, 2018
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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 Administration officials installed at the US Environmental Protection Agency that destroyed an estimated
July 20, 2018
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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 Agency (EPA). The House is debating a package of two spending bills, one for Financial
July 19, 2018
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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 Executive Vice President Geoff Cooper will assume the position of President and CEO in October
July 19, 2018
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(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 committees described in this document. Appointments will be announced by the Administrator and are anticipated
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 the suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, including
(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 Vice-President Geoff Cooper says there is a plan to reallocate lost volumes in the November
July 16, 2018
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(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 Fuel Standard, but Grassley was not pleased with the agency’s answer. EPA said it granted
July 16, 2018
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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 exempted under the agency’s small refinery hardship waiver program, according to newly released EPA documents.
July 12, 2018
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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 clean air regulator told Reuters on Monday. Air Resources Board chair Mary Nichols said in
July 10, 2018
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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, in his twelve years as a judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals,
July 10, 2018
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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 pathway to increased efficiency in automobiles, both for legacy vehicles currently in use and for
July 9, 2018
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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. The agency said that it wouldn’t be taking public comments on the issue. ‘Negotiating Room’
July 9, 2018
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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 Brothers, Faegre Baker Daniels partner John Kirkwood or Kilpatrick Townsend partner Mark Riedy. They’ve been part
July 9, 2018
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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 finding that is the agency’s basis for regulating carbon dioxide emissions to be “settled law.”
July 9, 2018
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(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 U.S. contain annually increasing amounts of conventional renewable fuels (such as ethanol) and advanced biofuels
July 8, 2018
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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 lapses and management decisions eroded the president’s confidence in one of his most ardent Cabinet
July 5, 2018
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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 (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard, along with the 2020 RVO for biomass-based diesel. The
July 3, 2018
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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 mysteries which can unraveled and resolved. … The mechanism that the EPA uses to enforce
July 3, 2018
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(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 agencies have been at the forefront of the significant progress in air quality that has
July 3, 2018
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(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 to Congress on the environmental and resource conservation impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)
July 2, 2018
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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 forms of energy under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The lawmakers sent a letter to EPA
June 29, 2018
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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 the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act, legal scholars
June 29, 2018
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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 from its 2016 biofuel targets may be headed toward another round of litigation, a biofuels
June 28, 2018
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(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 secret and refuse to respond to congressional oversight and public information requests regarding the practice. The public’s
June 28, 2018
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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 the best and cheapest source of octane today, just as it was when automakers needed
June 27, 2018
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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 in the past five years, growing from zero to 10 million gallons, and most likely
June 27, 2018
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(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, 2018). Applications increased as EPA faced intense pressure from agribusinesses and its allies over the
June 27, 2018
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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 was to help create a new protein supply from corn and a better, cleaner and
June 26, 2018
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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 from 19.29 billion gallons in 2018. The proposed volume allows for up to 15 billion
June 26, 2018
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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 the variance in the price of corn is driven by the price of crude oil,
June 26, 2018
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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 to five sources familiar with the matter. The U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard requires the firms
June 26, 2018
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(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 Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
June 26, 2018
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(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 proposed rule, especially its impact on small refineries,” said Barrasso. “The law requires EPA to
(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 corn-based ethanol fuel blend, while making ethanol exports figure into RFS compliance. The EPA banned
June 25, 2018
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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 of effectively reducing the U.S. volumetric biofuels mandate before making a surprise direction reversal
June 22, 2018
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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 of the Renewable Fuel Standard. “We are deeply troubled by the lack of transparency and
June 22, 2018
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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 the matter. The proposal will include 15 billion gallons for conventional biofuels like corn-based ethanol,
June 22, 2018
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(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 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The higher overall methane leak rate underscores a growing
June 22, 2018
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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 make up for gallons exempted at smaller plants, according to two sources familiar with the
June 22, 2018
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(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 money laundering, money laundering and filing false claims, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard
June 21, 2018
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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 two sources familiar with the agency’s plans. … Under the proposed reallocation, refiners that do
by Ben Miller (Denver Business Journal) Gevo applauded an EPA decision on isobutanol, a fuel that’s made from renewable resources like corn. Gevo shares soared 262 percent in Monday trading. READ MORE EPA decision on isobutanol buoys Gevo stock Monday (9News.com) Gevo shares soar more than 270% after EPA ruling on
June 19, 2018
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(Platts) The US Environmental Protection Agency is close to releasing its proposal for how much biofuel refiners must blend into the US transportation fuel supply next year, a spokeswoman said Friday. The policy will include 2019 blending requirements for ethanol and advanced biofuels and 2020 requirements for biodiesel. “The interagency review
(National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) New polling shows that voters across three Midwestern states are disappointed with Trump administration decisions they view as broken promises of support for local agriculture and renewable fuels industries. In a survey of voters in Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota, respondents overwhelmingly say they support federal policies to
June 18, 2018
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by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday it will not reallocate exempt biofuel obligations under the small refinery waiver program without an act of Congress, setting the stage for a new clash with lawmakers in corn producing states. The agency has issued a record number of small
June 18, 2018
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Renewable Fuel Standard will be the subject of a subcommittee hearing this week in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. On Friday the Environment subcommittee will have a hearing focused on advanced biofuels under the RFS, “current status and future prospects.” No word yet
June 18, 2018
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by David Shepardson (Reuters) White House officials will have a new round of meetings with an automakers trade group and California’s “clean air” agency next week before unveiling a proposal to reverse rules aimed at increasing fuel efficiency, participants said on Thursday. The rules, negotiated with automakers by President Barack Obama’s
June 15, 2018
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(National Marine Manufacturers Association) Earlier this week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt approved the registration of bio-isobutanol as a fuel additive. The National Marine Manufacturers Association has been a leading voice in the effort to secure approval for bio-isobutanol, raising it directly with Pruitt on multiple occasions since he took
June 15, 2018
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by Chris Prentice (Reuters) A week after the White House suspended its bid to reform the nation’s biofuels policy to aid oil refiners, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday dangled a tantalizing prospect to Midwest corn farmers, saying the agency has the power to expand sales of higher
June 14, 2018
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On June 13, the Senate ag committee approved the its version of the 2018 Farm Bill with bipartisan support. The legislation includes an amendment offered by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., that restores mandatory funding to Farm Bill Energy Title programs. The legislation, officially titled the Agriculture
June 14, 2018
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Senate Agriculture Committee will take up amendments to the farm bill today, but negotiations were still ongoing as to just which of 186 submitted would get a vote. Here are a few energy highlights from a list obtained by POLITICO. — If E15 at
June 13, 2018
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is expected to travel to Kansas this morning, where he’ll stop by East Kansas Agri-Energy’s ethanol plant in Garnett. The trip comes a week after the White House quashed the release of a plan to change the Renewable Fuels Standard amid
June 12, 2018
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(Wisconsin Ag Connection) A day after a tentative agreement to overhaul U.S. biofuel policy appeared to collapse amid farm-state concerns, EPA chief Scott Pruitt met to discuss the issue with the lead senator pushing for the changes: Ted Cruz. Pruitt had dinner with Cruz, a Texas Republican, at a Washington steakhouse
June 12, 2018
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(Urban Air Initiative) Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts recently declared May as Renewable Fuels Month to draw attention to clean burning biofuel options. He’s focused on grassroot efforts to educate and expand access of mid-level blends for his citizens. Urban Air believes states and grassroots efforts can help pave the way and
June 7, 2018
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) ASSUME DEAL DEAD: Sen. Joni Ernst’s decision to lay into embattled EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt over his alleged about-face on ethanol appears to have paid off. Ernst spoke to President Donald Trump Tuesday night, she wrote on Twitter, and he “just assured me he ‘won’t sign a deal
June 6, 2018
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by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) The Environmental Protection Agency is about to allow a new renewable fuel to be sold at the pump, which could revolutionize the fuel business while eliminating the use of corn ethanol in gasoline altogether. For some, the prospects of no longer having to use ethanol under
June 5, 2018
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Nebraska Corn Offers Flex Fuel Infrastructure Grants, Urges EPA to Maintain RFS Committment
(Nebraska Corn Board/KTIC) The Nebraska Corn Board is committed to expanding corn markets for farmers and offering motorists a greater selection of clean-burning, home-grown fuel options. The Board recently allocated funds in its 2018-2019 fiscal year budget to help further develop the renewable fuel infrastructure in the state. Through this grant