by Waylon Brown (Iowa State Senator/The Courier) … While I recognize that Iowans have differing opinions on policies aimed at improving environmental outcomes, the economic opportunity associated with carbon capture projects is undeniable. These investments will capture carbon dioxide from ethanol plants before it’s emitted into the atmosphere, creating a
Transportation
by James Murray (Business Green) Transport Secretary Mark Harper to co-chair Sustainable Aviation Fuels Investment Summit in Detroit — The UK’s Transport Secretary Mark Harper has travelled to the US this week for a series of meetings designed to boost co-operation between the two countries in support of the nascent sustainable
May 16, 2023
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(National Business Aviation Association) The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) joined with more than 35 aviation and biofuel industry stakeholders in calling for leaders of the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees to prioritize funding in the fiscal year 2024 federal budget for key federal programs working to accelerate the
May 16, 2023
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CO2 Safety Public Meeting 2023 — May 31-June 1, 2023 —Des Moines, IA and ONLINE Public Comments Open
(Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration) The purpose of the two-day CO2 Public Meeting is to inform rulemaking decisions, by discussing key topics such as public awareness, emergency response and effective communication with emergency responders and the public, dispersion modeling, safety measures to address other constituents besides CO2 in CO2
April 28, 2023
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(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association is proud to announce its new and improved Ethanol Emergency Response website, showcasing a cleaner, user-friendly resource where emergency responders can easily access the various types of training resources offered. The new website was created under a grant received from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s
April 21, 2023
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by Tom Snow (General Aviation News) Unleaded 100-octane aviation fuel should be available at three California airports as early as this summer, according to officials with General Aviation Modifications Inc. (GAMI). In an hour-long, standing-room-only forum at the 2023 SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo presented by GAMI’s George Braly, he noted that — if
April 20, 2023
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by Jeffrey Tomich, Carlos Anchondo, Mike Soraghan (E&E News Energywire) Companies planning carbon capture projects in the Midwest are defeating legislative proposals to add regulations or block them, increasing the likelihood that a sprawling network of planned pipelines to transport the greenhouse gas will move ahead. The pipeline proposals, which envision
April 13, 2023
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by Alex Guillén (Politico Pro) DOE’s plan comes just days before EPA is expected to propose significantly reducing the greenhouse gas emissions standards for model year 2027 vehicles. The Energy Department on Monday proposed lowering the calculation used to determine the equivalent fuel economy of electric vehicles by more than 70 percent.
April 11, 2023
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by Brian Dabbs (E&E News Energywire) The Inflation Reduction Act is setting up a fight over the climate footprint of biofuels for aviation, with significant implications for the nation’s emissions trajectory, the U.S. transportation sector and rural communities. In coming weeks, the Treasury Department will unveil a new sustainable aviation fuel
April 5, 2023
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by Jeff Wilson (Frederick News Post) … We need to promote (but not require) wider use of EVs, but we must not rely on just one approach to address emissions caused by transportation. Just as we are encouraged to diversify our financial investments, we must do the same with our
April 3, 2023
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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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(Utah Clean Cities) … The Biden-Harris administration opened applications for the first round of funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program. The multi-billion-dollar program will fund electric vehicle (EV) charging and alternative-fueling infrastructure in communities across the country and along designated highways, interstates, and
March 16, 2023
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(Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Newswise) Johns Hopkins University has been selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation to lead a new University Transportation Center focused on solutions aimed at preserving the environment. The transportation sector is currently the largest contributor to climate change in the U.S. The Johns Hopkins-based
March 13, 2023
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by Jeremy Dillon (E&E News/Politico Pro) Lawmakers on a House panel found some consensus Wednesday on the operation and safety of carbon dioxide pipelines, as Congress seeks to reauthorize the agency responsible for the nation’s pipeline network. The bipartisan interest at a Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee hearing comes as backers of
March 9, 2023
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by Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton (B&C Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog) On February 16, 2023, Representative Randy Feenstra (R-IA) introduced a legislative package that includes bills regarding researching the potential of biofuels to power jet engines and developing a commercially viable fuel cell system for cars and trucks
March 6, 2023
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by Mike Soraghan (E&E News Energywire) A complicated question is looming in the Midwest over plans to build thousands of miles of carbon dioxide pipelines: Who would regulate them? The answer could affect the Biden administration’s hopes for a massive buildup of carbon sequestration projects, which would in many cases be
March 3, 2023
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(U.S. Departments of Energy, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency) This Blueprint offers a whole-of-government approach to transform the transportation sector and sets forth an interagency call to action to coordinate and work effectively together. Achieving our goals will require close cooperation with industry, local, regional,
February 28, 2023
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, in February reintroduced three bills that aim to support the U.S. biofuels industry by comparing the costs of electric vehicle (EVs) and flex fuel vehicle (FFVs) fleets, supporting research and development for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and supporting the development of
February 23, 2023
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(White House) Since President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, his Administration has hit the ground running to deliver investments that change people’s lives for the better and get America moving again. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to making funding opportunities accessible and transparent, so communities across America know what
February 21, 2023
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(Global Bioenergies) Global Bioenergies has the perspective to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (“SAF”) through its bio-isobutene technology, and has worked these last years on the ASTM international certification procedure. The balloting process, a key step for such certification, is now scheduled. How it works: Air transportation industry requires the fuel it
February 16, 2023
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(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) · SAF and the ICAO LTAG Report on Future Trends in International Aviation CO2 Emissions Dr. James Hileman and Dr. Anna Oldani (FAA) READ MORE
February 15, 2023
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(Federal Transit Association) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): Solicitation of Project Proposals for the 5339(c) Low or No Emission Grant Program and 5339(b) Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for $1,221,350,117 in competitive grants under the Low or No
January 31, 2023
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by Andrew Black (Liquid Energy Pipeline Association/Agri-Pulse) Based on the current comprehensive regulatory framework in place and proven track record of safe CO2 pipeline operations across the nation, it is clear that pipelines, such as the Heartland Greenway, provide a safe means of transporting CO2 and should be approved. Federal law and regulation
January 31, 2023
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(U.S. Department of Transportation) The Department of Transportation (DOT) is preparing to execute a new grant program specified in the Inflation Reduction Act Section 40007. This Act gives the DOT $297M for new grants to advance sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and low emissions aviation technologies to reduce emissions from aviation
January 24, 2023
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(U.S. Department of Transportation) Landmark Blueprint Will Advance the President’s Clean Transportation Agenda, Slashing Consumer Costs, Improving Public Health, and Increasing the Nation’s Energy Security — The Biden-Harris Administration today released the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization. Developed by the Departments of Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental
January 10, 2023
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Join representatives from the departments of Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as key transportation industry leaders, for a discussion on the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization. Moderated by DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Berube, the panel will feature U.S. Deputy Energy
January 4, 2023
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(LanzaJet/PR Newswire) Soperton, GA Facility will be First Ethanol Alcohol-to-Jet Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production Facility in the World — LanzaJet, a leading sustainable fuels technology company and sustainable fuels producer, today joined government officials, industry leaders, and investors to celebrate a major constructiond milestone at the LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels facility
December 14, 2022
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by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) Opponents of three carbon capture pipelines proposed in Iowa and surrounding states want federal regulators to call for a moratorium on construction, saying current safeguards are inadequate to protect people who live near the projects. About three dozen environmental, public health and tribal groups on Monday
November 30, 2022
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The Department of Transportation (DOT) is preparing to execute a new grant program specified in the Inflation Reduction Act Section 40007. This Act gives the DOT $297M for new grants to advance sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and low emissions aviation technologies to reduce emissions from aviation and aid in addressing
November 23, 2022
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(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) Meeting Purpose: The Department of Transportation (DOT) is preparing to execute a new grant program specified in the Inflation Reduction Act Section 40007. This Act gives the DOT $297M for new grants to advance sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and low emissions aviation technologies to reduce
November 16, 2022
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“This (the Biden Administration’s EPA and DOT regulatory efforts to mandate transition to electric vehicles) completely inverts the statutory system, transforming it into a tool for forcing electrification rather than the technology-neutral, performance-based system Congress created.” — Heritage Foundation’s Derrick Morgan in The Washington Examiner. READ MORE
November 1, 2022
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by Andrew Careaga (Missouri University of Science and Technology) The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently awarded a $2.05 million grant to a Missouri S&T researcher to study how different types of sustainable aviation fuels could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes. Dr. Philip Whitefield, Curators’ Distinguished Professor emeritus of chemistry
October 31, 2022
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(Federal Aviation Administration) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued more than $16 million in grants to 14 universities across the country for research to reduce aviation emissions and noise. The university teams are members of the Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT), part of the FAA’s Air Transportation Center
October 13, 2022
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by Ty Rushing (Iowa Starting Line) Over the last few months, the Starting Line team has noticed an interesting trend in Iowa social media: Stories about electric vehicles drive huge engagement and draw intense debate among supporters and detractors, mostly on Facebook. And while wild comment threads on Facebook stories is
October 6, 2022
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(Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore/Biobased Diesel Daily) Singapore’s Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) on sustainable aviation with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration to advance sustainable aviation efforts in Singapore and the United States. The MOC
October 4, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Energy) The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge is the result of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal government agencies working together to develop a comprehensive strategy for scaling up new technologies to produce SAF
September 23, 2022
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(American Journal of Transportation) Advanced Diesel Technology and Renewable Biofuels Deliver Important Near-term Carbon Reductions Now — As leaders come together in New York during Climate Week NYC all decarbonization options for transport must be considered, given the magnitude of the challenge and the great diversity of global economies, energy systems,
September 21, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Energy) New Commitment Will Advance Clean Transportation Investments within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, Establish Blueprint for Decarbonizing Transportation in the U.S. — The Biden Administration today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among four federal agencies to accelerate the nation’s affordable and equitable
September 19, 2022
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(Montgomery County Update) The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has won a competitive grant award of nearly $15 million from the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the purchase of 13 new hydrogen fuel cell buses and the construction of a green hydrogen fueling site
August 24, 2022
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(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative ) There’s more attention on SAF now than ever before. There’s also a lot going on in the SAF space from near-term commercialization, policy pushes, feedstock development, pathway approvals, airline, airport and business aviation engagement, etc. A major focus is the U.S. SAF Grand Challenge
August 12, 2022
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(Federal Highway Administration) Today, to advance President Biden’s commitment to combat climate change and bring down costs for families, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for states and municipalities to track and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure
July 13, 2022
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by Sumit Singh (Simple Flying) The US aviation scene is serious about sustainability. — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions industry-wide by 2050. With this in mind, the authority revealed its Aviation Climate Action Plan late last year. The group’s management this
May 13, 2022
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by Emily Pontecorvo (Grist) Companies want to build pipelines to capture and store carbon, but a new report warns that regulators aren’t prepared. — … But as the number of pipeline proposals multiplies, a new report commissioned by the Pipeline Safety Trust, a nonprofit advocacy group, warns that CO2 pipeline regulations aren’t
May 6, 2022
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(Federal Aviation Administration) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. airports have launched an Airport Climate Challenge to help achieve the Biden-Harris Administration goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Airports can take advantage of several FAA funding programs to meet this goal, including grants for low- or zero-emissions
April 29, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Transportation) Key program will fund projects that help fight climate change and save Americans money on gas — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration today announced a new program that unlocks $6.4 billion in formula funding for states and localities over five years. The new Carbon
April 25, 2022
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by Zack Budryk (The Hill) The Federal Highway Administration will put more than $6 billion toward state carbon reduction efforts, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Wednesday. The Carbon Reduction Program (CRP), funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law, will go toward local and state projects aimed at reducing on-road highway-based carbon dioxide emissions. These
April 22, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Transportation) Standards to require fleet average of 49 mpg by 2026, save consumers money, and advance U.S. energy independence — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today announced new, landmark fuel economy standards which follow President Biden’s executive order to drive American leadership forward
April 1, 2022
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by Alex Guillén (Politico) The Biden administration has issued a final rule applying a major hike in penalties for automakers who fall short of fuel economy standards back through model year 2019 vehicles. The decision is expected to lead to hundreds of millions in additional annual penalties, though environmentalists argue it will also
March 28, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Transportation/NGV Journal) President Biden and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded $409.3 million in grants to 70 projects in 39 states to modernize U.S. buses, make bus systems and routes more reliable, and improve their safety. The grants support modernizing and improving the most
March 21, 2022
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by Anne C. Mulkern (E&E News) EPA today officially restored California’s ability to set its own rules for vehicle tailpipe emissions and to require automakers to sell an increasing number of clean cars. The Biden administration granted the nation’s most populous state a waiver under the Clean Air Act, allowing California
March 10, 2022
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by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) Lawmakers in both parties and chambers hope to reduce heavy trucking emissions, and they view hydrogen as just the ticket to make that happen. Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), as well as Reps. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), are introducing the Hydrogen for Trucks Act today in a
March 10, 2022
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The Federal Aviation Administration is accepting applications for up to $1 billion in funding offered through the newly established Airport Terminal Program. Projects that support terminal development related to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) are among those eligible to apply for the program. The FAA issued a
March 10, 2022
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by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Pictures worth 1000 words show the prices on March 1 at a Sheetz in Virginia. Compare the E10 Regular to E15 Unleaded 88 and E85 FlexFuel. Compare those to the price of E0 — no ethanol gasoline. The message is clear. Higher ethanol blends
March 2, 2022
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by Arianna Skibell (E&E News) The Biden administration is preparing to reinstate California’s authority to set auto emissions rules that are more stringent than federal standards, taking a major step toward cutting transportation-related climate pollution and continuing to chip away at former President Trump’s environmental rollbacks. The waiver, granted decades ago
February 16, 2022
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by Jeff Overton (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) During transportation day at COPO26, the focus for the aviation sector was setting targets and commitments for aviation emissions reduction, as well as the announcement of plans and strategies for lowering aviation’s climate impact. This final article in our series on sustainable aviation fuel
February 14, 2022
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by Jeff Overton (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) … The Biden-Harris Administration and Congress are focusing on expanding the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through multi-agency coordination to reduce climate emissions from aviation…. … On September 9, 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration unveiled the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge (the Grand Challenge)
February 14, 2022
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by Mark Phelps (AvWeb) In a long-anticipated move, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today (Jan. 12) that it “will take the necessary steps to regulate lead pollution from aircrafts (sic).” Those steps start with proposing an “endangerment finding” on leaded aviation gasoline, expected by the end of this year. Finalizing
January 13, 2022
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(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) empowers energy companies and aviation stakeholders by supporting advances in research, development, and demonstration to overcome barriers for widespread deployment of low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). SAF made from renewable biomass and waste resources have the potential to deliver the performance of
December 29, 2021
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by David Shepardson (Reuters) The Biden administration on Tuesday finalized a reversal of a rule issued under then-U.S. President Donald Trump that sought to pre-empt California’s vehicle emissions regulations. The Department of Transportation said it was issuing final rules rescinding the Trump action, which sought to bar the most populous state
December 23, 2021
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by Leslie Josephs (CNBC) -Sustainable aviation fuel accounts for much less than 1% of global aviation fuel. -The FAA is giving research grants in effect to help drive down the high cost of greener sustainable fuel. -Airlines, trade groups and governments are striving to meet ambitious targets to reduce aviation
December 11, 2021
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(U.S. Department of Energy) The first United Airlines passenger flight to fly using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will depart today from Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 1 p.m. ET and will arrive at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at 4 p.m. ET. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)
December 1, 2021
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by Christopher Surgenor (GreenAir Online) Whether COP26 is ultimately judged a success or failure, a number of notable outcomes for the aviation sector emerged that could accelerate momentum and encourage progress towards its net zero emissions by mid-century ambition. One important achievement was resolving differences and uncertainties over Article 6
November 30, 2021
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(Bell Textron Inc./Biomass Magazine) Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, announced on Nov. 16 the Bell 525 Relentless completed its first flight using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in summer 2021. Bell first incorporated SAF in its training and demonstration fleet in March 2021. “The Bell 525 continues to demonstrate unprecedented
November 24, 2021
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by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Investment, Climate smart agriculture. Incentives. Markets. These are words heard repeatedly at the opening sessions of the Alternative Fuels and Chemicals Coalition Global Biobased Economy Conference & Exhibit this week near Washington, DC. The first day of the conference was the US Department of
November 15, 2021
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Increasing the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) is one component of the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan unveiled on Nov. 9 by U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at the UN Climate Change Conference. The U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan sets a goal to
November 11, 2021
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by Keith Laing (Bloomberg/Financial Post) President Joe Biden’s administration is targeting one of the tougher sources of climate-warming greenhouse gases with a plan that calls for the U.S. aviation sector to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Aviation has been more challenging to decarbonize than automobiles, which can essentially run on batteries,
November 10, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) With the recent announcement of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge, the U.S. Department of Energy’s BETO shared this slide guide on their sustainable aviation fuel strategy, featuring BETO Director, Dr. Valerie Sarisky-Reed, and Zia Haq, BETO Senior Analyst. From types of SAF feedstocks to
October 21, 2021
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(Southwest Airlines) Airline plans to reduce carbon emissions intensity by at least 20 percent by 2030 and maintain carbon neutral growth every year through the end of the decade — Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today (October 18, 2021) announced a series of near-term goals, actions, and initiatives in support of
October 20, 2021
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by David Shepardson and Allison Lampert (Reuters) U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration should exceed global standards designed to curb emissions from flights, as pressure mounts to limit the sector’s greenhouse gases, five states told the White House in a letter seen by Reuters. Major plane and engine makers joined airlines this week in
October 6, 2021
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by Christina Nunez (Argonne National Laboratory) Swapping heavy fuel oil with fuel made from wood waste, waste fats, oils and greases could drastically cut planet-warming emissions from the shipping industry by 40 to 93%. — Marine shipping traffic has grown steadily over the past decade — and so have the
October 4, 2021
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(JetBlue) — JetBlue to Outpace Industry in SAF Usage Based on Percentage of Total Fuel (a), Doubling Its Prior Commitment with SG Preston and On Pace to Achieve 10 Percent SAF Usage Years Ahead of Its Original Target — Sustainability Commitment Goes Beyond Jet Fuel with Conversion of Airport Ground Vehicles
September 30, 2021
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(Honeywell/PR Newswire) – Wood’s hydrogen plant technology coupled with Honeywell UOP EcofiningTM process technology and carbon capture and storage can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions 100% when compared to petroleum-based aviation fuels – Widespread use of Honeywell and Wood technologies have potential to remove the equivalent of 34 million metric tons
September 24, 2021
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by Laís Forti Thomaz and Cacia Pimentel (Estadão) O que a nova iniciativa dos Estados Unidos e a Organização Internacional da Aviação Civil (ICAO) podem representar para o Brasil? O governo dos Estados Unidos realizou uma reunião com integrantes de toda a cadeia produtiva do setor de combustíveis de aviação para
September 20, 2021
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(Federal Aviation Administration) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded more than $100 million for companies to help develop technologies that reduce fuel use, emissions and noise. The award is part of a series of steps President Biden is taking to coordinate leadership and innovation across the
September 13, 2021
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(U.S. Department of Energy) Projects align with administration’s new goal of decarbonizing the aviation sector by 2050 – – As part of a White House roundtable to launch the Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Grand Challenge to decarbonize the aviation sector by 2050, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $64.7 million in funding for projects focused on producing cost-effective, low-carbon biofuels. These investments will advance technologies to create replacements for petroleum fuels used in heavy-duty forms of transportation, like airplanes and
September 10, 2021
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(White House) New Actions Aim to Produce Three Billion Gallons of Sustainable Fuel, Reduce Aviation Emissions by 20% by 2030, and Grow Good-Paying, Union Jobs — Today (September 9, 2021), President Biden is taking steps to coordinate leadership and innovation across the federal government, aircraft manufacturers, airlines, fuel producers, airports, and
September 10, 2021
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(Argonne National Laboratory/Tech Xplore) Marine shipping traffic has grown steadily over the past decade—and so have the associated greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon emissions from ships grew almost 10% between 2012 and 2018, and the industry is a large consumer of petroleum fuel. Substituting biofuel could reduce the amount of greenhouse
September 6, 2021
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(Growth Energy) Today, Growth Energy’s Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley testified before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during its hearing on the proposed rulemaking, Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards. Earlier this month, the EPA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed greenhouse
August 25, 2021
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by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Biden administration is considering applying higher fines to car makers who missed fuel economy targets for model years 2019 to 2021, potentially reversing one of Trump’s midnight regulations. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration increased the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) penalties from
August 19, 2021
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by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is behind schedule in reviewing the Trump administration’s delay of a congressionally mandated increase in the penalties for missing fuel efficiency targets under the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, program. (Reg. 2127-AM32) “Review of the interim final
August 9, 2021
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) President Biden on Aug. 5 signed an executive order that sets a target to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles. Representatives of the ethanol industry, however, say biofuels can make meaningful greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions now. … Zero-emissions vehicles
August 6, 2021
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Aug. 5 released a proposed rule to set light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards through 2026. Despite calls from government officials and industry trade groups, the rule does not address biofuels or a high-octane standard. The proposed rule aims to
August 6, 2021
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(Renewable Fuels Association) President Biden today announced a plan to greatly expand the production of clean cars and trucks, including a goal for electric vehicles to comprise 50% of new vehicle sales by 2030. The following is a statement from Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper: “We agree with the Biden
August 5, 2021
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by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) The president will sign an executive order to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 “zero-emission” vehicles, including battery, fuel-cell and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The executive order also will set new long-term fuel-efficiency and emission standards “to save consumers money, cut pollution,
August 5, 2021
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by Ben Foldy and Katy Stech Ferek (Wall Street Journal) General Motors, Ford and Stellantis executives with union leaders are expected to join President Biden in announcing voluntary targets — Auto makers including General Motors Co. , Ford Motor Co. and Jeep maker Stellantis NV will aim to make electric
August 5, 2021
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by Juliet Eilperin and Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) When it comes to meeting President Biden’s climate goals, the math is clear: Half of all cars and SUVs sold in 2030 need to be electric. Next week, the president, major carmakers and the nation’s largest auto union plan to promise to
July 29, 2021
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by Josh Siegel (Washington Examiner’s Daily on Energy) Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stressed the importance of strict fuel economy standards to clean up the transportation sector because, even as the U.S. shifts to more electric vehicles, gas-powered cars will still be on the roads for some time. “No matter how good we get
July 12, 2021
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by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) EPA and the Transportation Department soon will propose a rule boosting federal tailpipe standards almost to Obama-era levels, with an eye toward more aggressive requirements later this decade to goose electric vehicle sales, the New York Times reports, citing unnamed sources. The proposal, anticipated
July 2, 2021
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by Dan Williams (FAA Office of Environment and Energy (AEE)) Introduction to CORSIA; U.S. CORSIA Policy and FAA CORSIA MRV Program; Implementation of CORSIA: Progress since 2018; Resources READ MORE WATCH RECORDING Click here for more CAAFI webinars, meeting presentations and presentation recordings.
June 8, 2021
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by Matthew Daly (Associated Press) Officials from California, New York and other states urged the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday to allow California to set its own automobile tailpipe pollution standards, an action that would reverse a Trump administration policy and could help usher in stricter emissions standards for new passenger
June 3, 2021
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by Matthew Mercure (NGT News) U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, and Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., have introduced the Green Transportation Act. The legislation directs cities and states to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation sector. The sector represents the single largest source of carbon pollution in the U.S., which makes tracking
May 18, 2021
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(CaymanMamaNews/Globe Newswire/National Renewable Energy Laboratory) A global effort to reduce sulfur and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships has researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and other Department of Energy facilities investigating the potential use of marine biofuels. “Biofuels turned out to be very good options because they
May 17, 2021
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by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) The EPA on Monday said it will reassess the Trump-era rule preventing California from setting stricter car pollution standards than the federal government after a similar move last week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If California is free to set its own
April 27, 2021
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by Rachel Frazin (The Hill) … The Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed a withdrawal of its part of a Trump-era rule that preempted states from setting their own standards. Early next week, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to take action on its piece of the issue:
April 23, 2021
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by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) EPA’s technical experts were largely shut out of the rulemaking process when the Trump administration rolled back tailpipe greenhouse gas standards, according to a report by the agency’s internal watchdog. OIG’s review could help the Biden administration in reversing the Trump-era move and bolstering
April 21, 2021
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by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York has sided with the Biden administration in a lovers’ quarrel with green groups, blue states and Tesla over the Trump administration’s delay of a fuel economy penalty increase. A late-Trump rule (Reg.
April 7, 2021
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(National Business Aviation Association/Biobased Diesel Daily) On March 30, the National Business Aviation Association recognized a bipartisan congressional request to the Government Accountability Office for a study exploring effective policy measures to expand awareness, availability and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). “This study offers an opportunity to answer the industry’s
April 6, 2021
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by Sebastian Blanco (Car and Driver) While not targeting gas-powered cars for extinction, the plan intends to bring electric cars fully into the mainstream by spending $174 billion to promote EVs and build charging stations. — … There are a lot of things packed into President Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal,
April 5, 2021
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by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) Despite procedural objections from states and environmentalists, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday granted the Biden administration’s request to pause litigation over federal auto emissions and fuel economy standards. That will give the agencies time to rewrite the SAFE Vehicles rule that
April 5, 2021
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Legislation introduced by the 32 democratic members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 11 could provide federal funding to support the development of alternative fuel infrastructure and expanded use of alternative fuel vehicles. The bill, titled the Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s America
March 26, 2021
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(Biogy/PR Newswire) Byogy Renewables Inc., the original architect of the “Alcohol to Jet” (ATJ) process for the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), has built, and is now commissioning, one of the world’s largest ATJ demonstration facilities converting cellulosic bioethanol into full replacement Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel in Japan.
March 24, 2021
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(Consumer Reports) The Biden-Harris Administration has committed to getting the U.S. on a path to a low-carbon economy by 2050, bringing back the Obama-Biden vehicle standards, and setting new, ambitious ones. Meeting those commitments will require steady progress on gasoline vehicle fuel economy and zero emissions vehicle market share. Consumer Reports
March 23, 2021
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by Iacovos Vasalos (Center for Research and Technology-Hellas/Biofuels Digest) This report summarizes highlights from the ABLC 2020 Biofuels Digest Virtual Conference, which took place in July 7-10, 2020. (And if you haven’t already registered for this year’s ABLC Digital on May 3-7, 2021, check it out now here.) There were almost 100
March 10, 2021
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by David Shepardson and Tracy Rucinski (Reuters) The CEOs of American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines and other airline officials met virtually with White House officials Friday to discuss tackling aviation pollution and urge U.S. support for greener aviation fuel. United Chief Executive Scott Kirby made clear the carrier was
March 1, 2021
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(GreenAir Online) US aircraft and engine manufacturers have called on the new Biden administration to provide sustained government support to help achieve its climate goals. In an open letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson, Climate Envoy John Kerry and National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, the US Aerospace
February 26, 2021
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) A coalition of congressional Democrats on Tuesday wrote to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging him to reinstate a Federal Highway Administration regulation that required state planners to measure and report annual changes in greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles traveling on major interstates and highways. The
February 10, 2021
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(National Farmers Union) An alliance of farm, biofuels, and environmental organizations last night filed an amicus brief in objection to the Safer Affordable Fuel Efficiency Vehicle (SAFE) Rule on the grounds that it both fails to account for toxic pollution from aromatic-laden fuel as well as ignores the important role that ethanol can
January 27, 2021
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA’s Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficiency (SAFE) Vehicles Rule is one of the many federal regulations that are set to be reviewed by the Biden administration, according to an executive order issued Jan. 20. “Our Nation has an abiding commitment to empower our workers and communities; promote and
January 26, 2021
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by Cristina Commendatore (Fleet Owner) President-elect Joe Biden has emphasized the importance of achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2050, and the industry will be paying close attention to environmental initiatives that could impact trucking after the Jan. 20 inauguration. READ MORE California governor proposes $1.5B for clean transportation (FreightWaves)
January 22, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD)’s Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance (META) Program promotes the research, demonstration, and development of emerging technologies, practices, and processes that improve maritime industrial environmental sustainability with a focus on reduction in vessel and port air emissions. One
January 22, 2021
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Who are the key bioeconomy players in the new Biden Administration? What recent moves by the outgoing Trump Administration and Congress will set their budget and regulatory framework for 2021. What will the new Administration do, right away and this year? READ MORE 1. New
January 20, 2021
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that a 150 percent jump in civil penalties for automakers that don’t meet fuel economy requirements won’t take effect until model year 2022, a move that could save manufacturers hundreds of millions of dollars. A panel of
January 13, 2021
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by David Shepardson (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday said it was finalizing the first-ever proposed standards regulating greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes. The EPA said its new requirements for airplanes used in commercial aviation and for large business jets would align the United States with international
December 29, 2020
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by Michelle Lewis (Electrek) Pete Buttigieg, casually known as “Mayor Pete” since he was mayor of South Bend, Indiana, for eight years, was nominated last week by President-elect Joe Biden to be secretary of transportation. Buttigieg reiterated what he wants for the future of electric cars in the US late
December 23, 2020
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The $1.4 trillion spending package includes appropriation for Fiscal Year 2021, the COVID stimulus package, extensions of popular tax credits that otherwise expired on December 31st, and the Energy Act of 2020, a $35B version of a larger energy bill that has been drifting around
December 23, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Enegy) With the selections of New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland for Interior secretary and North Carolina regulator Michael Regan for EPA chief, the Biden administration has rounded out the top brass of its climate team. — … CLIMATE CABINET FILLED: President-elect Joe Biden will tap Rep. Deb
December 18, 2020
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(Our Daily Planet) Yesterday President-elect Joe Biden announced former South Bend mayor and 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg as his nominee for Transportation Secretary. Buttigieg would be one of the youngest cabinet secretaries and the first openly gay person to lead a federal agency. According to the Biden transition, if confirmed, Buttigieg would
December 16, 2020
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by Jeff Overton (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) As the aviation industry recovers from the severe contraction caused by the pandemic, sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) will be essential to help the sector achieve a path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Sustainable “drop-in” fuels, which can be used with existing
December 12, 2020
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by Miranda Green (The New Republic) … California’s pathbreaking climate measures range from a ban on future car combustion engine sales to setting a historic 100 percent clean energy goal by 2045. And in order to implement Joe Biden’s still more ambitious campaign promise to run the country entirely on carbon-free energy by 2035, the transition
December 11, 2020
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by Eva van Mastbergen (Global Bioenergies and SkyNRG/CAAFI) Production Pathway and Fuel Quality; GBE’s technology ferments sugars into isobutene (IBN) and upgrades the IBN into SAF. Raw feedstock for fermentation is sugar. Sugar can be derived from sugar crops (sugar beet, sugar cane) or 2nd generation feedstock such as wood
November 30, 2020
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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
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. Click here for more CAAFI webinars, meeting presentations and presentation recordings.
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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Feds: Carbon Dioxide Pipelines Are Necessary to Reduce Emissions
by Jared Strong (Iowa Capital Dispatch) Up to 60,000 miles of carbon dioxide pipeline must be installed in the United States to help eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, according to a federal engineer. … “Right now we’re kind of in the activation mode,” said Kevin Dooley, a carbon