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(Biobased Diesel Daily) Researchers at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture have been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to evaluate regional biomass supply chains with regard to their potential for supplying feedstock for domestic fuel production as well as rural economic development―a potential game changer for
Transportation
November 24, 2020
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by Nichola Groom, David Shepardson (Reuters) California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols, who sources say could be the next federal environment chief, said on Thursday her state’s agreement with manor automakers for fuel efficiency requirements could serve as a “good template” for federal standards through 2025. The Trump administration in
November 13, 2020
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(Climate 21 Project) The Climate 21 Project taps the expertise of more than 150 experts with high-level government experience, including nine former cabinet appointees, to deliver actionable advice for a rapid-start, whole-of-government climate response coordinated by the White House and accountable to the President. The memos below contain the Climate 21 Project’s recommendations for
November 13, 2020
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(Diesel Technology Forum) … “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimate that the Commercial Vehicle Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Standards Phase 1 rules saved 270 million tons CO2 and 530 million barrels of oil between 2014 and 2018, and that the Phase 2 rules
October 13, 2020
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by Steve Zabarnick (University of Dayton Research Institute) With increasing demand for a greater variety of sustainable alternative aviation fuels, the importance of a systematic pathway for the accurate testing, validation and approval of alternative jet fuels has never been more important. Part of this process is the FAA-sponsored “D4054 Clearinghouse”
October 9, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The 106-billion-gallon global (21-billion-gallon domestic) commercial jet fuel market is projected to grow to over 230 billion gallons by 2050. Cost-competitive sustainable alternative jet fuels for aviation are needed to decouple carbon growth from market growth. With this in mind, the U.S. Department of Energy
October 7, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Ford, Honda, BMW, Volkswagen and Volvo have formally committed to reducing the average greenhouse gas emissions of their vehicles through 2026, despite the Trump administration rolling back federal standards, Pro’s Debra Kahn reports. Under deals signed with California, the five automakers promise to maintain
August 18, 2020
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(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) The State of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by Steve Csonka (CAAFI) Slide deck available here. Webinar recording available here.
August 12, 2020
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by Ilana Marcus (Washington Post) … Silicon Valley start-up called ZeroAvia, envisions a future of passenger planes that fly on hydrogen-powered electricity, not jet fuel. … Miftakhov’s Piper was powered by batteries, but his company is working on integrating a hydrogen fuel cell for aviation. … Think about the hydrogen
August 7, 2020
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by Jeff Overton (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On June 30, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis released its staff report, Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America. The report is informed by over a year and
August 5, 2020
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by Coral Davenport and Lisa Friedman (New York Times) The Environmental Protection Agency’s internal watchdog said Monday it had opened an investigation into the agency’s weakening of Obama-era regulations that would have limited automobile emissions by significantly raising fuel economy standards. The inspector general demanded that top E.P.A. officials turn over briefing materials
August 4, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Trump administration on Thursday asked a court to block Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW from becoming directly involved with litigation over the SAFE Vehicles rule (Reg. 2060-AU09). The automakers, which struck a voluntary emissions deal with California, last week moved to join the
July 10, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) A bipartisan group of former EPA and Transportation Department chiefs filed a friend-of-the-court brief this week criticizing the Trump administration’s revocation of California’s fuel economy waiver as having no “no valid legal, factual, or logical basis,” Alex also reports for Pros. The Trump administration
July 8, 2020
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(Neste/Yahoo! Finance/PR Newswire) From production through delivery, Neste’s sustainable aviation fuel created benefits for U.S. businesses and will enable the aviation industry to combat climate change. — Neste, the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from waste and residue raw materials, successfully delivered its
July 8, 2020
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by Pamela Gregg (University of Dayton Research Institute) … ASTM International has approved the use of a synthetic oil derived from municipal waste in the manufacture of jet fuel at petroleum refineries. The co-processing of “syncrude” with petroleum at the refinery level is the second new specification for jet fuel approved
July 2, 2020
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(Morning Ag Clips/South Dakota Farmers Union) Broad coalition challenges the Safer Affordable Fuel Efficiency Vehicle Rule; In response to EPA’s failure to credibly consider and advance mid-level ethanol fuel blends as an alternative to conventional fuels, the groups filed a petition for review in the Superior Court of the District
June 30, 2020
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by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) House Democrats unveiled a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan Thursday that calls for a huge increase in funding to repair roads and bridges while expanding broadband access in rural areas. Democrats described the bill as the biggest legislative effort to fight climate change, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) saying
June 19, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The House Transportation Committee’s five-year surface transportation bill — expected to be unveiled later this week — will include a hefty focus on climate mitigation, as House leadership had previously promised. The major themes of the $494 billion bill are state of good repair,
June 3, 2020
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(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) CAAFI is happy to announce the latest industry alternative jet fuel (AJF) Production Pathway approvals, and ASTM publication of: 1) A new ASTM D7566 alternative jet fuel production pathway: ASTM D7566 Annex A7 – Hydroprocessed Hydrocarbons (HH-SPK, or HC-HEFA). This addition describes the hydroprocessing of
May 30, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) California and 22 other states sued the Trump administration over its rollback of auto emissions standards and fuel economy rules, Pro’s Alex Guillén reports. The Trump administration’s final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles rule requires automakers to improve their fuel efficiency at a rate of
May 28, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which includes automakers and vehicle parts manufacturers, on Friday moved to defend EPA’s auto emissions rollback — from a libertarian think tank that argues the weakened rule is still too stringent. Increasing the standards’ stringency gives the industry a
May 26, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) … EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler will testify before a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee oversight hearing this morning, in his first appearance before the panel since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. Ahead of the hearing, the top Democrat on the committee, Tom Carper (D-Del.),laid out concerns
May 20, 2020
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(Airlines for America) Number of Approved Pathways Grows to Seven — Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, applauds the addition of a seventh annex to ASTM International’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) specification, D7566, which will further enable the use of SAF by the U.S. airlines. “Even as
May 18, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rep. Abby Finkenauer, D-Iowa, on April 28 announced the introduction of the Clean Fuels Deployment Act of 2020. The bill aims to provide funding for installing and converting fuel pump infrastructure to deliver higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel. The bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by
April 29, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA and U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released the final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles rule on March 31. The rule sets corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) and CO2 emissions standards for model year (MY) 2021-2026 passenger cars
April 7, 2020
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“EPA’s rule assumes that electric vehicles have no “upstream” greenhouse gas emissions related to their use; in other words, the agency completely ignores emissions related to producing electricity from coal, natural gas, and other sources and distributing the electricity to the vehicle. … This rule should have established the roadmap
April 1, 2020
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by Sean Szymkowski (Road Show) The changes, wrapped into the SAFE Vehicles Rule, will result in less stringent CAFE improvements through 2026. — The SAFE Vehicle Rule, announced by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, lowers required fuel economy and CO2 improvements to 1.5% each year
April 1, 2020
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by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The new rule will improve the U.S. car and light truck fleet’s efficiency by 1.5 percent a year, versus nearly 5 percent under current law. The new rule will improve the U.S. car and light truck fleet’s efficiency by 1.5 percent a year,
March 31, 2020
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(Office of U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE)) U.S. Senator Tom Carper, top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Inspector General (IG) to open an investigation into potentially unlawful efforts and procedural problems related to the preparation and review of both
March 17, 2020
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(Biofuels International) ASTM International has approved a new production pathway for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), created by Applied Research Associates (ARA) and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG). The new production pathway, which is called catalytic hydrothermolysis jet (CHJ), is expected to help meet the global need for more sustainable aviation fuels.
February 20, 2020
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(GreenAir Online) A new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) specification has been approved for commercial airline use by standards development organisation ASTM International, with support from the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI). The new annex to the SAF specification D7566 establishes criteria for the production and use of catalytic hydrothermolysis jet
February 3, 2020
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by Ryan Beene and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Revised proposal will require modest annual efficiency gains; Draft rule is under review by White House budget office — … A draft of the final rule, now undergoing a final White House review, includes several changes that could make it easier to
January 22, 2020
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(Biofuels International) A new study carried out by economic modelling experts from Purdue University in the US has found the impacts of US biofuel policy on deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia to be insignificant. The study, titled ‘US Biofuel Production and Policy Implications for Land Use Changes in Malaysia and
January 21, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) EPA and NHTSA on Tuesday sent their new auto emissions and fuel efficiency rules to the Office of Management and Budget for review, EPA confirmed to ME. This is the second half of the SAFE Vehicles rule and covers model years 2021 through 2026,
January 15, 2020
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by Sean Reilly, Kelsey Brugger, Maxine Joselow and Ariel Wittenberg (E&E News) … The SAB (Science Advisory Board) also lobbed extensive criticism at the Trump administration’s rollback of Obama-era clean car standards. “There are significant weaknesses in the scientific analysis of the proposed rule,” the board wrote in its draft report. The clean
January 9, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Money, money, money – a growing bioeconomy needs lots of it. But with so many challenges like a lack of certainty in government programs or a perceived lack of funds at the company and project levels, what are the solutions? Mark Riedy, Partner at Kilpatrick Townsend shared
January 2, 2020
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by David Shepardson (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration will finalize its rollback of Obama-era vehicle emissions standards next year and expected it would provoke a new legal challenge by California. … Trump said on Friday that the dispute was over “a tiny amount of
December 10, 2019
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(Consumer Reports) Rolling back fuel economy requirements down to 1.5% annual increases would raise net cost per vehicle by $2,100 — As the federal government reportedly moves closer to finalizing plans to weaken fuel economy and vehicle emissions standards, Consumer Reports has analyzed several likely scenarios, including the recently-reported possibility of
December 3, 2019
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by Megha Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Federal Transit Administration awarded the City of Longview, Wash. $1.56 million to purchase new low-floor biodiesel buses to replace older buses that have exceeded their useful life. The new buses will be operated by RiverCities Transit and will improve access, mobility and transit
November 29, 2019
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by Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) Lawsuit marks the latest in an escalating fight over one of the nation’s biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. — California and 22 other states sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, asking a federal court to block the Trump administration from
November 16, 2019
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(Biomass Research and Development (BR&D) Board) Created through the Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000, the Biomass Research and Development (BR&D) Board facilitates coordination among federal government agencies that affect the research and development of biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. Since 2013, the BR&D Board has worked to shape an interagency
November 1, 2019
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by Matt Kaye (FarmWeekNow.com) Renewable Fuels Association chief Geoff Cooper called the proposed supplemental rule issued by EPA a “bait and switch.” — … During a hearing before a U.S. House Energy subcommittee, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) chief Geoff Cooper accused EPA of secretly granting Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) as
October 31, 2019
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by Gavin Bade (Politico’s Morning Energy) House lawmakers will hold a hearing today to critique the White House plan to roll back vehicle fuel economy standards, a day after GM, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota said they would side with the Trump administration on the proposal. … Lawmakers on the House Committee
October 29, 2019
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by Shawn Robinson (University of Dayton News) The Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative has greenlighted the University of Dayton Heyne Energy and Appropriate Technology Lab and the University of Dayton Research Institute to be the first in the nation to prescreen alternative aviation fuels for viability to enter the American Society
October 23, 2019
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by Nadja Popovich and Denise Lu (New York Times) Transportation is the largest source of planet-warming greenhouse gases in the United States today and the bulk of those emissions come from driving in our cities and suburbs. The (interactive) map … shows a year’s worth of CO2 from passenger and freight traffic
October 10, 2019
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) A National Academies of Science panel on Friday called for EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to conduct an “interim evaluation” of federal fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas regulations for medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 2022 “to ensure and improve their effectiveness
October 7, 2019
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by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) The White House removed language calling climate change a “serious challenge” from a proposal that limits California’s ability to set tougher vehicle emissions standards, according to reporting from E&E News. A draft of the document obtained by E&E shows the White House striking the phrase “while global climate
October 4, 2019
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by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Nine environmental advocacy groups are suing the Trump administration over its attempt to prevent California and other states from setting their own vehicle emission standards. The complaint challenges a final rule recently issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which claims that all state programs
October 2, 2019
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(Sierra Club) Today, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that New Mexico will join 14 other states in adopting clean car standards requiring new cars sold in the state to emit fewer greenhouse gases. They also mandate an increasing percentage of cars sold in the state to be zero emissions. The governor
September 25, 2019
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by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Projections for E15 have been inconsistent since the May 31 Reid vapor pressure waiver. Ethanol Producer Magazine explores some of the factors that will influence the blend’s trajectory in the coming years. … Before the waiver, retailers selling E15 had already planned to increase
September 24, 2019
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(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) President Trump promised the American people that his Administration would address and correct the current fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards, and today (September 19, 2019), his Administration is taking steps to fulfill this promise. Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
September 20, 2019
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by Dino Grandoni and Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) 22 other states, plus D.C., Los Angeles and New York City, joined in the lawsuit — California and 22 other states filed a lawsuit in federal court Friday against the Trump administration, challenging its decision to revoke the most-populous state’s right to
September 20, 2019
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by Miranda Green (The Hill) President Trump announced on Wednesday that his administration will be removing California’s tailpipe emissions waiver under the Clean Air Act, a decision likely to face fierce backlash in courts. Trump made the announcement via Twitter while touring California for private fundraisers and a visit to the
September 18, 2019
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by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The Trump administration will revoke California’s right to set stricter air pollution for cars and light trucks on Wednesday, according to two senior administration officials, as part of a larger effort to weaken an Obama-era climate policy curbing greenhouse gas emissions from
September 17, 2019
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by Arnold Schwarzenegger (Washington Post) California has been a leader in the fight to clean our air since one of my heroes, Ronald Reagan, was our governor. The Trump administration, for some reason, is hellbent on reversing decades of history and progress. Whether it is political pettiness, shortsightedness or just plain jealousy,
September 9, 2019
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Justice Dept. Launches Antitrust Probe of Automakers over Their Fuel Efficiency Deal with California
by Juliet Eilperin and Steven Mufson (Washington Post) The Justice Department has launched an antitrust investigation of four leading automakers over an agreement they forged with the state of California to maintain higher fuel efficiency standards than those sought by the Trump administration, escalating the stakes in the long-running battle between
September 6, 2019
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(GreenTechMedia) An analysis published Wednesday by clean energy advocacy group Energy Innovation found that if the administration does eliminate California’s waiver, costs from the rule change would total $400 billion in 2018 dollars by 2050. By 2035, Energy Innovation projects that transportation emissions will be at least 10 percent higher than
August 8, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA submitted its final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks to the White House Office of Management and Budget on Aug. 2. OMB review marks a final stage before the public release of the
August 6, 2019
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by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) Thirteen states filed suit against the Trump administration Friday, arguing it was breaking the law by cutting penalties for automakers that do not meet Obama-era fuel efficiency standards. The suit, led by California’s and New York’s attorneys general, goes after a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) rule that
August 5, 2019
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by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The agreement could have vehicles hit 50 miles per gallon on average by 2026 — Four automakers from three continents have struck a deal with California to produce fleets that are more fuel-efficient in coming years, undercutting one of the Trump administration’s most aggressive climate policy
July 25, 2019
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by Maxine Joselow (E&E News) The Trump administration appears to have abandoned its initial strategy for defending the rollback of Obama-era clean car rules from court challenges, according to three people with knowledge of the situation. The administration was previously rushing to finalize the rollback in early summer. Experts have said that would
July 17, 2019
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(Diesel Technology Forum) The new generation of diesel technology is helping ports, cities, communities and entire nations meet climate and clean air challenges of today and tomorrow, according to a statement submitted today by the Diesel Technology Forum, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of diesel engines, fuel and the
July 16, 2019
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by Jessica Campisi (The Hill) The Trump administration announced late Friday that it will formally suspend an Obama-era regulation that penalized automakers that didn’t meet fuel-efficiency requirements, Reuters reports. After Congress ordered federal agencies to adjust existing penalties in 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued rules that more than
July 15, 2019
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by Caitlin McCoy, Robin Just (Harvard University Environomental and Energy Law Program) The Environmental & Energy Law Program is tracking the environmental regulatory rollbacks of the Trump administration. … The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the Department of Transportation (DOT) has set fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks
July 15, 2019
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by Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times) The opposition to one of President Trump’s most consequential regulatory rollbacks — a plan to weaken pollution standards for automobiles nationwide — widened on Tuesday when 24 governors, including three Republicans, urged the president to abandon his plan. The governors’ plea adds to a chorus of criticism from an unlikely mix
July 10, 2019
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by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) Jeff Alson was sitting in his apartment in Ann Arbor, Mich., when he felt like he was going to explode. … (Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew) Wheeler said Nichols never offered a counterproposal and accused Nichols of not being “a good faith actor in this rulemaking.” He added that “[h]er
June 28, 2019
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Top EPA and Transportation Department officials will likely face intense grilling from Democrats today at a joint hearing of two House Energy and Commerce subcommittees on the Trump administration’s proposed rollback of auto emissions standards. Headlining are EPA air chief Bill Wehrum and National Highway
June 20, 2019
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by John Bowden (The Hill) Many top-selling automakers around the world sent a letter to President Trump on Thursday urging the Trump administration to scrap plans to roll back fuel efficiency standards set during the Obama administration. In a letter signed by 17 major automakers including General Motors, Ford and Toyota, the companies wrote that
June 7, 2019
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Tom Carper and House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone are calling on Wheeler to provide documents related to the agency’s public defense of its proposed Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles rule. In their letter, the Democrats say
May 24, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) National Jet Fuels Combustion Program has a mission to help streamline the fuel approval process and has over 30 instituttions involved in their research and projects including 12 universities, 8 government agencies, 5 OEMs and several others. Med Colket, Retired Senior Fellow, United Technologies Research Center,
May 6, 2019
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by David Shepardson (Reuters) The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday the agency would revise its proposed freeze of vehicle fuel economy standards before unveiling its final regulation in the coming months. In August, the EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed freezing requirements for new
April 12, 2019
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by Merrill Matthews (The Hill/Institute for Policy Innovation) … President Trump wants to roll back unattainable Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards imposed by President Obama. And he wants those revised fuel efficiency ratings to apply nationwide, including California, according to The Hill. But environmentalists and the Golden State are rejecting the change. They
March 28, 2019
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by Mario Parker and Michael Hirtzer (Bloomberg) Midwest rail lines have washed out, delaying biofuel shipments; Gasoline futures rise to five-month high before peak season — Flood waters spilling across the U.S. Midwest have swamped ethanol shipments, disrupting refineries and threatening to push up gasoline pump prices ahead of the summer
March 26, 2019
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(GreenAir Online) The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched the CORSIA MRV Program for US airplane operators with international flights participating in the ICAO carbon offsetting scheme. According to ICAO, it is mandatory for all operators, regardless of the country they are based in, to report verified CO2 emissions above a certain
March 24, 2019
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by Humeyra Pamuk, Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) Massive flooding in the U.S. Midwest has knocked out roughly 13 percent of the nation’s ethanol production capacity, as plants in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota have been forced to shut down or scale back production following the devastation. Production facilities owned by large companies like
March 22, 2019
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by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board recently released it’s Most Wanted List for 2019 and 2020, with a focus on the ethanol industry. According to the list, the safe shipment of hazardous materials—including ethanol and crude oil—can be achieved by upgrading current tank cars to
March 14, 2019
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by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) As the Trump administration races to roll back Obama’s most ambitious climate rule, it lobbies to get industry on board — Trump officials thought they were doing the auto industry a favor when they decided to freeze gas mileage standards. But automakers aren’t so sure. To
March 8, 2019
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(US Department of Agriculture) The federal Biomass Research and Development (BR&D) Board today unveiled a multi-agency strategy to accelerate innovative technologies that harness the nation’s biomass resources for affordable biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. The Bioeconomy Initiative: Implementation Framework was developed by the B&RD Board – an interagency collaborative which is co-chaired by the
March 5, 2019
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(U.S. House Committee on Transportation) Today, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) announced the Full Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Examining How Federal Infrastructure Policy Could Help Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change.” The hearing will examine the role the transportation sector plays in
February 21, 2019
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by Ryan Beene (Bloomberg) Trump administration seeking to roll back Obama-era standards; Cars are a flashpoint in tension between Trump, California — Talks between California and federal officials on vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards have broken down without a deal, three people familiar with the matter said. The Environmental Protection Agency and
February 20, 2019
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by Doug Sombke (South Dakota Farmers Union and Farmers Union Enterprise/Biofuels Digest) … The reality is that the RFS is going backwards, we have effectively capped the use of corn ethanol in the United States, and the EPA continues to play lip service to the President they work for and the public
February 13, 2019
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by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) For the National Association of Convenience Stores, selling E15 is a matter of giving consumers plenty of fuel options. “We like the optionality of being able to have lots legal choices and really sell what the consumer wants to buy,” said Paige Anderson, NACS’s director
February 7, 2019
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by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, earlier this week the National Transportation Safety Board announced its 2019–2020 Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements. The Most Wanted List (MWL) was developed from safety recommendations that we’ve issued but that haven’t been acted on acceptably. The NTSB’s investigations have shown that moving
February 7, 2019
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(Office of Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA 6th)) Today (February 5, 2019), Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) led 19 of her House Energy & Commerce Committee colleagues in introducing the Clean and Efficient Cars Act of 2019, which would preserve fuel economy and vehicle emissions standards that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save
February 6, 2019
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by Andy Foster (Capital Press/Aemetis Inc.) … With the election behind us and new leadership in the House, it’s time to take another look at the IPCC warnings and examine bipartisan solutions that Congress can work toward — immediately. High on the list are biofuels, which offer low-cost energy without
February 6, 2019
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by Ryan Beene, Jennifer A Dlouhy, and David R Baker (Bloomberg) Wheeler, Nichols signal little progress on auto MPG agreement; State shouldn’t have authority on C02 emissions, Wheeler says — U.S. and California officials agreed Monday on one thing about auto emissions standards: they’re still miles from an agreement, with a crucial deadline
February 5, 2019
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(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) CAAFI community is making great strides in the deployment of sustainable alternative jet fuel. The event included presentations and discussions of results from a number of key events from this year, including outcomes from International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) meetings
January 29, 2019
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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
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by Steven Higashide (TransitCenter/The Hill) … Missing from these efforts, however, is a whole-hearted stab at cleaning up transportation, the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. To do that requires efforts to reduce driving, which would mean reversing the current course of federal policy. … Bigger roads haven’t solved congestion; they’ve just allowed
January 16, 2019
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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
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(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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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(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
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by Chris Bliley (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … Automakers are responding by making smaller, higher-compression engines that demand higher octane. Improved engines are the first step toward achieving mid-level ethanol blends such as E25 and E30. … E30 would improve fuel economy standards, reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other harmful
October 24, 2018
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(Office of Senator Dianne Feinstein) Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today was joined by 22 senators in calling on the Trump administration to end its challenge of California’s authority to set vehicle emission standards. The senators represent states that follow California’s standards. “The changes you have proposed to this carefully negotiated program are
October 24, 2018
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao was also at the White House Tuesday, where she suggested that Democrats in the House want to link a carbon tax to an infrastructure bill being developed, Pro Transportation’s Sam Mintz reports . When it comes to infrastructure, “there are
October 24, 2018
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(GreenAir Online) With just three months to go before all airlines with international flights must start monitoring their carbon emissions, ICAO’s CORSIA carbon offsetting scheme was centre stage at this year’s Global Sustainable Aviation Summit (GSAS) in Geneva organised by the industry’s Air Transport Action Group (ATAG). Marking 10 years since
October 12, 2018
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by Doug Durante and Doug Sombke (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/South Dakota Farmers Union/Biofuels Digest) … However, we may have a unique and perhaps unprecedented opportunity for a do-over with the proposed fuel economy rule. While we take no position on exactly what the mileage standards should be, whatever they are we can
October 11, 2018
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by Betsy Lillian (NGT Journal) A number of fleets across the country have received grants for alternative fueling as part of a funding round from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The FTA is awarding $366.2 million in grants to improve the safety and reliability of America’s bus systems and enhance
October 6, 2018
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by Darius Dixon (Politico’s Morning Energy) The California Air Resources Board on Friday approved a rule warning automakers that they will have to meet the current greenhouse gas emissions standards in California and its allied states, even after the Trump administration rolls back the federal rules. The so-called “deemed to
October 1, 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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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 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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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 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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(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 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 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 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) Before renewable jet fuel production comes renewable jet fuel certification. What is involved? FAA and CAAFI stalwart Mark Rumizen presented on the process, the steps, the milestones and more at ABLC 2018 in Washington DC. READ MORE
July 17, 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 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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(U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Commission) This report summarizes work performed by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI®) and funded by the Federal Railroad Administration, to support the American railroad industry in assessing the durability of several locomotive engine components under various blends of biodiesel from 5 percent biodiesel (B5)
June 30, 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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by Abby Smith (Bloomberg) Lawsuits seek to force consideration of prior data in fuel economy proposal; Automakers expect fuller analysis, data to back up agencies’ proposed options — Lawsuits over the EPA’s April fuel economy determination are more than just a preemptive strike, challengers say: They’re an effort to force the agency to
May 24, 2018
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) While the numbers are still making their way through the regulatory process, sources tell Pro’s Eric Wolff, refiners can expect to blend 500 million more gallons of advanced biofuels next year into the nation’s fuel supply than they do currently. Under the proposed rule
May 23, 2018
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by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Trump Administration is taking a new look at Obama Administration era Co2 regulations. On the transportation side, these include reviewing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards; threatening to take away California’s authority to set their own mileage and pollution controls, including CO2 (carbon dioxide)
by David Shepardson (Reuters) The Trump administration is moving ahead with plans to submit a series of options for softening fuel efficiency standards to the White House for approval in the coming week, two officials briefed on the matter Tuesday said. The U.S. Transportation Department has drafted a proposal likely to be
May 16, 2018
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by Camille von Kaenel (E&E News) … The Trump administration’s efforts to weaken vehicle pollution requirements could set up a split U.S. market, concentrating fuel-efficient cars in mostly Democratic states and gas guzzlers in the red states. President Trump’s plans could drastically skew how much consumers pay for the same cars,
May 4, 2018
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by David Shepardson (Reuters) The White House is planning a meeting next week between President Donald Trump and senior leaders of major U.S. and foreign automakers to discuss planned fuel efficiency rule changes through 2026, automakers and administration officials said on Wednesday. The meeting, expected on May 11 with chief executives
May 3, 2018
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Trump administration plans to argue that California does not have the authority to enforce stringent greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars, despite the Obama administration’s 2009 waiver, according to a source familiar with a forthcoming proposed regulation. The draft, which is a National Highway Traffic
April 30, 2018
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by Evan Halper (Los Angeles Times) The Trump administration is embracing a curious — and some would say dated — argument as it builds its case to weaken federal rules championed by California that require cars and SUVs to average 55 miles per gallon by 2025. It is warning that
April 20, 2018
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by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) today encouraged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to strongly consider the role of high-octane fuels and higher compression ratio engines as the agencies embark on a new rulemaking to establish revised fuel
April 2, 2018
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by Eric Kulisch (Auto News) Move applauded by auto industry, denounced by other businesses — EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on Monday announced that aggressive light-vehicle fuel efficiency and emissions limits set under the Obama administration for model years 2022-25 are “not appropriate,” triggering a controversial new rulemaking process to adjust the standards and
April 2, 2018
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by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) At a recent American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers meeting, General Motors executive Dan Nicholson voiced the automaker’s support in raising the minimum octane rating of the U.S. gasoline pool from 87 to 91, or what is currently marketed as premium. Not only would
March 30, 2018
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(U.S. Department of Transportation) NHTSA is publishing in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking titled, “Civil Penalties,” which proposes to keep the penalty rate for violations of the agency’s CAFE program as they currently stand and not adjust them for inflation. This proposed rule follows NHTSA’s July 7, 2017, request for
March 30, 2018
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by Graham Noyes and Doug Durante (Low Carbon Fuels Coalition/Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Biofuels Digest) … While not as entertaining to watch as a Godzilla film with a three-headed flying monster, the current regulatory struggle over national auto standards between the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
March 14, 2018
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Groups representing auto parts makers and pollution control manufacturers will team up today for a new “informal alliance” to push for EPA and the Transportation Department to decide sooner rather than later about vehicle emissions standards through the 2020s. Chris Miller, executive director of the Advanced
March 2, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week marks the 10th anniversary of the first demo flight on biofuel which was done by Virgin Atlantic. LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren shared the factoid that, since that day, more than 100,000 commercial flights have used low carbon fuels. “This is especially amazing since in 2006
February 27, 2018
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by Abby Smith (Bloomberg Environment) Automakers seek consistency in EPA, NHTSA programs as agencies weigh standards’ future; Environmentalists say push is meant to soften vehicle limits — Automakers may already get what they want this spring as the Trump administration eyes lower fuel economy targets—but the industry is also seeking smaller, technical
(GreenAir Online) Engine manufacturer GE Aviation has started jet engine combustor testing using unblended renewable alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) fuel produced by Gevo. The testing is part of the FAA’s Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise Program (CLEEN) and is specifically designed to enable greater displacement of petroleum-based jet fuel by bio-based alternative products.
February 5, 2018
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by Mark Chediak, Dana Hull and John Lippert (Bloomberg) Official sees ‘war’ if state’s rule-setting rights revoked; Air Resources Board planning zero-emissions bus proposal — … The state has special authority under the 1970 Clean Air Act to make its own pollution and greenhouse-gas rules. Allies of President Donald Trump have said
February 5, 2018
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(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) CAAFI announced today (January 16, 2018) that it is expanding its Administrative Leadership Team, naming Chris Tindal as CAAFI’s Assistant Director, a new role designed to enhance CAAFI’s outreach, catalyzation, and execution efforts. “I am extremely pleased that Chris Tindal has come onboard in this new
January 19, 2018
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by David Shepardson (Reuters) California and the Trump administration will hold a series of new talks over fuel efficiency rules as the auto industry still hopes for a deal to retain nationwide requirements. Officials from the California Air Resources Board are set to meet in Washington this month for another round
January 17, 2018
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by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) has taken stock of its busy 2017 and has set priorities for 2018. Highlights on the sustainable alternative jet fuel (SAJF) front include development of many resources available to the public on the CAAFI website. Progress on
January 12, 2018
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by David Shepardson (Reuters) Senior U.S. government officials held talks in recent weeks with California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) to discuss the goal of maintaining one set of national requirements for automakers, a move that will determine the fate of vehicle emissions rules. … Automakers want the White House and California
January 12, 2018
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week we’ve received news from three companies that have struck out in search of new markets for their fundamental processes, and new applications for biotechnology in some ancient and ossified markets such as jet fuel, C3 chemicals and gasoline. The News from Global Bioenergies In
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) To cut petroleum usage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, fuel efficiency standards are set to rise significantly by 2025 under the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas (GHG) standards—jointly administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and EPA. However, the automotive marketplace
December 15, 2017
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by Jessie Stolark (Enviromental and Energy Study Institute) On December 12, the House Energy & Commerce Committee held a hearing, “Update on the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Program (CAFE) and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Motor Vehicles.” At the heart of the debate is whether or not U.S. automakers can meet
December 15, 2017
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Today’s the Day: Comments Are Due
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Comments are due today on the Trump administration’s proposal to freeze Obama-era fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks. California remains front and center in the fight against the joint EPA-National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposal, vowing to fight the administration over its plan