(Government Accountability Office) … This Science & Tech Spotlight describes some of the benefits of synthetic biology and the challenges ahead. For example, while it could be used to engineer living cells that treat disease from within the body, it could also be used to make bioweapons. … What is
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Government Accountability Office on March 27 issued a report that includes recommendations on how three federal agencies can track progress related to the Biden administration’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge. … As part of the SAF Grand Challenge, the GAO was asked
March 29, 2023
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico Pro) EPA’s denial of exemptions for small refineries under the Renewable Fuel Standard last year does not constitute a rule and therefore is not subject to the Congressional Review Act, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said Thursday. The determination closes the door on potential efforts by lawmakers
February 10, 2023
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(Renewable Fuels Association) Proposed volume obligations for 2023-2025 bolster the Renewable Fuel Standard and provide growth opportunities for the ethanol industry, the Renewable Fuels Association said this morning in verbal testimony provided at an Environmental Protection Agency hearing. “Overall, we believe the proposed ‘Set’ rule establishes a firm foundation for the future
January 10, 2023
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Dec. 20 released a final analysis on the price of renewable identification numbers (RINs) and small refineries in response to a recommendation included in a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report. The final analysis confirms the EPA’s conclusion that small refineries
December 21, 2022
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by Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton (Bergeson & Campbell) On November 21, 2022, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a Science & Tech Spotlight on biorecycling of plastics. Biological recycling, or biorecycling, is an emerging technology that uses microbes, such as bacteria or fungi, to break down plastic into
December 2, 2022
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) GAO Report: EPA Unable to Prove Small Refiners Pass RFS Costs to Consumers — Not all small refineries are able to pass costs to comply with the Renewable Fuel Standard on to consumers at the pump, the Government Accountability Office said in a new report
November 4, 2022
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by Ann Lewis (Renewable Fuels Association) Late last week, the U.S. Government Accountability Office published a technology assessment on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), drawing on findings from peer-reviewed literature, a meeting of experts, and stakeholder interviews that included the Renewable Fuels Association. Overall, the research found that out of all
October 4, 2022
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by Karin Rives (S&P Global) … The San Juan plant is not the only carbon capture project receiving funds from the federal government that has struggled to become operational. With a lot more money coming, how the U.S. government allocates it will be critical. A question of accountability A 2021 report
October 3, 2022
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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
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( Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing notice of disclosure to all obligated parties under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program that have petitioned for a small refinery exemption (SRE) or that have submitted any of the following RFS compliance reports: RFS2500 Efficient Producer Data
March 10, 2022
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by Carlos Anchondo and Jeremy Dillon (E&E News) The Department of Energy is at risk of wasting a significant amount of money on carbon capture and storage demonstration projects without greater oversight, according to a new Government Accountability Office report. The report, released yesterday (December 20, 2021) by the watchdog agency, said
December 28, 2021
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(Government Accountability Office) … From 1970 to 2018 (the most recent data available), plastic waste in the U.S. grew tenfold. While recycling rates remained low, advanced recycling technologies could help increase recycling rates, and in turn reduce waste and pollution, especially if a few key challenges are overcome. Today’s WatchBlog post
October 8, 2021
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by Stephanie Kelly and David Shepardson (Reuters) Members of a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee met on Tuesday with representatives from the biofuels and airline industries to discuss ways to expand production of low-carbon aviation fuel, the subcommittee chair told Reuters. The meeting is part of a broader push by lawmakers
May 6, 2021
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Seven federal lawmakers sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on Sept. 15 expressing disappointment with the agency’s failure to cooperate with the Government Accountability Office’s investigation into the small refinery exemption (SRE) wavier process. The investigation has been ongoing for several months.
September 16, 2020
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by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters/Financial Post) The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) will review the Trump administration’s use of waivers exempting oil refineries from the nation’s biofuel blending requirements, according to a letter dated Friday, after lawmakers called for an investigation. The so-called Small Refinery Exemptions are intended to protect refineries in
January 11, 2020
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by Maxine Joselow (E&E News) Federal agencies have been reluctant to buy electric vehicles because of high prices and a lack of charging infrastructure, the government’s internal watchdog said in a report released yesterday. READ MORE FEDERAL VEHICLE FLEETS: Agencies Have Continued to Incorporate Alternative Fuel Vehicles into Fleets, but
August 29, 2019
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(U.S. Government Accountability Office) We reviewed the effects of the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires biofuels to be blended into U.S. transportation fuels in increasing volumes. The standard was associated with modest gas price increases in areas outside of the Midwest. Most corn ethanol—the most common U.S. biofuel—is produced in the Midwest,
June 6, 2019
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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 Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Government Accountability Office issued two reports Nov. 28 suggesting that the renewable fuel standard (RFS) program is unlikely to meet its targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and expanding the U.S. renewable fuels sector. The reports largely attribute this supposition to production of advanced
December 1, 2016
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(U.S. Government Accountability Office) The Renewable Fuel Standard program calls for greater use of advanced biofuels—fuel made from waste fats and oils or crop residues, for example—in the transportation fuel supply through 2022. Yet, there is not nearly enough of this fuel to meet the program’s targets—nor will there likely
November 30, 2016
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by Julian Hattem (The Hill RegWatch) The investigative arm of Congress is going to look into how the Obama administration developed its increased monetary estimate for the amount of damage caused by carbon pollution. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has agreed to a request from three Republican lawmakers to look into
August 20, 2013
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by Neil Roland (Automotive News) Gasoline with up to 15 percent ethanol probably won’t be sold at the pump for at least another year because of health, safety, cost and environmental concerns, a government watchdog said. …The report makes clear that the EPA’s recent decisions to allow the sale of
July 13, 2011
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by Gene L. Dodaro (Comptroller General of the United States/US Government Accountability Office) …Domestic ethanol production: Congress supported domestic ethanol production through a $5.4 billion tax credit program in 2010 and through a renewable fuel standard that applies to transportation fuels used in the United States. The ethanol tax credit and the renewable
March 7, 2011
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RFA Provides Input on IRA’s Clean Fuel Production and CCUS Credits, Biofuels Infrastructure Grants
(Renewable Fuels Association) As federal agencies continue to work on implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Renewable Fuels Association on Saturday filed two sets of comments to the Internal Revenue Service, related to credits for carbon sequestration and clean fuel production. RFA also submitted comments last week to USDA on