Environmental Protection Agency – Advanced BioFuels USA

Special Report: Advisory – Story Has Been Withdrawn – How U.S. Ethanol Plants Are Allowed to Pollute More than Oil Refineries

Reuters is withdrawing a Sept. 8 article that compared carbon emissions from U.S. ethanol plants and oil refineries because of its flawed interpretation of data on ethanol-plant pollution and fuel-production capacity. That led to inaccurate estimates of carbon emissions for individual ethanol plants named in the story. STORY_NUMBER: L8N30E5AE STORY_DATE:

September 26, 2022 Read Full Article

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge Roadmap: Flight Plan for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Report

(U.S. Department of Energy) The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge is the result of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal government agencies working together to develop a comprehensive strategy for scaling up new technologies to produce SAF

September 23, 2022 Read Full Article

Biofuels Leaders Set Priorities for 2023 and Beyond: The Industry Is Calling for Strong RFS Volumes

by Cassidy Walter (Successful Farming) Today (September 22, 2022) a coalition of leaders from America’s biofuels industry sent a united call to EPA for a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in 2023 and beyond, to advance biofuels’ efforts toward net-zero emissions. “We think EPA has an enormous opportunity with this rulemaking

September 23, 2022 Read Full Article

2023 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards Will Celebrate Innovation and Sustainability DEADLINE December 9, 2022

by Jennie Romer (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/American Chemical Society) As a sustainability expert, author, and the first-ever Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention at EPA, I’m thrilled to announce the opening of nominations for the 2023 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. The Green Chemistry Challenge Awards are a way for EPA

September 22, 2022 Read Full Article

Encouraging Farmers to Fuel up with Their Crop at the Pump

by Amie Simpson (Brownfield Ag News) The Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association is encouraging farmers to fuel up with their crop at the pump. Speaking with Brownfield at Farm Science Review, OCWGA Executive Director Tadd Nicholson says the association is encouraging farmers to use Unleaded 88. “We’re doing a whole lot

September 22, 2022 Read Full Article

Journey to Net Zero Carbon Global Transport Requires Many Routes

(American Journal of Transportation) Advanced Diesel Technology and Renewable Biofuels Deliver Important Near-term Carbon Reductions Now — As leaders come together in New York during Climate Week NYC all decarbonization options for transport must be considered, given the magnitude of the challenge and the great diversity of global economies, energy systems,

September 21, 2022 Read Full Article

UPDATE 2-GM Backs Setting Tough U.S. Emissions Targets for 2030

by David Shepardson (Reuters) General Motors Co said on Tuesday it backed establishing tougher federal emissions standards to help ensure at least 50% of new vehicles sold by 2030 are zero-emission. The largest U.S. automaker and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) released a series of joint recommendations to boost electric vehicles

September 21, 2022 Read Full Article

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Interagency Commitment to Lower Transportation Emissions and Consumer Costs, Bolster Domestic Energy Security

(U.S. Department of Energy) New Commitment Will Advance Clean Transportation Investments within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, Establish Blueprint for Decarbonizing Transportation in the U.S. — The Biden Administration today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among four federal agencies to accelerate the nation’s affordable and equitable

September 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Exclusive: Delta Air Lines Readies Refinery to Process Biofuels

by Laura Sanicola and Laila Kearney (Reuters) Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) plans to start receiving shipments of renewable fuel feedstocks at its Trainer, Pennsylvania, refinery as part of a strategy that could reduce its environmental liabilities by hundreds of millions of dollars, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The move

September 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Measuring Up Corn Fiber Ethanol

by Katie Schroeder (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol made from corn fiber has a low carbon intensity and the potential to generate D3 RINs, but navigating the regulatory landscape to capture its fullest value can be complex. — Producing corn fiber ethanol alongside standard, D6 RIN-generating corn starch ethanol gives producers

September 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Fuels Biointermediate Compliance Workshop — September 29, 2022 — ONLINE

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a virtual public workshop on the new biointermediates provisions of the Renewable Fuel Standard program. EPA is hosting a virtual public workshop to discuss the implementation of the new biointermediate provisions promulgated as a part of Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) final rule for

September 16, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA: 1 New SRE Petition Filed, 4 SRE Petitions Now Pending

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Sept. 15 released updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data, reporting that one new SRE petition was filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard during the past month. According to the agency, four SRE petitions are currently pending. The newly filed SRE petition

September 16, 2022 Read Full Article

Brown Announces $2.5 Million for Biofuel Research at The Ohio State University

(Office of Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)) Today (September 13, 2022), U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the Department of Energy has awarded a $2.5 million grant to The Ohio State University (OSU) for research on the creation of new biofuel energy to help decarbonize multiple sectors. “Biofuel energy research and

September 15, 2022 Read Full Article

US Biofuel Industry Hopes Their Voices Are Heard as EPA Eyes Final Rules on E15, RFS

by Jasmin Melvin (S&P Global) E15 solution for Midwest states coming: Regan; Biofuel group pushes for nationwide action; Lays out industry priorities for next RFS rulemaking — A promise by US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan to lift a summertime ban on sales of a gasoline blend containing 15% ethanol in certain

September 14, 2022 Read Full Article

Clean Fuels, EPA Agree to Pause Litigation on Separated Food Waste Recordkeeping

(Clean Fuels Alliance America) Following discussions with Clean Fuels members, EPA hopes to resolve dispute without litigation — Today (September 8, 2022), Clean Fuels Alliance America and the U.S. Department of Justice filed a joint motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit concerning Clean Fuels Alliance America

September 14, 2022 Read Full Article

Rural Incentives in Missouri Tax Cut Proposal Target Biofuels, Small Producers for Help

by Rudi Keller (News from the States) When lawmakers return this week for a special session, most of the attention will be on Gov. Mike Parson’s proposal to cut income taxes by $700 million a year. But Parson also wants the bill to include several tax credits intended to benefit rural Missouri

September 13, 2022 Read Full Article

US EPA Set to Finalize Rule on State Sales of Higher-Ethanol Gasoline Blend – Regan

by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency intends to finalize a rule before next summer to allow the year-round sale of gasoline blended with a higher level of ethanol in several states, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said on Tuesday. The EPA has engaged with several Midwestern governors after they

September 13, 2022 Read Full Article

Ethanol’s Clean Octane Key to EPA Particulate Rule

by Doug Duarante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Governors’ Biofuels Coalition) Coalition Urges Administrator to Address Mobile Sources — In a detailed letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC) called on the agency to use its existing authority to reduce toxic aromatics in gasoline as required by

September 13, 2022 Read Full Article

Agri-Pulse Open Mic Interview: House Ag Ranking Member Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa.

(Agri-Pulse) This week’s Open Mic guest is House Ag Ranking Member Glenn “GT” Thompson. At last week’s Farm Progress Show, Thompson offered thoughts on crafting a 2023 farm bill including an opportunity to chair the committee if the GOP wins a majority in the November midterms. The Pennsylvania 15th district

September 12, 2022 Read Full Article

Biden Executive Order to Fund U.S. Biomanufacturing Industry

by Trevor Hunnicutt (Reuters) President Joe Biden will sign orders on Monday to push more government dollars to the U.S. biotechnology industry, aimed at reducing dependence on China for materials to generate clean energy, weave new fabrics and inoculate populations against the COVID-19 pandemic. The executive order allows the federal government

September 12, 2022 Read Full Article

RFA, Growth Energy Slam Inaccurate Reuters Report on Ethanol GHGs

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy are slamming a Reuters article published on Sept. 8 that recycles highly misleading claims about the greenhouse gas (GHG) impact of U.S. ethanol plants. The Reuters article, in part, cites the widely discredited study by Tyler Lark and others, which

September 12, 2022 Read Full Article

Make a Market Tech Challenge DEADLINE December 31, 2022

(Environmental Protection Agency) EPA launched the Make a Market Tech Challenge to solicit innovative strategies for market assessments of new technologies developed by EPA researchers. The challenge asks teams or individual participants to choose one of five patented EPA technologies listed below and compete to develop innovative market assessments for the

September 8, 2022 Read Full Article

THIS REPORT HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN BY REUTERS Special Report: How U.S. Ethanol Plants Are Allowed to Pollute More than Oil Refineries

Sept 23 (Reuters) – Reuters is withdrawing a Sept. 8 article that compared carbon emissions from U.S. ethanol plants and oil refineries because of its flawed interpretation of data on ethanol-plant pollution and fuel-production capacity. That led to inaccurate estimates of carbon emissions for individual ethanol plants named in the

September 8, 2022 Read Full Article

US Farmers Can Supply Long-Term Energy and Climate Solutions

by Jon Doggett (Fox Business/National Corn Growers Association) We must expand fuel choices and make ethanol more accessible across the US — … The Agriculture Department estimates that the cost of fuel, lube and electricity combined for American farmers is projected to increase 34% in 2022. We must remain focused on

September 7, 2022 Read Full Article

Alder Fuels and Enviva Partner to Further Scale and Commercialize Sustainable Aviation Fuel Supply Chains

(Alder Fuels/Enviva/Business Wire) Partnership aims to accelerate the decarbonization of aviation and to scale access to renewable fuels to power the clean energy transition — Enviva Inc. (NYSE: EVA), the world’s leading producer of sustainably sourced woody biomass, and Alder Fuels, a clean tech developer and greencrude producer, have signed a

September 7, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA’s Fine PM Rule: A Pitch Ethanol Should Hit Out of the Park

by Doug Durante (Biofuels Digest/Clean Fuels Development Coalition) … EPA was finalizing their proposed rule to reduce fine particulates. To their credit, they had announced early on that they intended to complete their NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) by August and it is at the Office of Management and Budget for

September 5, 2022 Read Full Article

U.S. Expected to Announce 3 Years of Biofuel Blending Mandates in Nov -Sources

by Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The Biden administration is expected to announce a rule this year that would detail annual biofuel blending mandates for the refining industry for a three-year period instead of just for one, three sources familiar with the discussions said. The switch to a multi-year target

September 2, 2022 Read Full Article

Court Approves Decree on Treated Seed Court Requires EPA to Act on Pesticide-Treated Seed Petition Filed by Environmental Groups

by Todd Neeley (DTN ProgressiveFarmer) EPA has 29 days to decide whether to grant or deny a petition calling for the regulation of pesticide-treated seeds, after a federal court on Wednesday approved a consent decree between the agency and the Center for Food Safety and the Pesticide Action Network North America.

September 2, 2022 Read Full Article

New Jersey and New York Communities to Benefit from EPA Grant to Support Anaerobic Digestion Technology

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a $200,000 grant to the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA) to support anaerobic digestion technology in 11 states in the Northeast, New England the Mid-Atlantic, including New Jersey and New York. NEWMOA has partnered with the Northeast Recycling

August 31, 2022 Read Full Article

‘Cow Power’ Goes Dark as Manure-to-Electricity Fizzles

by Marc Heller (E&E News/Climatewire) After almost two decades making power from manure, Jon Patterson is done. The electric generator he installed on his dairy farm in upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region in the late 2000s sits idle while he contemplates more promising ways to make money from the back

August 31, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA Sets Alternative RIN Retirement Schedule for Small Refineries

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Aug. 29 issued a final rule creating an optional alternative renewable identification number (RIN) retirement schedule for small refineries under the Renewable Fuel Standard for compliance year 2020. The agency action finalizes a proposed rule issued in June. The alternative RIN retirement

August 31, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA Report to Congress Highlights National Clean Air & Climate Benefits of Diesel Emissions Reduction Program

(Diesel Technology Forum) The Diesel Technology Forum (DTF) praises the United States Environmental Protection Agency for its Fifth Report to Congress highlighting the accomplishments of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Program (DERA). “EPA’s Fifth Report to Congress confirms the enduring value of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act in delivering substantial clean air and climate benefits

August 30, 2022 Read Full Article

Siouxland Ethanol Plant Part of Record-Breaking Settlement for Toxic Releases

by Ariel Pokett (Siouxland Proud/KCAU) An ethanol manufacturer agreed to pay a $1.7 million settlement with the EPA for allegedly releasing toxins at four plants, including one facility in Siouxland. Andersons Marathon Holdings LLC agreed to pay the settlement after a total of 131 violations were reported at four facilities in Indiana, Michigan,

August 30, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA Issues Fuel Waiver for Four States Impacted by Bp Refinery Shutdown

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) As part of the Federal Government’s response to a fire and shutdown at the Bp Whiting Refinery in Whiting, Indiana, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan today issued an emergency fuel waiver to help alleviate fuel shortages in four states whose supply of gasoline has

August 30, 2022 Read Full Article

Speaking Up for Biofuels

by Emily Skor (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Year-round E15 and the RFS ‘set’ are top priorities for Growth Energy heading into it its annual D.C. fly-in this September. 2023 is the first year required volumes of renewable fuel are not specified by Congress and must be set by the EPA.

August 26, 2022 Read Full Article

“Democrats Designed the Climate Law to Be a Game Changer. Here’s How.”

(Society of Environmental Journalists) “In a first, the measure legally defines greenhouse gases as pollution. That’ll make new regulations much tougher to challenge in court.” “When the Supreme Court restricted the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency to fight climate change this year, the reason it gave was that Congress had

August 24, 2022 Read Full Article

Small Refiners Seek to Scrap EPA’s ‘Compressed’ RFS Compliance Rule

(Inside EPA) Small refiners suing EPA over its modified compliance regime for the renewable fuel standard (RFS) say the agency has unlawfully and “extremely” compressed the timetable for them to supply EPA with compliance credits under the guise of a compliance deadline “extension” rule, asking a federal court to scrap

August 24, 2022 Read Full Article

Cellulosic Waiver Credits under the Renewable Fuel Standard Program

(Environmental Protection Agency) For any calendar year for which the projected volume of cellulosic biofuel production is less than the applicable volume of cellulosic biofuel set forth in Clean Air Act (CAA) section 211(o)(2)(B)(III), EPA must reduce the required volume of cellulosic biofuel for that year to the projected volume, and

August 23, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA Calls for Nominations for 2023 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards DEADLINE December 9, 2022

(Environmental Protection Agency) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards from companies or institutions that have developed a new green chemistry process or product that helps protect human health and the environment. EPA is again including an award

August 22, 2022 Read Full Article

Less than $3/G, No Subsidy, No Kidding: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to T2C Energy Technology

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Perhaps the most startling and under-appreciated story of the year. A heavy-duty transport fuel, made using abundant, fungible and affordable biomethane, validated at $2.91 per gallon by the DOE’s top due diligence team, and that’s no carbon price, no subsidy, no tax credit, no kidding.

August 22, 2022 Read Full Article

Data Show Drivers Flocking to E15, E85 Amidst Record Gas Prices

by Ken Colombini (Renewable Fuels Association) As gasoline prices hit record levels earlier this summer, we heard plenty of anecdotal stories about a surge in the number of drivers seeking out lower-cost alternatives like E15 and E85. Now, we have fresh data to prove that more and more drivers did indeed

August 22, 2022 Read Full Article

Comstock Cellulosic Ethanol Technology Ready for Commercial Deployment

(Comstock Mining/Globe Newswire) Targets First Generation Corn Ethanol Facilities For Commercialization — Comstock Inc. (NYSE: LODE) (“Comstock” and the “Company”) today announced that it is marketing its cellulosic ethanol production technology for construction of commercial scale facilities, with a focus on upgrading pre-existing first generation corn ethanol facilities to convert forestry

August 19, 2022 Read Full Article

The ACE – 35th American Coalition for Ethanol Conference Audio Interviews and Presentations Available

(Ag News Wire) Turn down the intensity for carbon, turn it up for “The ACE.” Intensity was the theme for the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) 35th annual conference held August 10-12 in Omaha. The ACE included keynote remarks from Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and U.S. Grains Council CEO Ryan LeGrand, as well

August 18, 2022 Read Full Article

20 Refiners Appeal RFS Waiver Denials

by Todd Neeley (DNT Progressive Farmer) Refining Companies Line Up to Challenge Biden Administration on Denial of RFS Exemptions — Though the ethanol industry has celebrated the Biden administration’s rejection of all pending small-refinery exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard, legal challenges to that action are beginning to pile up after

August 17, 2022 Read Full Article

California Lawmakers Are Ready to Decarbonize the Shipping Industry. The Technology Isn’t There Yet.

by Joseph Winters (Grist) … Many companies have plans to launch or have already launched ships powered by biofuels — fuels produced from plant crops, algae, or animal fats — but experts expect them to play a limited role in the future of decarbonized shipping due to scalability constraints and high demand from other sectors. The nonprofit

August 16, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA Ag Advisor Updates ACE Conference

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Rod Snyder, Senior Advisor for Agriculture at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, was a keynote speaker for the 35th American Coalition for Ethanol annual conference Friday in Omaha to provide an update on the role of biofuels in forthcoming EPA actions. Regarding year-round sales of E15 (15% ethanol), Snyder

August 15, 2022 Read Full Article

Fuel Retailer Says Ethanol Industry Can Support an E15 National Standard

by Kellan Heavican (Brownfield Ag News) … Randy Gard is the Chief Operating Officer with Nebraska-based Bosselman Enterprises. “It just really takes some legislative law that gives guidance to EPA that says it’s ok to sell E15 year round. It’s really that simple.” He tells Brownfield there’s sufficient infrastructure to expand

August 12, 2022 Read Full Article

Refiners File Wave of Fresh Suits over RFS Waiver Denials

(Inside EPA) Refiners have filed a fresh wave of lawsuits against EPA over its denial en masse of their requests for economic hardship waivers from compliance with renewable fuel standard (RFS) biofuel blending mandates, following an earlier series of suits filed by many of the same firms over EPA’s April retroactive denial

August 12, 2022 Read Full Article

Growth Energy Sets Expectations for Landmark EPA Proposal

(Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Growth Energy celebrated the 17th anniversary of the Renewable Fuel Standard, signed into law on Aug. 8, 2005, by outlining the biofuel sector’s top priorities for the U.S. EPA’s fast-approaching update to the program. Under a consent decree agreement reached with Growth Energy, EPA will be required to formally propose the

August 9, 2022 Read Full Article

2nd USDA Food Loss and Waste Innovation Fair — September 14, 2022 — ONLINE

In U.S., more than one-third of all available food goes uneaten through loss or waste. Public and private organizations are creating solutions to address food loss and waste throughout the food system – from farm to table. On September 14, 2022, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. EDT, the U.S. Department of

August 9, 2022 Read Full Article

Growth Energy Testifies on Ozone Implementation Plans for Denver Metro Area

(Growth Energy) Growth Energy Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley testified before the Denver Regional Air Quality Council on the role higher blends of biofuels can play in reducing emissions of cars on the road today and improving air quality compared to regular gasoline. “We understand that the Denver Metro/North Front

August 8, 2022 Read Full Article

Re-N-Vision Awarded Department of Energy Grant to Test and Develop Blue Biofuels’ CTS Technology in Equitable Energy Transition

(Blue BiofuelsGlobe Newswire) Blue Biofuels, Inc. announces that Re-N-Vision, LLC, based out of St. Louis, MO, has received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Department of Energy grant for $199,902 with the title “Disadvantaged Community Bioenergy Feedstock Consortium in Urban Areas”. The grant was awarded under the Energy

August 8, 2022 Read Full Article

National Energy Solution: Pt 1: Methane, Methanogens, Methanotrophs

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last week we reported that T2C Energy in partnership with the US Department of Energy had developed at pilot-scale a technology that makes drop-in transportation fuel for $2.91 a gallon, excluding any help from carbon prices and markets. (The techno-economics were validated by ICF, which is

August 8, 2022 Read Full Article

Notice of Public Comment Period on Additional Candidates Added to the Peer Reviewer Pool for the Biofuels and the Environment: Third Triennial Report to Congress DEADLINE: August 16, 2022

(Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 15-day public comment period on two (2) additional peer review candidates for the external peer review of the Biofuels and the Environment: Third Triennial Report to Congress (RtC3). EPA previously invited public comment on an initial pool of

August 4, 2022 Read Full Article

Growth Energy to EPA: Alternative RIN Retirement Schedule Backtracks Effort to Strengthen RFS

(Growth Energy) Growth Energy submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to EPA’s proposed alternative RIN retirement schedule for small refineries. In its proposal, EPA gives all small refineries, whether they submitted a small refinery exemption (SRE) or not, until February 1, 2024, to demonstrate 2020 Renewable Volume Obligation

August 3, 2022 Read Full Article

Ethanol-Basher Scores 100%…in Idiocy — Anti-Ethanol Writers Must Go!

by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) … The focus of my presentations was to talk about the urgent need to educate consumers and consumer influencers about the benefits of ethanol fuel. Almost simultaneous with my plane touching down in my home city, I learned about a new ethanol-bashing editorial that

August 2, 2022 Read Full Article

7th Circuit Transfers RFS Waiver Case to D.C.

(Inside EPA) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit has granted EPA’s request to transfer a refiner’s lawsuit challenging the agency’s denial of a renewable fuel standard (RFS) compliance waiver to the D.C. Circuit, in what may be one of many such actions by regional courts as EPA

July 27, 2022 Read Full Article

Ethanol Blog: Senators Introduce Bill to Expand Use of High-Octane Fuels Including Ethanol

by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) With gasoline prices still at historically high levels, a group of U.S. senators on Tuesday introduced legislation that would expand demand for ethanol by establishing high-octane certification test fuels containing 20% to 30% ethanol and requiring automobile manufacturers to design and warranty their vehicles to

July 27, 2022 Read Full Article

Biointermediates: Production Opportunities and Regulatory Challenges

by Sara M. Herman (Biodiesel Magazine/Christianson) While biointermediates present opportunities for biofuel producers, close attention should be paid to regulatory requirements. — … Within the proposed rules, EPA included a section on biointermediates—feedstocks that are partially processed at one location and further refined at another—and outlined a number of requirements

July 27, 2022 Read Full Article

Growth Energy and EPA Reach Agreement on Delayed 2023 Biofuel Requirements

(Growth Energy) Growth Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submitted a consent decree agreement to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that requires EPA to propose the 2023 renewable fuel volume requirements no later than November 16, 2022, and to finalize those requirements no later than

July 26, 2022 Read Full Article

Sen. Cortez Masto Touts Clean Energy Accomplishments at Biofuel Plant East of Reno

by Eric Marks (This Is Reno) fficials from Fulcrum BioEnergy hosted Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and members of the press Friday at the company’s new plant east of Sparks off of USA Parkway. The facility is part of a new generation of industry technology featuring a “revolutionary process” which turns garbage,

July 25, 2022 Read Full Article

Celebrating a Decade of E15

by Robert White (Renewable Fuels Association) A little over ten years ago, E15 was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for 2001 and newer vehicles, along with all flex-fuel vehicles. A chief reason for this success was the Renewable Fuels Association’s hard work on the only approved Misfueling Mitigation Plan that would

July 21, 2022 Read Full Article

Let’s Give the Next Generation a Better Fuel

by Douglas A. Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Ethanol Producer Magazine) With a time-to-market advantage over EVs, ethanol benefits the 270 million cars on the road today while replacing benzene-based carcinogens in gas. With its low-carbon, high-octane requirement, the Next Generation Fuels Act takes ethanol higher. Depending on when you came

July 21, 2022 Read Full Article

Lawsuit Challenges EPA’s Damaging Renewable Fuels Standard

(Center for Biological Diversity) The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals today challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s fuel volume requirements for corn ethanol and other biofuels for 2020, 2021 and 2022. Earlier this month the EPA set the 2022 required minimum volume for

July 21, 2022 Read Full Article

AD Biogas To RNG Update

(BioCycle Magazine) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the final Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2020, 2021 and 2022 in early June. … Biogas generated by anaerobic digestion qualifies as either a cellulosic biofuel (D3) or a non-cellulosic advanced biofuel (D5), depending on the digester

July 20, 2022 Read Full Article

Walk and Chew Gum – Keeping Biofuels at the Table

by John Eichberger (Fuels Institute/Biofuels Digest) … (I)t seems we have lost sight of something very important – the 1.4 billion vehicles in operation throughout the world (approximately 300 million of which are in the United States) that will never benefit from this new technology and will continue to release

July 20, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA Approves Carinata Fuel Pathway for REG’s Geismar Facility

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA on June 30 approved a Renewable Fuel Standard fuel pathway filed by Renewable Energy Group Inc. that will allow the company’s biorefinery in Geismar, Louisiana, to generate D4 biomass-based diesel renewable identification numbers (RINs) and D5 RINs for certain biofuels produced using carinata

July 20, 2022 Read Full Article

Lawmakers Are Urging EPA to Get RFS Back on Track

by Currey McCullough (RFD TV) Just this morning (July 19, 2022) on a call with ag reporters, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley said he and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar are sending a letter urging the EPA to increase volumes of biodiesel and renewable diesel. “Adding more homegrown fuels to the nation’s

July 20, 2022 Read Full Article

Red Trail Energy Begins Carbon Capture and Storage

(Red Trail Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The first carbon capture and storage project allowed under state primacy in the U.S. has commenced operations. Red Trail Energy LLC announces it officially began carbon capture and storage (CCS) at its ethanol facility located near Richardton, North Dakota, on June 16. “After six years of

July 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Forget Saudi Arabia — Biden Should Have Gone to South Dakota: Letters to the Editor for July 17

by Doug Sombke (South Dakota Farmers Union/Argus Leader/Governors’ Biofuels Coalition) President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia to beg for more oil seems unnecessary to us — he could have saved himself a long trip by coming to see what is being done right here in South Dakota. Sky high gas prices

July 19, 2022 Read Full Article

The Cure for High Prices

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … At gas stations across the country, the cure for high prices isn’t more high prices—it’s ethanol. Refiners and blenders can lower gas prices for consumers simply by adding more ethanol, which has been $1–$1.50 per gallon cheaper than gasoline for much

July 19, 2022 Read Full Article

White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council; Notification of Virtual Public Meeting August 3-4, 2022 Public Comments DEADLINE August 18, 2022

(Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) … Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hereby provides notice that the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) will meet on the dates and times described below. The meeting is open to the public. Members of the public

July 18, 2022 Read Full Article

Anniversary Book: Funding, Organizational Growth, and Feedstock Wars

(Clean Fuels Alliance America) As the 1990s dawned, more than a decade of renewed research had been performed on various straight vegetable oils and esterified varieties by a number of individuals and universities both in the U.S. (North Dakota State, Idaho, Illinois, etc.) and globally. “Carroll Goering at the University of

July 18, 2022 Read Full Article

OMB’s Spring Regulatory Agenda Includes Timelines for RFS Rules

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has indicated it will release proposed rules related to the 2023 Renewable Fuel Standard renewable volume obligation (RVO) and state requests to allow summer E15 sales within the next several months. The agency will also soon finalize pending canola oil fuel pathways

July 15, 2022 Read Full Article

Oil Refiners, Unions Press U.S. EPA on Biofuel Blending Costs -Sources

by Laila Kearney and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) Oil refining company and labor union representatives pressed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at a virtual meeting last week to lower costs of the nation’s biofuel blending program when it resets the policy next year, according to sources familiar with the call. …

July 11, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA Fights Push to Sever Biodiesel Case from Stayed 2020 RFS Litigation

(Inside EPA) EPA is fighting a push from biodiesel makers to split their case challenging EPA’s recordkeeping rules for biofuel made from food waste from wider litigation over the 2020 renewable fuel standard (RFS), as the biodiesel sector seeks to avoid a lengthy further abeyance resulting from EPA’s June decisions

July 8, 2022 Read Full Article

Schumer Asks for EPA’s Help with Burning Ethanol Plant Silo Pumping Smelly Smoke into Volney

(LocalSyr) Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer visited the old Attis Biofuels Ethanol Plant Tuesday to demand the owners who vacated the property help clean up the burning mess left behind. Smoke, billowing from one of the silos left partially filled with corn kernels, is causing the smell of burning coffee or

July 6, 2022 Read Full Article

Final Volume Standards for 2020, 2021, and 2022

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) On June 3, 2022, EPA finalized a package of actions setting biofuel volumes for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for years 2020, 2021, and 2022, and introducing regulatory changes intended to enhance the program’s objectives. Final Volume Requirements for 2020-2022 (billion gallons) 2020 2021 2022

July 5, 2022 Read Full Article

Sheetz Chain Lowers Price for E15 Gas to $3.99 for July 4 Travel and E85 Has Been Marked Down to $3.49

(AutoBlog) Sheetz, a convenience store chain, has lowered the price of gas for the July 4 holiday weekend to $3.99 for a gallon of 88-octane regular. Note that Sheetz’ Unleaded 88 is a blend of 85% gasoline and 15% ethanol. Sheetz says (scroll to the bottom of the FAQ page): “E15

July 1, 2022 Read Full Article

Supreme Court’s EPA Ruling Could Put Other Regs in Danger

by Rachel Frazen (The Hill) The Supreme Court’s Thursday decision curtailing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority could hamper regulations far beyond climate. The conservative majority in the 6-3 ruling found that an Obama-era power plant rule was not permissible since it didn’t have “clear congressional authorization.” But legal experts say this principle could

July 1, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard Pathways Expand to Include Greasezilla® Advanced Biofuel as RIN-Qualified Feedstock

(Greasezilla) The pathway increases the value of Greasezilla® ABF to the biofuels market. — Downey Ridge Environmental Company, developer of Greasezilla®, announces that the Brown Grease Advanced Biofuel offtake produced by Greasezilla systems is now a qualified feedstock for RIN credits under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). This long-awaited ruling adds further

July 1, 2022 Read Full Article

Growth Energy Challenges EPA’s Decision to Excuse Refineries from Biofuel Obligations

(Growth Energy) Growth Energy filed petitions for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to excuse certain refineries from their obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In a decision announced this April, EPA reversed 31 small refinery exemptions

June 29, 2022 Read Full Article

Rising Diesel Prices Could Lead Farmers to Bio Alternatives

by Connor Veenstra (Huron Daily Tribune) … However, an alternative exists for farmers, though it’s not widely used — biodiesel, made from plants and animals. According to Houston Biodiesel, it’s slightly cheaper than regular diesel, at $5.76 per gallon, as of June 16. However, it could turn into a long-term alternative

June 23, 2022 Read Full Article

Biden Administration Leans on Tesla for Guidance in Renewable Fuel Policy Reform

by Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) … The administration’s early and extensive outreach reflects that expanding the scope of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to make it a tool for electrifying the nation’s automobile fleet is one of Biden’s priorities in the fight against climate change. The RFS, which

June 23, 2022 Read Full Article

U.S. Regulators to Propose New Tougher Vehicle Emissions Rules by March

by David Shepardson (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to propose new, more stringent vehicle emissions rules through at least the 2030 model year by March, according to a regulatory update released on Tuesday. In December, the EPA finalized new light-duty tailpipe emissions requirements through the 2026 model year that reversed then-President

June 22, 2022 Read Full Article

OMB’s Spring Regulatory Agenda Includes Timelines for RFS Rules

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has indicated it will release proposed rules related to the 2023 Renewable Fuel Standard renewable volume obligation (RVO) and state requests to allow summer E15 sales within the next several months. The agency will also soon finalize pending canola oil fuel pathways

June 22, 2022 Read Full Article

House Passes Bill to End Restrictions on Higher-Ethanol Fuels Amid Spiraling Gas Prices

by Zack Budryk (The Hill) The House of Representatives on Thursday passed an omnibus appropriations bill aimed at addressing spiraling fuel costs by further expanding the availability of higher-ethanol fuel blends. The Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act contains a number of separate agriculture provisions aimed at addressing food costs and

June 17, 2022 Read Full Article

Miller-Meeks, Hinson, Ernst Support New Industry Producing Carbon-Negative Cellulosic Biofuels

(Ripon Advance News Service) U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Ashley Hinson (R-IA) joined U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and their Iowa Republican colleagues in urging the Biden administration to address two ongoing rulemaking processes that could end production of bio-oil, cellulosic sugar and biochar. Iowa State University has developed an

June 17, 2022 Read Full Article

Fuels Institute Explores Carbon Benefits of Biofuels

(NACS) The white paper will help spark conversation on finding an answer to reducing emissions from all vehicles. — The Fuels Institute has published a new white paper that explores the carbon benefits of using biofuels, according to a news release. The paper, “Assessment of Biofuels Policy: Effectiveness of Emissions Reductions,”

June 15, 2022 Read Full Article

Renewable Fuels Offer Simultaneous Economic, Environmental and National Security Benefits

by Reid Detchon and Bart Ruth (United Nations Foundation and Solutions from the Land, respectively) Why are drivers in Watertown, S.D., paying 60 cents a gallon less to fill up their gas tanks than we are? Because 30 percent of their fuel is ethanol. When Russian President Vladimir Putin sent tanks into Ukraine, President Biden acknowledged that

June 15, 2022 Read Full Article

Senators Ask GAO if SRE Denials Require Congressional Review

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Sens. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.; Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.V.; and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., are asking the U.S. Government Accountability Office to determine whether the U.S. EPA’s June 3 denial of 69 small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard must be submitted to Congress for review under

June 15, 2022 Read Full Article

Ohio Asks EPA for Permanent E15 Change

by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) List of Midwest States Seeking E15 Rulemaking Grows to Nine With Ohio Request — Add Ohio to a list of Midwest states that are asking the EPA to make a permanent change to allow year-round E15 sales beginning in 2023. The state’s governor on Friday

June 13, 2022 Read Full Article

House Democrats Unveil “Lower Food and Fuels Costs” Bill

by Chuck Abbott (Successful Farming) The House could vote as early as next week on an omnibus bill that would allow summertime sale of E15, create a special investigator’s office at the USDA to enforce fair-play laws in meatpacking, and help farmers adopt so-called precision agriculture technology. The legislative amalgam

June 10, 2022 Read Full Article

Ship Pollution Is Rising as the U.S. Waits for World Leaders to Act

by Anna Phillips (Washington Post) … Customers are pressuring the industry to reduce its carbon footprint, and a small number of shippers are experimenting with alternative fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia. The Danish firm Maersk has ordered a dozen ships that can run on both conventional fuel and what the

June 9, 2022 Read Full Article

Big Oil Built the Blend Wall

by Robert White (Renewable Fuels Association) … In case you’ve forgotten, refiners use the term “blend wall” to refer to what they view as the upper limit of feasible ethanol use in the United States, which they peg at 10 percent of the nation’s gasoline supply. This purported blend wall is

June 9, 2022 Read Full Article

Opinion: E15 Will Provide a More Affordable Domestic Fuel Option All Summer Long

by Cindy Axne (D-IA 3rd)(Agri-Pulse) As families continue to feel the crushing weight of rising gas prices – a problem without a one-size-fits-all solution – I am grateful that an environmentally friendly, homegrown fuel that’s produced in my home state of Iowa will provide a more affordable fuel option this summer.

June 9, 2022 Read Full Article

Inside Charm Industrial’s Big Bet on Corn Stalks for Carbon Removal

by James Temple (MIT Technology Review) The startup used plant matter and bio-oil to sequester thousands of tons of carbon. The question now is how reliable, scalable, and economical this approach will prove. In recent weeks, a crew of staffers from a company called Charm Industrial have been working on

June 9, 2022 Read Full Article

Rule Change Lets Nevada Company Turn Trash into Airplane Fuel

by Gary Martin (Las Vegas Review-Journal) A Nevada plant can begin turning tons of garbage into a synthetic oil that can be refined into fuel for airplanes after an Environmental Protection Agency rule change. After five years, the EPA finalized the rule sought by Fulcrum BioEnergy’s Sierra BioFuels Plant in Storey County. A

June 8, 2022 Read Full Article

Five Automakers Back California Authority to Set Stricter Vehicle Emissions Standards

by Rachel Frazin (The Hill) A group of five automakers is backing California’s authority to set its own standards for climate-warming emissions for vehicles amid a legal challenge from several Republican-led states. Ford, Volkswagen, BMW, Honda and Volvo on Tuesday backed the Biden administration’s decision to restore this authority to California after the Trump administration revoked

June 8, 2022 Read Full Article

Clearing the Air on E15 and Smog

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … In 2017 congressional testimony, Dr. Janet Yanowitz of EcoEngineering Inc., an environmental consulting firm, reviewed the existing scientific literature on E15’s emissions, concluding that “the available emissions test data indicates that replacing E10 with an E15 of the same vapor pressure will

June 7, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA Opens Comment Period on Proposed Consent Decree for 2023 RVOs DEADLINE: June 22, 2022

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA on May 23 opened a 30-day public comment period on a proposed consent decree related to a legal challenge filed against the agency by Growth Energy that would require the EPA to issue proposed 2023 Renewable Fuel Standard renewable volume obligations (RVOs) by

June 7, 2022 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK — Jim Lane

“The annual RVO announce is becoming a brake on the decarbonization of US transportation instead of the accelerator it was intended by Congress to be.” — Jim Lane, publisher of Biofuels Digest, regarding the setting of renewable fuel volumes that must be put into the marketplace per federal regulations. READ

June 7, 2022 Read Full Article

June 2022 Denial of Petitions for RFS Small Refinery Exemptions

(Environmental Protection Agency) On June 3, 2022, EPA announced the denial of 69 petitions from small refineries seeking small refinery exemptions (SREs) from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for one or more of the compliance years between 2016 and 2021. Consistent with the April 2022 Denial of Petitions for RFS