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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
Transportation
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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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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(GEVO) Testing Being Performed as Part of FAA’s CLEEN Program to Promote the Use of Bio-Based Jet Fuels — Gevo, Inc.(NASDAQ:GEVO), announced today (December 11, 2017) that GE Aviation had commenced jet engine combustor component testing with a jet fuel comprised 100% of Gevo’s renewable alcohol-to-jet fuel (ATJ) . The testing
December 14, 2017
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(UrekAlert!/University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture) Alternative jet fuels could grow opportunities in the southeast — Researchers from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) have received a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to begin a three-year project to perform a multitude of techno-market analyses of U.S. biorefinery supply chains
November 9, 2017
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Renewable Fuels Association has received a $50,000 federal grant to help continue the its ethanol safety training program efforts. The Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training (ALERT) grant, from the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, was awarded to the International Association of
October 18, 2017
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by David Friedman (The Hill/Consumers Union) What if our government rolled back a program that saved consumers over $45 billion on fuel since 2010? What if they did this despite the fact that the industry involved enjoyed record sales and profits at the same time? That wouldn’t make sense, would it?
October 17, 2017
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by Keith Laing (Detroit News) U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, has introduced legislation that would allow automakers to apply credits for gas mileage improvements from model years as far back as 2009 to help comply with emission rules that require them to produce car and truck fleets that average more
October 13, 2017
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and American Coalition for Ethanol have all submitted public comments to U.S. EPA and National Highway Transportation Safety Administration stressing the benefits of high-octane ethanol fuels in response to the EPA and NHTSA’s reconsideration of the Final Determination of
(PR Web) The ABBA Integrated Biorefinery project, to be built at the AVAPCO Thomaston Georgia site, will co-produce bio jet fuel and Bioplus® nanocellulose. It has received a Phase 1, $3.7 million award from the Department of Energy. Negotiations with the Department of Energy (DOE) were completed and Phase 1 of
October 10, 2017
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by Anthony Adragna (Politico’s Morning Energy) Reversing course, DOT told a federal judge in New York in a letter it will publish a regulation requiring states to track emissions from highways and craft reduction goals, Pro’s Alex Guillén reports. Once published, the regulation takes effect immediately. Environmental groups and Democratic attorneys general had sued Federal
September 26, 2017
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by James Ayre (Clean Technica) The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration has announced a new $55 million grant program that will see funding provided to various regional transit organizations for the purchase of low- and no-emissions buses and associated infrastructure. This program — dubbed the “Low or No Emission
September 20, 2017
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Are High Ethanol Blends Going to Be Essential, and Mandatory, for Super High Fuel-Efficient Engines?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Now, war is surely about to break out over E25-E30 blending, now that RFA CEO Bob Dinneen testified in DC in his courtly but adamant manner that a high-octane, low-carbon ethanol blend in optimized engines would be the lowest cost means of achieving compliance with fuel
September 14, 2017
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(Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Growth Energy recently filed comments with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as it prepares an environmental impact statement (EIS) to analyze the potential environmental impacts of new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for model year (MY) 2022-2025 light-duty vehicles. The comments consist largely of study and
August 30, 2017
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(Penn State News) Slowed as much by extremely low oil prices as supply-chain and technological challenges, the effort to integrate biofuels into the nation’s aviation fuel supply is nonetheless progressing, according to a researcher in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Sustainable jet fuel continues to represent an important component of
June 30, 2017
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by Timothy Cama (The Hill) The Trump administration is delaying enforcement of an Obama administration regulation that would have required state and local officials to measure greenhouse gas emissions related to the use of specific highways. The greenhouse gas reporting requirement was part of a regulation establishing new performance measurement
May 19, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we hosted a webinar what is universally agreed to be the single largest new application of advanced industrial biotechnology — this is the Big Kahuna, or sustainable aviation fuel. Sustainability is critical to airlines, and manufacturers are in close collaboration. Alternatives are not abundant: an electric
April 28, 2017
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by Patrick C. Miller (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Is the growth in shale oil production a potential boost for ethanol? The theory goes that because the light crude produced from fracked shale produces lower-octane gasoline, greater oil production from shale will translate into an increased demand for ethanol as an octane booster.
April 24, 2017
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(Vertimass, LLC) One of four advanced biofuels and bioproducts technology companies invited to present — Vertimass LLC is proud to announce that it is one of four companies selected to present at the “Pitch for a Green Future” session at the “Bioeconomy 2017: Domestic Resources for a Vibrant Future” conference
April 20, 2017
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by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters) … But the incident in Iowa underscores the growing risk of another serious accident along with the increasing volume of the biofuel being moved in unit trains that are mile-long with about 100 rail cars – dubbed “rolling pipelines” – to slash freight
March 27, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Good-bye ARPA-E, DOE, Loan Guarantee program, Energy Star, OPIC, USTDA, NEA, and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program. Even Big Bird gets the guillotine. In Washington, the White House released its budget requests for 2018, a high-level, 62-page overview of President Trump’s strategy for “Making
March 20, 2017
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(GreenAir Online) Although sustainable alternative fuels are key to meeting the aviation sector’s long-term emissions goals, supportive government policies are required to bring these fuels to global deployment. This was a central theme of last week’s ICAO Seminar on Alternative Fuels in Montreal that brought together a range of stakeholders
February 24, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … (S)omething less than $200 million has been so far positively and affordably earmarked by lenders to revolutionize the entire supply chain of US air transportation fuels. Which is to say, you can just about get better terms for money from loansharkers to bet on the
February 21, 2017
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(AFP/China Post) The air transportation sector is turning slowly toward sustainable fuels as part of the global fight against climate change. But adoption has been delayed due to a lack of incentives and low oil prices. … Even partially replacing jet fuel with sustainable biofuels can make an impact. That is
February 14, 2017
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by Simon Mui (National Resources Defense Council) The California Air Resources Board (ARB) released a soup-to-nuts review of its Advanced Clean Car (ACC) program today. The 658-page report confirms that the popular program, which establishes smog-forming and carbon pollution limits for new cars and trucks, can be met on time, with
January 20, 2017
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Byogy has developed a catalytic platform that converts any source of ethanol, butanol, mixed alcohols, or related olefins, into full replacement, and cost competitive biofuels including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Byogy’s jet fuel is not an additive, but instead, a full replacement standalone fuel,
December 1, 2016
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Jet R&D: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to the ASCENT Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The ASCENT Center of Excellence at Washington State University is focusing on meeting the environmental and energy goals of the Next Generation Air Transportation System, including reducing noise, improving air quality, reducing climate impacts, and energy efficiency. Also, exploring ways to produce sustainable aviation fuels at commercial scale,
November 6, 2016
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(U.S. Department of Agriculture) … The Obama Administration has pursued a carefully balanced approach, deploying technologies that improve the very best of our existing energy sources, while rigorously implementing policies that invest in the second and third generations of tomorrow’s fuels. … In the last eight years, USDA has helped lead
October 3, 2016
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by David Shepardson (Reuters) A congressional panel will hold a hearing on Sept. 22 to look at the fate of U.S. fuel efficiency rules through 2025 amid growing concerns from automakers. An auto trade group representing General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co, Toyota Motor Corp, Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE)
September 19, 2016
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(Virgin Atlantic) For the first time ever, 1,500 US gallons of jet fuel has been produced from ‘Lanzanol’, LanzaTech’s low carbon ethanol; Producing the world’s first jet fuel derived from waste industrial gases from steel mills via fermentation process; The alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) fuel has passed all its initial performance tests with flying colours; Initial analyses
September 15, 2016
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by Tom Ewing (Renewable Energy World) … Section 1413 requires the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to designate, within one year, alternative fuel corridors. These will be publicized segments within the national highway system that include fueling infrastructure — at sufficient locations — for electric passenger and commercial vehicles as well as fueling
September 11, 2016
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by Rebecca Chillrud (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On July 18, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released their Draft Technical Assessment Report (TAR), providing a midterm evaluation of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger
September 9, 2016
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by Lia Reich (PrecisionHawk) Since receiving an experimental airworthiness certificate from the FAA to research operations within extended visual line of sight, PrecisionHawk has proven a safety case to advance its research to include commercial operations beyond the visual line of sight of the drone operator Under a Part 107 waiver
September 5, 2016
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(The Trucker News Services) NATSO, the national association representing travel plazas and truck stops, has called on the Department of Transportation to work with private, exit-based businesses within the confines of the existing law that prohibits the sale of fuel and other commercial services at rest areas as it seeks
August 31, 2016
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by David Shepardson (Reuters) U.S. regulators late on Monday denied a request by major automakers to extend the comment period on a key environmental analysis to determine whether government fuel efficiency requirements are feasible through 2025. … Automakers had asked to extend the deadline for commenting until at least late
August 23, 2016
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by Zia Haq (U.S. Department of Energy) Renewable biofuel alternatives can help replace conventional petroleum-based jet fuel. — New White House reportoutlines the federal government’s plans to lower the cost of alternative jet fuels. — Bioenergy Technologies Office supports R&D of new technologies and processes that lower the cost of next-generation
August 22, 2016
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(Environmental Protection Agency) Standards address second-largest segment of U.S. transportation in terms of emissions and energy use — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration jointly finalized standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles that would improve fuel efficiency and cut carbon pollution
August 16, 2016
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(The Pew Charitable Trusts) … Federal agencies are evaluating the standards that apply to model year (MY) 2022-25 passenger vehicles and will determine whether the auto industry is capable of meeting these long-term criteria. It is imperative that these agencies don’t roll back progress. The EPA and NHTSA need to hear
August 4, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, a new White House report, titled “Federal Alternative Jet Fuel Research and Development Strategy,” sets out prioritized federal research and development goals and objectives to address key scientific and technical challenges that inhibit the development, production, and use of economically viable alternative jet
August 1, 2016
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by Alex Guillén (Politico Pro) U.S. vehicle efficiency rules won’t deliver the carbon reductions or fuel savings President Barack Obama promised in his first term because cheap gasoline has set off a buying spree of gas-guzzling trucks and sport-utility vehicles, according to new government figures released Monday. The National Highway
July 18, 2016
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(U.S. Department of Transportation) The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the California Air Resource Board (CARB) today took the first step in the mid-term evaluation of the National Program for greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy standards for light duty cars and trucks
by Alex Guillén (Politico Pro) Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is optimistic that auto manufacturers can meet the Obama administration’s goal of lifting the nation’s fuel economy standard to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. “I don’t think we should deviate” from the 54.5 mpg target, LaHood said at a
June 30, 2016
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by Alex Guillén (Politico Pro) Lawmakers must raise the gas tax and index it to inflation, or “America’s going to continue to be one big pothole,” former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said today, using one of his longtime favorite zingers about the state of U.S. infrastructure. READ MORE (subscription needed)
June 30, 2016
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by Corinne Young and Michele Jalbert (re:chem/Biofuels Digest) A Billion Ton Bioeconomy. For those of us who have worked in this space for the last decade, the US government’s aspiration to grow the sector to such size and scope is music to our ears. At the Renewable Chemical & Advanced Materials
June 20, 2016
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by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Tom Daschle, is leading an effort to ensure that high octane, low carbon fuels are part of EPA’s midterm evaluation of the progress of federal fuel economy standards. Daschle was the author of the reformulated and oxygenated fuel provisions of the
June 16, 2016
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by Brittany Hook (University of California San Diego) Harnessing the University of California’s leadership in sustainability and pledge to become carbon neutral by 2025, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Associate Director Bruce Appelgate had a bright idea: What if Scripps Oceanography at UC San Diego began using 100 percent renewable diesel fuel, or
June 14, 2016
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(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) We are proud to announce the 10th Anniversary of the initiation of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) as of May 24, 2016, and more importantly, to reflect on the success we’ve achieved to date, and to similarly look ahead to solving the challenging issues
May 27, 2016
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by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest) … The practical and legal constraints on the RFS are mostly of EPA’s own making. As EPA admitted in the final 2014-2016 rule, it set the volume obligations for those years according to “what would have happened in the marketplace absent a rulemaking.”[1]
May 23, 2016
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by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) use in the ethanol industry is taking off. From checking on corn fields, to inspecting ethanol plants, to looking over rail cars before shipment, farmers and ethanol producers increasingly are turning to UAS to improve the efficiencies of their operations.
May 16, 2016
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To explain the Navy’s marine and aviation biofuels program, Chris Tindal gave the following presentation at ABLC 2016 in February. As we described it earlier this year, “They’re here. $2.05 per gallon, at-scale, domestically produced advanced renewable fuels — utilizing non-food feedstocks and based on next-generation
May 13, 2016
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(Yahoo! Finance/Air Canada) Air Canada today announced Canada’s Biojet Supply Chain Initiative (CBSCI) will be held at Montréal-Trudeau Airport. It is a three-year collaborative project with 14 stakeholder organizations to introduce 400,000 litres of sustainable aviation biofuel (biojet) into a shared fuel system. Previous Air Canada biofuel flights used biojet
May 10, 2016
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by Camille von Kaenel (ClimateWire/Scientific American) Pickups trucks and SUVs are not keeping pace, however — A growing number of vehicles are meeting or surpassing federal fuel economy standards, though improvements to cars outpace those to trucks, according to a new analysis by the Consumer Federation of America. The progress means
May 3, 2016
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by Curt Epstein (AIN Online) The FAA recently approved a new, alternative bio-based jet fuel that meets ASTM International standards. Known as Alcohol to Jet Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (ATJ-SPK), the new aviation fuel is created from isobutanol, an alcohol that is derived from feed stocks such as sugar, corn or
April 27, 2016
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by Michael Grunwald (Politico) The administration floats a rule governing transportation projects. — Administration officials told POLITICO they are about to propose rules that could force recipients of federal transportation dollars to track transportation-related emissions and set goals for cutting them. There are no plans for federal targets or penalties,
April 25, 2016
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(Federal Aviation Administration) The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has played an integral role in development, testing and recent approval of a new alternative, environmentally-friendly, bio-based jet fuel, bringing the total number of these approved products for use in air travel to five. This new fuel will make air travel more
April 15, 2016
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by Dave VanderGriend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ICM/Urban Air Initiative) We have a tremendous opportunity to make the case in the Midterm Review in what EPA says will be a “data driven and transparent process.” We can show how carbon reductions are indeed possible using ethanol. The industry has a tremendous opportunity in
April 7, 2016
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(US Department of Transportation) Online Resource Offers Responders a Flexible Approach to Pre-Incident Planning for Rail Incidents — The US Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today announced the launch of the web-accessible Transportation Rail Incident Preparedness and Response (TRIPR) training resource, which provides emergency responders with
April 5, 2016
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by John O’Dell (Forbes/Trucks.com) With diesel fuel prices hovering at lows not seen in a decade, the smart money might bet against businesses developing products to replace the diesel engines and technology that keep the nation’s trucks on the road. But entrepreneurs developing new fuels, engines and other green technology insist
March 21, 2016
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Issue Brief: Obama FY2017 Budget Proposal: Sustainable Energy, Buildings, Transportation and Climate
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On February 9, 2016, President Obama released his $4.15 trillion fiscal year (FY) 2017 federal budget proposal, a 5 percent increase over 2016. In his final budget request, President Obama is seeking to increase funding for his top priorities—including clean energy and climate action. The
February 12, 2016
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by David Tracy (Jalopnik) Upset that Volkswagen deceived them into buying a not-so-clean diesel, Marcus Moench and Elisabeth Caspari are driving from Colorado to VW’s headquarters in Virginia to return their Jetta SportWagen TDI and drop off 20,000 petitions. … … You see, Moench and Caspari are activists who really care
January 18, 2016
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(Virent) Rolls-Royce Testing Demonstrates Virent Synthesized Aromatic Kerosene (SAK) Bio-Jet Fuel Blend Provides Health and Environmental Benefits While Maintaining Engine Performance Bio-jet emissions testing by Rolls-Royce and supported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under the Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise (CLEEN) program, confirmed that jet fuels containing Virent’s
January 8, 2016
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by Maegan Murray (WSU Tri-Cities/Washington State University) Researchers at Washington State University Tri-Cities have figured out a way to successfully convert a common wood byproduct into hydrocarbon molecules that could be used as jet fuel. Bin Yang, an associate professor of biological systems engineering, said the hydrocarbons from his new
December 4, 2015
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by Ashley Halsey III (The Washington Post) … The long-sought bill protects funding for transit from those who argued it should be cut loose from the highway bill, increases money for pedestrian and bicycle programs that also have come under attack, and it includes nearly $200 million to speed installation of a critical
December 2, 2015
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(The Washington Post) … But the process apparently isn’t open enough to allow for a vote on the most obvious transportation solution: raising the gasoline tax to pay for the country’s roads and rails. In the past, House leaders weren’t so spineless. They established the Highway Trust Fund in 1956,
November 5, 2015
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by Leo Jegho (Global Indonesian Voices) All airline companies operating in Indonesia will be obliged to use aviation biofuel for their aircraft instead of avtur from 2018 onwards, which aims to help reduce air pollution, Minister of Transportation Ignasius Jonan said in Washington last Friday (23/10). According to the minister, the
October 29, 2015
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by Juliet Van Wagenen (Avionics Magazine) The FAA and Indonesian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have signed an agreement to promote the development and use of sustainable, alternative aviation fuels, as well as additional environmental collaboration between the two nations. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) builds on the U.S. government’s
October 27, 2015
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(U.S. Department of Transportation/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has announced grants totaling $5.9 million to provide hazardous materials training for volunteer or remote emergency responders. The Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training grants will go to three non-profit organizations which will
(Green Air Online) The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has marked the launch of the second phase of its Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN II) programme by awarding $100 million to eight companies to develop and demonstrate technologies that reduce fuel consumption, emissions and noise. The companies are
October 4, 2015
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(US Department of Transportation) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is announcing the availability of $22.5 million through the latest round of the Low or No Emission Vehicle Deployment Program (LoNo) that will help deploy the next generation of energy-efficient vehicles nationwide. The funds are intended to
by Zia Haq (US Department of Energy) It’s been one year since we at the Energy Department ramped up our efforts to develop renewable jet fuel for the military and commercial aviation industry. The Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) joined Farm to Fly 2.0—a partnership with the U.S. Department of
August 27, 2015
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by Fran Flynn (Biofuels Digest/ Fleet Advantage) On the putting green, the golfer who putts last has the advantage of watching his predecessor ‘show him the line. … On June 19, 2015 the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Anthony R. Foxx, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Gina
August 27, 2015
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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