Environmental Protection Agency – Advanced BioFuels USA

Independent Study Finds Vehicle Emission Testing Is Not Reliable

(Urban Air Initiative) A new study finds that many of the test fuels used in emissions research studies do not reflect the makeup of consumer fuels, limiting the ability of ethanol to be used to reduce emissions and improve vehicle efficiency. The Urban Air Initiative (UAI) is pleased to announce

January 21, 2019 Read Full Article

RFA Publishes E15 Countdown Clock, Calculator and FAQs

(Renewable Fuels Association) E15. Clean. Affordable. Domestic. Fuel. There’s been a lot of talk recently about “E15,” a biofuel blend of gasoline that contains 15 percent ethanol, a product that comes from crops grown by American farmers. E15 burns cleaner and cooler than gasoline, lowers gas prices, and reduces oil imports. Unfortunately,

January 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol Is the Safe Option

by Doug Sombke (South Dakota Farmers Union/Tri-State Livestock News) … Well, let’s hope we don’t see the price at the pumps go up. Instead, let’s use more ethanol. What I’m suggesting is oil companies increase the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline – from the mandatory 10 to 30 percent. And,

January 18, 2019 Read Full Article

The Energy 202: Potential 2020 Candidates Test Climate Messages on Trump’s EPA Pick

by Gino Grandoni (Washington Post) … Nominally, the hearing was convened to consider the nomination of former coal lobbyist and ex-Senate aide Andrew Wheeler to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. … In the past six months alone the EPA under Wheeler has proposed relaxing emission limits on power plants and freezing them for

January 18, 2019 Read Full Article

RFA Asks EPA to Separate Year-Round E15 Provisions from RIN Reform Measures in Upcoming Proposal

(Renewable Fuels Association) With the government shutdown threatening to further delay approval of year-round sales of E15 (gasoline containing 15% ethanol), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to focus strictly on year-round E15 provisions in its forthcoming proposed rule and address RIN reform measures in a separate

January 18, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. Automakers Push for Deal on Fuel Efficiency Rules

by David Shepardson (Reuters) Executives at the major U.S. automakers are pressing the Trump administration and California to agree on standards for fuel efficiency and carbon emissions through 2025, as risks increase that a deadline for setting national standards will pass without a deal. Automakers are already entering the time frame when

January 16, 2019 Read Full Article

House Bill Would Repeal CAFE Standards:

(Bergeson & Campbell) On January 10, 2019, Representative Roger Williams (R-TX) introduced a bill (H.R. 431) that would repeal the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. CAFE standards are set by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and EPA. President Trump last year proposed to freeze CAFE standards at

January 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Biodiesel an Underutilized Solution as US Carbon Emissions Climb

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) … The transportation sector remained the largest source of U.S. emissions for the third year in a row, “as robust growth in demand for diesel and jet fuel offset a modest decline in gasoline consumption,” the researchers state. Biodiesel is one commercially available, known solution to

January 14, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Says It Is Committed to Rule for Higher Ethanol Blend by Summer Driving Season

by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday it would complete a rule to boost sales of higher-ethanol blends of gasoline by the summer driving season, despite a partial government shutdown. The statement from the environmental regulator came after the agency warned at least two

January 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Forecast for U.S. Federal and International Chemical Regulatory Policy 2019

(Bergeson & Campbell) Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and its consulting affiliate The Acta Group (Acta®) are pleased to offer you our Forecast 2019. In this richly detailed document, the legal, scientific, and regulatory professionals of B&C and Acta distill key trends in U.S. and global chemical law and provide our

January 9, 2019 Read Full Article

A Rightful Role in the RFS: The Electric Vehicle Market Is Predicted to Soar, and, Pending Overdue Action by the U.S. EPA, Biomass Power Producers Are Positioned to Help Meet Goals Set Forth in the Renewable Fuel Standard.

by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) … The vast complexities of the RFS extend far beyond these components, but a much lesser-known provision is beginning to attract attention—the role of renewable electricity in the program, and it’s abilities to fuel electric vehicles (EVs). This provision is one that was embedded in

January 8, 2019 Read Full Article

The Problem of Invalidated RINs in the Renewable Fuel Standard

by Mike Newman (Parhelion Underwriting/Stillwater Associates) Under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) imposed a “buyer beware” approach to the purchase and sale of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs). This creates a liability for any buyer of RINs, making them responsible for purchases of invalid RINS, even if done

January 7, 2019 Read Full Article

Alternative Fuels Council Offers Biodiesel Strategy

by Jeff Hove (Biodiesel Magazine) Jeff Hove, vice president of NATSO’s Alternative Fuels Council, provides perspective on current political, regulatory and market events relating to biodiesel blending, and how a myriad of potential changes will affect downstream operators. — … But renewable identification number (RIN) value volatility—driven by political rumor, speculation and

January 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Biodiesel’s Cutting Edge

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Biodiesel Magazine profiles nine companies whose process technologies, products and services are on the frontline of change in this industry. Third Coast Commodities Biodiesel feedstock trading is evolving, and Third Coast Commodities is one of the firms ushering in this change. … The only way to

January 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Ricketts: My Goals for 2-19

by Pete Ricketts (Office of Governor of Nebraska/Star Herald) As we enter the new year, I have put together a list of goals for our state in 2019. I am sharing a few of them here. … Year-Round E15 – In October, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and I joined President Trump in

January 4, 2019 Read Full Article

A Fox Guarding the RFS Henhouse

by David Kruse (The CommStock Report/Spencer Daily Reporter) From a subscriber: “I asked my local Cenex manager why the price of E85 was still high. E10 has dropped 43 cents in the last couple of months and E85 hasn’t changed from $1.94. He told me that the RIN price has often been close

January 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Farmers Fear Another Hit as Trump Shutdown Threatens Ethanol Vow

by Mario Parker and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Year-round 15% ethanol-gas blend by summer now seen at risk; Shutdown could join trade war in limiting farmer income — … The government shutdown that Trump says could last “a long time” without funding for a border wall may hurt farmers by delaying the administration’s

January 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Nominations Open for Green Chemistry Challenge DEADLINE: January 15, 2019

(Environmental Protection Agency) The Green Chemistry Challenge Awards promote the environmental and economic benefits of developing and using novel green chemistry. These prestigious annual awards recognize chemical technologies that incorporate the principles of green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture, and use. EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention sponsors the

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Outlook 2019: RINs Market Looks toward Washington in 2019

by Wesley Swift (S&P Global Platts) The market for Renewable Identification Numbers looked for relief in 2019 after a tumultuous 2018. Uncertainty over the nation’s renewable fuel policy created a volatile market for RINs, the credits used by refiners and fossil fuel importers to prove compliance with federal renewable fuel blending

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

OPINION: UST Corrosion Blame Game Continues

by Cassie Mullen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … (B)iofuel opponents will continue to blindly blame ethanol for corrosion in underground storage tanks (USTs). However, ethanol is not the culprit, and retailers need to know the facts to help fight back against misinformation. Beginning around 2007, UST owners reported new incidents of

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Your Views: Q&A on E15 Fuel Had Misinformation

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/The Gazette) Rather than providing factual answers to common questions about Unleaded88 gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol (E15), The Gazette’s recent Q&A on the fuel (Page 6A, Monday) perpetuated familiar myths and misinformation about ethanol. After conducting the most extensive fuel testing program in history, the

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Recognizing Today’s Reality to Shape a Better Tomorrow

by Brian Jennings (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Looking back to one year ago, ethanol renewable identification numbers (RINs) were fetching nearly 70 cents (a valuable incentive for ethanol blending), exports were swelling to record volumes, and EPA was promising to consider granting Reid vapor pressure (RVP) relief for E15.

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Driving Opportunities to Expand the Market

by Emily Skor (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … We expect a proposed rule in February, followed by a public hearing and comment process. President Donald Trump’s administration has clearly stated its intention to have a rule in place by June 1—when the 2019 summer driving season begins. Our opponents will try

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol’s Impact: Iowa’s Status as the Largest Ethanol-Producing State Means Its Ethanol Economy Affects the Entire Industry.

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … A waiter in a Cedar Rapids restaurant, for instance, recently asked Shaw (Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association) about Trump’s E15 waiver, upon hearing that Shaw advocates for biofuels and ethanol through the IRFA. “So here’s a waiter in the

January 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Mid-Level Ethanol Blends Are the Transportation Fuel of the 21st Century, NFU Says

(National Farmers Union) As Congress looks to revamp and coordinate federal-level policies that govern the transportation fuels and vehicles sectors, National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging legislators to expand use of high-octane, mid-level blends of ethanol in the transportation fuel supply. In doing so, policymakers have the opportunity to create lasting

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

EPA: 8 New Small Refinery Waivers Filed

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Dec. 20, the U.S. EPA released updated data on small refinery hardship waivers filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard, reporting that seven new waivers for the 2018 compliance year and one new petition for the 2017 compliance year were filed between Nov. 10 and

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Exclusive: Exxon Mobil Secured U.S. Hardship Waiver from Biofuels Laws – Sources

by Humeyra Pamuk and Chris Prentice (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted oil major Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) a financial hardship waiver this year temporarily freeing its Montana refinery from U.S. biofuel laws, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Exxon, which reported earnings of almost $20 billion in

December 20, 2018 Read Full Article

On Eleventh Anniversary, RFS2 ‘Has Unquestionably Lived Up to Its Promise’

(Renewable Fuels Association) Eleven years ago today, President George W. Bush signed into law what has become the single most successful clean fuels policy in the United States–the expanded Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2). The RFS2, included in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, requires petroleum refiners and importers to

December 19, 2018 Read Full Article

New Research Finds EPA Not Enforcing The Clean Air Act

(Urban Air Initiative) Under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was directed to reduce mobile source air pollution to the greatest degree possible. But a new research project conducted by the Urban Air Initiative found that not only is mobile source air pollution still a significant problem, but

December 18, 2018 Read Full Article

EPA Sets 2019 Cellulosic Waiver Credit Price at $1.77

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has published a notice on its website setting the cellulosic waiver credit (CWC) price for 2019 at $1.77. The price is slightly lower than the CWC price for 2018, which was set at $1.96 in December 2017. Under the Renewable Fuel Standard

December 18, 2018 Read Full Article

Study: ‘No Scientific Basis’ For Challenges To EPA Endangerment Finding

by Barbara Moran (WBUR News) There’s more proof that greenhouse gases are dangerous to human health. That’s the conclusion of a study published Thursday in the journal Science, for which researchers reviewed hundreds of scientific papers on climate change published since 2009. The study supports the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 “endangerment finding,” which labeled six greenhouse gases

December 14, 2018 Read Full Article

The Oil Industry’s Covert Campaign to Rewrite American Car Emissions Rules

by Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times) When the Trump administration laid out a plan this year that would eventually allow cars to emit more pollution, automakers, the obvious winners from the proposal, balked. The changes, they said, went too far even for them. But it turns out that there was a hidden

December 14, 2018 Read Full Article

House GOP Pushes Elimination of Ethanol Mandate

by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) House Republicans are pushing to eliminate the federal mandate that ethanol be blended into the nation’s fuel supply, to be replaced by a requirement cars built from 2023 on run only on gasoline with a minimum octane level of 95. In legislation under debate at a

December 14, 2018 Read Full Article

NFU Urges House Subcommittee to Expand Use of High-Octane, American Grown Biofuels

(The Fence Post/National Farmers Union) As Congress looks to revamp and coordinate federal-level policies that govern the transportation fuels and vehicles sectors, National Farmers Union is urging legislators to expand use of high-octane, mid-level blends of ethanol in the transportation fuel supply. In doing so, policymakers have the opportunity to create

December 13, 2018 Read Full Article

U.S. EPA Recognizes Kansas Project that Produces Biogas for Vehicle Use

(NGV Journal) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized 30 clean water infrastructure projects (from large wastewater infrastructure projects to small decentralized and agriculture projects) for excellence and innovation within the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program. One of the initiatives recognized as “exceptional” is the Kansas – Dodge City

December 8, 2018 Read Full Article

New Report Finds EPA Could Be Doing Much More to Unlock Growth of Low-Carbon Biofuels

by Jesse Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) … The industry has been unable to produce the volumes called for under the advanced and cellulosic categories due to a variety of reasons – including the pace of technology, falling petroleum prices, and regulatory uncertainty, to name a few. Since the

December 7, 2018 Read Full Article

C.J.’s Back and REGI’s Got Her: Warner Tapped as New Renewable Energy Group CEO

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Iowa, white smoke has emerged from the REGI conclave: Tesoro EVP and former Sapphire Energy CEO C.J. Warner has been named chief exec of Renewable Energy Group, at a pivotal moment for biodiesel in Washington and around the world and amidst a boom for renewable diesel

December 7, 2018 Read Full Article

Increasing the Role of Advanced Biofuels in the US

by Leticia Phillips (UNICA/Ethanol Producer Magazine) …But EPA could still strengthen the RFS in ways that would encourage advanced biofuels to play a greater role greening the U.S. transportation sector. Here are our top two suggestions. • Expect more from advanced biofuels We think the volume requirements should be even higher.

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Relieving the Pressure: There’s Movement at Last to Obtain an RVP Waiver for E15 …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … “There’s a very tight window between today and June 1,” says Brian Jennings, CEO of the American Coalition for Ethanol. “The big-picture goal is for the proposed rule to be out for public comment and for EPA to wrap up a final rule prior

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Demand Destruction from Small Refinery Exemptions is Clear and Continuing

(Renewable Fuels Association) There has been a media blitz lately by the oil industry saying that ethanol demand has been unaffected by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rampant grants of Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) exemptions to small refineries. Recently, even some in the agriculture community have bought into these claims. Don’t

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

A Summary of Federal Programs: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Technology Incentives

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A wide array of federal incentives supports the development and deployment of alternatives to conventional fuels and engines in transportation. These incentives include tax deductions and credits for vehicle purchases and the installation of refueling systems, federal grants for conversion of older vehicles to newer technologies,

December 5, 2018 Read Full Article

Throttled and Greens Sue for Auto Proposal Docs

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) THROTTLED: An administration official told Pro’s Zack Colman that EPA and NHTSA would reduce its projection for saved lives in its forthcoming finalized fuel economy rule. The reason: The agencies are revising estimates for how quickly motorists would ditch their cars and how many

December 4, 2018 Read Full Article

Exclusive: EPA Lifts Advanced Biofuel Mandate for 2019 – Document

by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lifted its annual blending mandate for advanced biofuels by 15 percent for 2019, while keeping steady the requirement for conventional biofuels like corn-based ethanol, according to an agency document seen by Reuters on Thursday. The mandate includes 4.92 billion gallons for advanced biofuels

November 30, 2018 Read Full Article

RFS Expiration a Common Misnomer

by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) The CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association says it’s a common misnomer that the Renewable Fuel Standard ends in four years. Geoff Cooper tells Brownfield the RFS doesn’t stop in 2022. “What stops in 2022 is the specific volumes being laid out in the law.”

November 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Court Won’t Dismiss Challenge to Part of Trump’s Car Efficiency Rollback

by Timothy Cama (The Hill) A federal court won’t dismiss a challenge by Democratic states and green groups to a key part of the Trump administration’s plan to roll back car fuel efficiency and emissions standards. At issue is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) April determination that the Obama administration’s plan to make

November 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Octane Enhancement Cannot Come from the Oil Barrel

by Dave VanderGriend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ICM/Urban Air Initiative) … Today, at 10 percent of the motor fuel pool, ethanol is displacing the most lethal components in gasoline—toxic, carcinogenic aromatics. When lead was phased out of gasoline, refiners replaced it with an equally dangerous mix of toxic chemicals representing the worst part

November 21, 2018 Read Full Article

EPA Plans Biofuel ‘Reset’ as Program Misses Congress’ Targets

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will propose new targets for the final three years of the nation’s renewable fuel program in January, replacing ambitious decade-old goals set by Congress with volumes closer to the industry’s current output, two people familiar with the matter said. The planned reset

November 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Exclusive: Chevron Granted Waiver from U.S. Biofuel Laws at Utah Plant – Source

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted oil major Chevron Corp a 2017 hardship waiver from U.S. biofuel laws for its Utah refinery earlier this year, according to a source familiar with the company’s operations. Chevron, which reported a net income of $9.2 billion in 2017, becomes the

November 21, 2018 Read Full Article

EPA Approves Renewable Fuel Pathway for Andersons Ethanol Facility

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Indiana, Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a pathway for the generation of renewable fuel Renewable Identification Numbers under the renewable fuel standard program for the production of non-grandfathered ethanol. The ethanol is produced through a dry mill process

November 19, 2018 Read Full Article

More RFS Exemption Requests Monroe Energy, Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf Want Full RFS Waiver

by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Pennsylvania’s governor and state refining interests are putting pressure on EPA to grant waivers to the Renewable Fuel Standard program, just ahead of the agency’s Nov. 30 deadline to finalize new biofuels volumes for the upcoming year. Monroe Energy, LLC, requested a waiver on

November 16, 2018 Read Full Article

EPA Extends Comment Period on RFS Information Collection Request New DEADLINE: December 13, 2018

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA is extending the comment period on a previously announced information collection request (ICR) that aims to consolidate and update recordkeeping and reporting burden and cost estimates related to the Renewable Fuel Standard program into a single, easy-to-understand format. The EPA said the

November 15, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuel Groups Ask Federal Judge to Freeze U.S. Refinery Waiver Program

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) A group representing biofuel companies asked a federal judge on Tuesday to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop exempting small refineries from renewable fuel laws until a lawsuit challenging the agency’s actions is resolved. Producers United argued, among other things, the EPA violated the law

November 15, 2018 Read Full Article

Weaker RINs Lure Gasoline Shipping into US East Coast Ports: Sources

(Hellenic Shipping News) A decline in the US obligation for biofuels has prompted an increase in imports from Canada and Europe into the Atlantic Coast, according to market sources and federal government data. The renewable fuels obligation for a gallon of imported gasoline has fallen from 2.29 cents/gal October 3 to

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

American Biofuels Deserve Certainty

by Dan Kleiss (Morning Consult) … By all rights, that anti-biofuel campaign should have wrapped up in December 2016, when regulators dialed up conventional — typically corn-based — ethanol targets to 15 billion gallons, the legal maximum. Since then, gasoline consumption has continued to rise, while the ethanol requirement remains more or

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Iowa Senator Says Expect Fewer Biofuel Waivers from Wheeler’s EPA

by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may issue fewer biofuel waivers to small refineries under Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler than it did under its previous leadership, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa said on Tuesday. “I sense that Wheeler has a feeling that (former Administrator Scott

November 14, 2018 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Emails between the EPA and the oil industry show that EPA asked oil industry employees what test fuels they would “prefer to see tested” and then revised the test fuels in response to their input. The EPA also threw out three test fuels after preliminary results showed that ethanol lowered

November 13, 2018 Read Full Article

#Gasolinegate: EPA’s Role in Fair Gasoline Emissions Testing Draws Fire

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, researchers for a report published by the Urban Air Initiative contend that “technical data that shows the nation has been exposed to decades of flawed test fuels and flawed driving tests, which in turn means flawed emissions results and mileage claims”. The complete Beyond a

November 13, 2018 Read Full Article

Heard on the Floor: Reflections and the Buzz from ABLC Global 2018

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It was, at times, not unlike the old trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade and that was no coincidence, for there was optimism abounding and the deal-talk that flows from a general feeling that the advanced bioeconomy is, to use Amyris’ Joel Cherry’s characterization,

November 12, 2018 Read Full Article

U.S. Ethanol Producers Feeling the Pinch from Trump Trade War

by Jarrett Renshaw, Michael Hirtzer (Reuters) U.S. ethanol producers drew a bleak picture of their industry in quarterly filings and analyst calls this week, detailing how the critical farm belt business has been devastated by President Donald Trump’s trade war with China and biofuels management policies that they say have tilted toward oil

November 12, 2018 Read Full Article

2018 Midterm Elections—Implications for the Bioeconomy

by Jesse Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) And while the bioeconomy – biofuels, biobased products, chemicals, and more – enjoy bipartisan support, the new political landscape means that the biobased sector and stakeholders still need to be on their toes. With one of the largest freshmen classes ever, and

November 10, 2018 Read Full Article

White House, California to Discuss Vehicle Emissions Rules Next Week

by David Shepardson (Reuters) California clean air regulators will hold talks next Tuesday with their federal counterparts and the White House over Trump administration efforts to stop Sacramento from adopting tighter vehicle emissions rules than Washington, a spokesman for the state confirmed on Thursday. The video conference meeting will be the

November 9, 2018 Read Full Article

Automakers Fight Trump’s Auto Emissions Rollback

by Timothy Cama (The Hill) Major automakers are pushing the Trump administration to abandon its plan to roll back climate change rules for cars. Companies had emphatically encouraged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) to undo the Obama administration’s plans to ratchet up greenhouse gas emissions and

November 8, 2018 Read Full Article

Diesel Helps Cities Meet Sustainability Goals and Stay within a Budget

(Diesel Technology Forum) As U.S. cities continue to expand, the drive to provide essential services with a minimal environmental footprint while working within a budget will be challenging. — … Today, alternatives to diesel exist, and others are still on the drawing board. For some applications, diesel is the only technology available. For

November 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Another Year of Uncertainty for Biofuels

by Michael McAdams (Biomass Magazine/Advanced Biofuels Association) As we approach the end of 2018, we reflect on a year that was full of surprises for the biofuels industry. What stands out the most was former U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s application of small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuels Standard to

November 6, 2018 Read Full Article

The Trump Administration Flunked Its Math Homework

by Robinson Meyer (The Atlantic) The administration’s clean-cars rollback is riddled with errors. In one case, it forgot to divide by four. In another, it accidentally deleted 700 billion miles of driving. … The mistakes range in scope from the comical to the bizarre, from the obviously accidental to the

November 6, 2018 Read Full Article

E15 Faces More Speed Bumps EPA’S Rule for Year-Round E15 Sales Is Still Not in Federal Register.

by Dan Looker (Success Farming) When President Donald Trump told a campaign rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa, last month that his administration will approve year-round sales of E15, farmers and the ethanol industry were pleased. They looked forward to more sales of the gasoline blend with 15% ethanol as early as

November 6, 2018 Read Full Article

The Complex Dynamics of Coprocessing

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) While oil refiners adding a small percentage of renewable feedstock to their operations sounds simple, the political, economic, technical, societal and market consequences are anything but. In 2007, at the height of the biodiesel boom, ConocoPhillips and Tyson Foods announced a partnership to coprocess animal fats

November 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Ethanol Blog: Agriculture Cooperative to Offer Pre-Blended E15 at Terminals

by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) With the EPA anticipated to release a proposed rule to allow year-round E15 sales, agricultural cooperative company GROWMARK Energy has started offering pre-blended E15 at its terminals to serve gasoline retailers across the Midwest. The company has started offering E15 at terminals in Amboy,

November 5, 2018 Read Full Article

EPA Acting Administrator Wheeler, USDA Secretary Perdue, and DOE Secretary Perry Send Letter to Congress on Biomass Carbon Neutrality — Managed Forests Can Bolster Domestic Energy Production

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, along with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Rick Perry, sent a letter to the House and Senate Committee on Appropriations. The letter describes the agencies’ work to

November 2, 2018 Read Full Article

EESI Joins Comments on Health, Environmental & Economic Benefits of High-Octane Biofuels +

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) … Automotive manufacturers are expressing interest in raising the minimum octane level of the U.S. gasoline pool as a low-cost compliance option for increasing fuel efficiency. Until now, all MPG gains in the passenger vehicle fleet have been accomplished through engine and vehicle

November 2, 2018 Read Full Article

The Energy 202: California Says Trump’s Fuel Standards Plan Will ‘Forfeit Our Best Chance to Fight Climate Change’

by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) California is coming out swinging in its official response to one of the Trump administration’s most consequential attempts at rolling back regulations to date — to freeze fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks through 2026. In a 400-page comment on the proposed rule that will be filed

November 1, 2018 Read Full Article

NFU Urges Administration to Honor Commitment to Biofuels

(National Farmers Union) Throughout his campaign for and tenure as president, Donald Trump has consistently pledged to support American-grown biofuels. However, his administration has too often failed to follow through on those promises in a timely fashion. In the most recent of such instances, President Trump announced his intentions to allow

November 1, 2018 Read Full Article

Environmental Groups File Petition with EPA Accusing It of Illegally Allowing Wildlife Habitat Conversion for Biofuels

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, following on the heels of an Environmental Protection Agency report to Congress documenting wide-spread habitat loss following enactment of U.S. biofuels policy in 2007, environmental and conservation groups filed a petition with EPA, asserting the agency has illegally allowed millions of acres of wildlife habitat

November 1, 2018 Read Full Article

Clean Octane Alliance Sees Open Road for Higher Blends

(Urban Air Initiative) … South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke and Urban Air Initiative President Dave VanderGriend said an update to the master list of future federal regulatory actions called the Unified Agenda does not include a previously proposed rule that would make any blends above E15 illegal to use in

October 31, 2018 Read Full Article

RFA Urges EPA and NHTSA to Use SAFE Vehicles Rule to Advance High-Octane, Low Carbon Fuels

(Renewable Fuels Association) Ethanol-based high-octane, low-carbon (HOLC) fuel blends would enable cost-effective gains in fuel economy and significant carbon dioxide reductions, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) outlined in comments submitted Friday to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “The agencies should support this transition by developing

October 31, 2018 Read Full Article

EPA: Additional Small Refinery Petitions Filed for 2017, 2018

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has released updated data on small refinery waivers filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The new data shows that additional petitions were filed for 2017 and 2018 compliance years over the past month. As of Oct. 10, EPA data shows the agency