White House – Advanced BioFuels USA

Top 10 Bioeconomy Must-Knows in the Biden Transition

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 Read Full Article

Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act Passed as Part of National Defense Authorization Act

(Bergeson & Campbell) On December 28, 2020, the House overrode President Trump’s veto and passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) by a vote of 322 to 87, and the Senate passed the bill on January 1, 2021, by a vote of 81 to 13. Subtitle E of

January 20, 2021 Read Full Article

Holding Strong: U.S. Biodiesel Producers Surveyed

by Tom Bryan (Biodiesel Magazine) Biodiesel Magazine’s late-2020 survey of producers tells the story of a resilient, changing industry that’s taken mostly indirect hits from the pandemic. Many producers lowered, but later ramped back up, production in 2020. This publication’s survey of U.S. biomass-based diesel producers, conducted in early December,

January 19, 2021 Read Full Article

Renewed Focus on Climate Legislation Could Help Biofuels

by Sara Wyant (Ag Week) The biofuel industry argues that President-elect Joe Biden can also make progress on his climate goals by expanding biofuel usage mandates, embracing a low carbon fuel policy and increasing vehicle emissions standards. Now that Democrats have won control of the Senate, climate legislation is inevitable,

January 19, 2021 Read Full Article

Washington Week in Review: Jan. 15, 2021: Rep. Rodney Davis on Impeachment, COVID Aid, and Biofuels

(Agri-Pulse) It’s been an eventful two weeks on Capitol Hill, and the impacts could linger for an extended period of time. Illinois Republican Rodney Davis, a veteran of the House Agriculture Committee and the ranking member of the House Administration Committee, joins Agri-Pulse to discuss the current outlook for Congress

January 19, 2021 Read Full Article

Outgoing Trump Admin Mulls Industry-Wide Biofuel Waiver for Oil Refiners and E15 Labeling Change

by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The Trump administration is considering requests from the oil refining industry and its backers for a sweeping nationwide waiver to exempt them from their obligations to blend biofuels, a measure they argue would help them weather the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. President Donald Trump’s

January 19, 2021 Read Full Article

RFA Thanks Senate Midwest Republicans for Backing Renewable Fuel Standard

(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association expressed gratitude today to seven Republican members of the Senate who called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to back down from rumored small refinery exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard. “Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have clearly and forcefully spoken out against last-minute

January 15, 2021 Read Full Article

AFPM Sees Alignment with Biden on Trade, Economy

by Elliott Blackburn (Argus Media) … (President-elect Joe) Biden also campaigned on goals to increasingly electrify the US vehicle fleet and maintain support for renewable fuels, which would erode market share for the petroleum fuel that dominates AFPM membership’s output. But chief executive Chet Thompson expects to find common ground

January 15, 2021 Read Full Article

DOE Forms Fuels of the Future Advisory Board; Disbands Biomass Research and Development TAC

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US federal government formed the Fuels of the Future Advisory Board, which will have three subcommittees on biofuels, hydrogen and methane hydrates. At the same time, the government terminated the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee (BR&D TAC); Methane Hydrate Advisory

January 15, 2021 Read Full Article

Senators Ask Biden to Restore the Integrity of the RFS

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A group of six democratic senators sent a letter President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 11 urging his administration to support U.S. farmers and the biofuels industry by restoring the integrity of the Renewable Fuel Standard. The letter, signed by Sens. Tammy Duckworth. D-Ill.; Amy Klobuchar,

January 13, 2021 Read Full Article

Many Reasons for U.S. to Count Carbon Savings from Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel

by Kurt Kovar (National Biodiesel Board/Biofuels Digest) As the new Biden administration and a growing number of states examine options to address transportation carbon emissions, biodiesel and renewable diesel stand out as the workhorses of existing low-carbon fuel programs. State programs are sending a strong signal for market growth in low-carbon,

January 13, 2021 Read Full Article

Here’s How President-elect Biden Can Slash Carbon Emissions by 12 Million Metric Tons on Day One in Office

(Renewable Fuels Association) On “Day One” in office, President-elect Biden’s incoming administration can immediately secure 10.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions simply by rejecting the 66 pending waiver requests from oil refiners who are looking to dodge their Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations. In addition, another 1.2 million

January 12, 2021 Read Full Article

Exclusive: Trump Administration Expected to Grant Biofuel Waivers for Some Oil Refiners – Sources

by Stephanie Kelly, Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The Trump administration is expected to grant waivers to some oil refiners that would exempt them from requirements to blend biofuels into their fuel mix for the 2019 compliance year, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The move would be one of

January 12, 2021 Read Full Article

Biden Climate Team Says It Underestimated Trump’s Damage

by Adam Aton (E&E News) President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team says the Trump administration has done more damage than anticipated to the government’s ability to address climate change. Potentially lowering expectations for the incoming president’s early climate efforts, Biden officials say their agency review teams have found deeper budget cuts, wider

January 7, 2021 Read Full Article

Biden Urged to Flood Agencies With Environmental Equity Advisers

by Dean Scott (Bloomberg Law) Would ensure equity weighed in rulemakings, policies; Transparency urged for environment justice decisions — The time is ripe to bring a wave of environmental justice advisers into federal agencies to ensure the incoming Biden administration makes good on its pledge to improve racial equity across government,

January 5, 2021 Read Full Article

Consent Decree Throws RFS Refinery Exemption Decisions into Biden’s Lap

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) A consent decree published today in the Federal Register gives EPA until Feb. 19 to decide whether to exempt a refinery owned by United Refining Co. in Pennsylvania from the 2019 Renewable Fuel Standard requirements. EPA hasn’t made a decision on any of the 32

January 4, 2021 Read Full Article

The $40B Awaitng Biden’s DOE

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Biden, who oversaw the Obama administration’s stimulus work as vice president, could utilize a pot of $40 billion in unused Energy Department loan authority awarded under the 2009 stimulus to kick start his climate and infrastructure plan, POLITICO’s Zack Colman reports. DOE’s loan program helped a

January 4, 2021 Read Full Article

Building Back Better with Biofuels

by Emily Skor (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Expecting heightened attention on renewable energy in the years ahead, Growth Energy will be working with America’s elected leaders to unleash ethanol as the engine of the rural economy and the foundation of rapid climate progress. … We also worked tirelessly to ensure

December 30, 2020 Read Full Article

Accelerating Demand: A Roadmap for Sparking New Demand for Ethanol

by Brian Jennings (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The American Coalition for Ethanol is ready to execute on Accelerate, a roadmap for sparking new demand for ethanol. The plan is built around implementing new clean fuel policies, protecting what already exists and growing ethanol markets globally. … Indeed, a

December 30, 2020 Read Full Article

Trump’s Unplanned Gift to Biden: Clean Energy on the Rise

by Ben Lefebvre and Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico) … Biden is expected to speed the adoption of electric vehicles and boost power line transmission networks that will open up new opportunities for renewable power generators, analysts said. … But the situation for fossil fuels is notably darker. U.S. crude oil production, which

December 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Analysis: Biofuels Sector Hopeful Over Biden RFS Stance, Wary of GHG Policy

by Patrick Newkumet (Oil Price Information Service) Renewable fuel industry officials are mostly optimistic that the incoming Biden administration will be more supportive of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) than the Trump White House, though some worry that the president-elect’s promised aggressive approach to carbon emission reductions could have impacts

December 24, 2020 Read Full Article

How the Pentagon Could Boost Biden’s Climate Plan

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) …The Pentagon helped jump start the U.S. solar industry back in 2007 when the Air Force contracted to build a 14-megawatt solar farm at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, and former President Barack Obama also pushed the Pentagon to experiment with biofuels to reduce

December 23, 2020 Read Full Article

The Big, Big Package: What’s under the Christmas Tree for the Bioeconomy, in the $1.4T New Spending Bill?

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 Read Full Article

Biden Fills up Climate Cabinet

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 Read Full Article

Biden Taps Environmental Law Expert Brenda Mallory to Head White House Council on Environmental Quality

by Brady Dennis (Washington Post) President-elect Joe Biden has chosen Brenda Mallory, a longtime expert in environmental law and regulation, to head the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality, according to several people familiar with the decision who spoke anonymously because the appointment has not been publicly announced. The nomination

December 17, 2020 Read Full Article

Biden Picks Top North Carolina Environmental Official to Run EPA

by Brady Dennis, Steven Mufson and Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) President-elect Joe Biden will choose to nominate Michael S. Regan, who heads the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, as the next Environmental Protection Agency administrator, according to two individuals who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it has

December 17, 2020 Read Full Article

Pete Buttigieg Tapped as Biden’s Transportation Secretary Pick

(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 Read Full Article

OMB Updates Timelines for 2021 RFS, E15 Label Rules

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Information released by the White House Office of Management and budget indicates the a proposed rule to set 2021 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard could be released soon. A rulemaking is also underway to alter E15 labeling requirements. The OMB on

December 16, 2020 Read Full Article

Opinion: The Secret to Clean Air Is No Secret. It’s Ethanol.

by John Linder (National Corn Growers Association/Farm Journal AgWeb) … One song that stuck with me from that decade was “Everything Old Is New Again.” I find a lot of truth in the song’s message when I think about climate change and solutions like ethanol, which, coincidently, also took off

December 16, 2020 Read Full Article

Energy to Hitch Ride on Omnibus

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Congressional negotiators are expected to unveil the legislative text of a $1.4 trillion omnibus deal today that would boost federal agency budgets through next September and thwart a shutdown at week’s end, POLITICO’s Caitlin Emma and Sarah Ferris report. Perfect timing: Negotiators have also reached

December 16, 2020 Read Full Article

Biden Team Considering North Carolina Official to Lead U.S. EPA

by Ari Natter and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Former NYU Law School dean also said to be under consideration; Biden nearing final decisions on environment, climate picks — … Michael Regan is now among the top contenders to be Environmental Protection Agency administrator, according to three people familiar with the matter who asked not

December 15, 2020 Read Full Article

Future of Farming: Chase to Capture Carbon as Another Revenue Stream

by Tyne Morgan (Farm Journal AgWeb) As a possible policy shift may put sustainable farming practices in the spotlight, companies are already paying farmers to shift to more “climate smart farming” like utilizing no-till as a production method. — … “Tom Vilsack will be integral to President-Elect Biden on climate change,

December 14, 2020 Read Full Article

Trade Leaders Advocate for Reviving the Trans-Pacific Partnership

by Stephanie Hoff (WisBusiness News) U.S. Rep. Ron Kind said he thinks a new Biden administration should look at reviving the Trans-Pacific Partnership. “I think our withdrawal from TPP is one of the greatest strategic mistakes we’re making in the 21st century,” the La Crosse Dem and Ways and Means Committee

December 14, 2020 Read Full Article

California’s Climate Policy Goes National: Trump Fought Californian Environmental Officials. The Biden Team Wants to Learn from tThem.

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 Read Full Article

Vilsack Officially Tapped to Return to USDA

by John Herath (Farm Journal AgWeb) Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack has been officially tapped by the Joe Biden transition to return to USDA as Secretary. Vilsack was listed as the USDA nominee on the Biden transition Website Thursday morning. Vilsack, currently the CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, served as USDA

December 11, 2020 Read Full Article

Vilsack Could Be Back as Ag Secretary

by Jacqui Fatka (Farm Progress) Reports indicate Obama’s 8-year agricultural secretary Tom Vilsack could be interested in the job. — As President-elect Joe Biden continues to make announcements regarding his cabinet, former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack looks to now be a front runner to return. According to media reports,

December 8, 2020 Read Full Article

Ag Leaders Meet with Biden Team to Explain Priorities

by Ben Nuelle (AgriPulse) … Carbon sequestration payments to farmers is something said to be on the table for the incoming Biden administration as a path to address emissions reduction. Duvall said any potential program should be a market-based system and “definitely” has to be voluntary. “(Producers) are more than willing

December 7, 2020 Read Full Article

Oil Refineries See Profit in Turning Kitchen Grease into Diesel

by Clifford Krauss (New York Times) Used cooking oil is one of the ingredients in renewable diesel, which generates far less emissions than conventional diesel and allows refineries to take advantage of federal and state incentives. — … Companies that refine crude oil into fuel are increasingly using such putrid

December 4, 2020 Read Full Article

Biden Plan to End U.S. Fossil Fuel Subsidies Faces Big Challenges

by Timothy Gardner (Reuters) … Biden has said axing fossil fuel subsidies will generate money to help pay for his broader $2 trillion climate plan. While Biden can take executive action to reverse President Donald Trump’s rollbacks of rules meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reforming tax breaks that allow companies

December 2, 2020 Read Full Article

Incentives Spur Investors to Pick Up Pace on Low-Carbon Projects

by Dean Scott (Bloomberg Law) Growing interest in combining federal, state credits in low-carbon projects; Congress’ inaction on 45Q credit extension a worrying sign for new efforts — A mix of federal and state environmental incentives are drawing investors towards low-carbon, climate-friendly projects, an encouraging sign for President-elect Joe Biden’s call

December 1, 2020 Read Full Article

EPA Misses Statutory Deadline to Set 2021 RFS RVOs

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA has missed its Nov. 30 statutory deadline to set the 2021 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard, as well as the 2021 RVO for biomass-based diesel. While the delay was not unexpected, representatives of the biofuels industry are expressing frustration

December 1, 2020 Read Full Article

An Open Letter to the Ethanol Community from Ethanol Producers

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … (T)he overriding objective should be to increase demand, which increases ethanol volume and corn grind. With that in mind, do we continue to fight for what is almost certain to be a reduced RFS that in addition to lower RVOs pits us against

November 30, 2020 Read Full Article

U.S. Oil Industry Group Pledges to Fight Possible Biden Fracking Limits

By Laura Sanicola (Reuters) If U.S. President-elect Joe Biden tries to restrict development of oil and gas drilling on federal lands, the American Petroleum Institute (API) will use “every tool at its disposal” including legal action, chief executive Mike Sommers said in an interview with Reuters on Monday. Biden has said

November 25, 2020 Read Full Article

Greens Look to Yellen on Climate

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) –President-elect Joe Biden is expected to officially tap Janet Yellen for Treasury secretary, a job with significant climate implications. –And former Secretary of State John Kerry will serve as Biden’s special presidential envoy for climate. … STOCKING UP THE CABINET: President-elect Joe Biden is expected to

November 24, 2020 Read Full Article

The US Oil Industry Is Flailing Despite a $10 Billion Pandemic Lifeline

by Michael J. Coren (Quartz) The US oil and gas industry has received more than $10 billion from the federal government to cushion losses during the pandemic, according to a recent report analyzing federal financial data. That has offered a temporary reprieve even as the industries’ woes, which started well before the arrival

November 24, 2020 Read Full Article

New Biofuel-Trading Venue Sees Untapped Demand in Green Revival

by Kim Chipman (Bloomberg/Yahoo! Finance) The U.S. market for biofuel credits has long drawn calls for reform over lack of transparency. Trading-technology expert Julian Anstes says he has the answer. Anstes and the firm he runs, London-based OTC Direct Markets Ltd., have developed an online trading platform set to go live Dec.

November 24, 2020 Read Full Article

Should Ethanol Go Back to Business as Usual after COVID-19?

by Christina Stella (WVIK/NPR) … As Americans hunkered down for lockdowns, gasoline demand across the country plummeted. Ethanol industry leaders issued warnings that the financial repercussions of widespread lockdowns could be significant to plants across the country. They later reported half of the nation’s facilities were forced to shut down. Most ethanol

November 23, 2020 Read Full Article

Biofuels to Boost Clean Fuel Standard to Biden

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Some of the largest biofuels companies plan to ask Biden to impose a nationwide standard to reduce carbon emissions from transport fuels, Reuters reports, citing five sources familiar with the matter. The push reflects the industry’s “increasing concern about the future as Biden prepares measures

November 23, 2020 Read Full Article

Farm Support Holds for Trump, but Biden May Find Inroads: End to Aid Payments in 2021 Could Cut Deeply into Incomes

by Ellyn Ferguson (Roll Call) … Despite the mixed performance, Trump’s policies on trade, regulation and other areas maintained his popularity in rural and farm communities, winning their support in the Nov. 3 election. Joe Biden nevertheless has a chance to do as president what he didn’t manage as a

November 19, 2020 Read Full Article

Transition Book: Priorities for Administrative Action on Carbon Removal in 2021+

(Carbon 180) We partner with policymakers, scientists, and businesses around the globe to develop policy, promote research, and advance solutions that transform carbon from a pollutant to a resource and foster a prosperous, carbon-conscious economy that removes more from the atmosphere than we emit. … The next administration will need

November 19, 2020 Read Full Article

Brazil’s Rising Deforestation to Draw US Scrutiny

(Argus Media) Brazil’s shrinking Amazon rainforest is expected to draw intense scrutiny from the incoming US administration of president-elect Joe Biden, who has pledged to incorporate environmental commitments into trade policy. The controversy over deforestation is a window into broader energy transition challenges facing developing countries such as Brazil, which is

November 17, 2020 Read Full Article

It’s Electric

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) IT’S ELECTRIC: A coalition of utilities, electric vehicle makers and mineral producers have formed a new association to push for 100 percent electric vehicle sales by 2030, Pro’s Anthony Adragna reports this morning. The group, dubbed the Zero Emission Transportation Association, will seek policies to help the growing

November 17, 2020 Read Full Article

How Will Biden Differ From Trump on Trade and China Policy?

(Mish Talk/The Street) … The Steptoe & Johnson law firm issued a Client Advisory on US Trade Agenda in the Biden Administration. 1. Free Trade Agreements. One of the few specific statements on trade policy that then-candidate Biden made during the campaign is that he does not intend to pursue free trade agreements

November 16, 2020 Read Full Article

California Official Sees State Auto Emissions Deal as ‘Template’ for Biden

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 Read Full Article

Climate 21 Project Memos

(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 Read Full Article

Post-Election Analysis from ABFA: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Biofuels Association’s Election View

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Did the bioeconomy win or lose? If you missed the conversation on Thursday at DigestConnect, check out this slide guide from Mike McAdams, President of Advanced Biofuels Association for his post-election analysis from the Presidential race to key House and Senate races, the COVID-19 focus,

November 10, 2020 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK — Geoff Cooper

RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper reminds us that President Elect Joe Biden committed on the campaign trail to put an end to the Trump Administration’s EPA small refinery waivers on day one according to Brownfield Ag News. READ MORE

November 10, 2020 Read Full Article

U.S. Renewable Fuels Legislation Could Garner Bipartisan Support under Biden

by Stephanie Kelly and Laura Sanicola (Reuters) Renewable fuels are a niche market for now, but with Democratic President-Elect Joe Biden set to enter office with a divided Congress, legislation supporting demand for products like renewable diesel could garner bipartisan support. Biden, elected president last week, defeating Republican Donald Trump,

November 10, 2020 Read Full Article

Factbox: Unresolved Biofuel Policy Issues Facing the Next U.S. President

(Today/Reuters) Both U.S. President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden have tried to clinch rural votes ahead of the election by voicing support for corn-based ethanol. But big questions remain over how either would administer the nation’s biofuel law, the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), and the stakes are

November 4, 2020 Read Full Article

The Energy 202: The Oil Industry Thinks It Can Work with Biden, Despite Call for ‘Transition’ Away from It

by Dino Grandoni with Alexandra Ellerbeck (Washington Post) Joe Biden said he wanted a “transition” away from the oil industry. But the oil industry itself thinks it can still work with the Democratic nominee should he win the White House in today’s election. There is a lot that the American

November 3, 2020 Read Full Article

EV Makers’ Course Hinges on U.S. Election and Fuel-Economy Rules

by Esha Dey (Bloomberg Green) Biden seen implementing policies that would speed adoption; Shares of Tesla, Nikola and their suppliers could get a boost — … Most transportation experts envision a future with road travel dominated by electric-powered autos. The outcome of the election could determine whether it takes a

November 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Biden Energy Plan May Be More Similar to Trump Policy than Expected

by Patti Domm (CNBC) • Former Vice President Joe Biden may have greener goals for U.S. energy, but he will not end or sharply curtail oil and gas fracking, energy experts concur. • His $2 trillion plan would encourage investment in infrastructure, electric vehicles, renewable energy, efficient buildings and in

November 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Expanded E15 Sales Have Helped, but Ethanol Backers Say Roadblocks Still Remain

by Chris Dunker (Lincoln Journal Star) In lifting a restriction on the sale of E15 during summer months, corn growers and ethanol producers praised President Donald Trump for removing a major roadblock to expanding sale of the 15% ethanol blend. … The change has helped corn farmers, ethanol production facilities,

November 2, 2020 Read Full Article

RFA Calls on President Trump to Level Playing Field for Ethanol Exports to Brazil

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, D.C., the Renewable Fuels Association called on President Trump to move forward in seeking reciprocity and fairness in ethanol trade policy with Brazil. In a letter to the president, the association highlighted his August pledge to consider reciprocity with respect to Brazilian ethanol imports

October 26, 2020 Read Full Article

‘It’s a Sea Change’: How Climate Went from the Back Burner to a Central Issue in This Year’s Debates

by Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The last time there was a substantive discussion at a presidential debate about the climate was 20 years ago. And Democrat Al Gore’s predictions have pretty much come true. — … Last month, Chris Wallace of Fox News unexpectedly raised the subject during the first

October 22, 2020 Read Full Article

Biden Win Could Be Net Positive for Metals and Mining, Observers Say

by Jacob Holzman and Gaurang Dholakia (S&P Global Platts) … As a result, observers have predicted that producers of battery and base metals such as lithium and nickel could benefit from a Biden victory. … The benefits to metals producers from a Biden win could stretch beyond the boundaries of

October 20, 2020 Read Full Article

What Ag Needs: Accelerating Technology to Secure The Future

by Jim Collins (Corteva Agriscience) … “How can we increase investment in technology and innovation for high-impact, evidence-based solutions?” It made me think about the farmers we serve and how they – as stewards of the land – have a long history of innovation and investment as they feed, preserve and protect

October 20, 2020 Read Full Article

Your Views: EPA Needs to Support Farmers, Homegrown Fuels

by Doug Rebout (GazetteXtra) … The EPA has consistently undercut the Renewable Fuel Standard by granting Small Refinery Exemptions—or waivers—to big oil, essentially cutting billions of gallons of biofuel demand and cutting off this vital market to corn farmers. The president has an opportunity to make this right and follow

October 19, 2020 Read Full Article

Trump in Iowa Touts Ethanol, Farm Policy

by Erin Murphy (The Courier) Campaigning in Iowa on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump touted his administration’s work to boost the ethanol industry and help farmers in Iowa. Trump’s administration this year issued a rule that allows gas stations to sell a higher ethanol blend year-round. “They were killing ethanol,”

October 16, 2020 Read Full Article

Biden’s Energy Future

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Joe Biden put some space between his clean energy plan and that of the Green New Deal during last night’s town hall, while also pitching renewables and carbon capture. … Former Vice President Joe Biden pitched a future dependent on renewables and carbon capture,

October 16, 2020 Read Full Article

Biden Eyes Trade Agenda to Combat Climate Change

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Joe Biden and key Democrats in Congress say they want to use the trade agenda to fight global warming if they win the White House and Senate next month, POLITICO’s Gavin Bade reports . Biden’s trade agenda calls for a global ban on fossil

October 15, 2020 Read Full Article

Biden Would Be Good for Oil Sector, Goldman Sachs Says

by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) With his $2 trillion plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Joe Biden might seem a far from ideal president for the Texas oil and gas industry. But new analysis by Goldman Sachs says that compared with a second term of the Trump administration, a Biden presidency

October 13, 2020 Read Full Article

Trade, Biofuels and the Environment: Key Agriculture Issues in U.S. Election

by P.J. Huffstutter, Karl Plume and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump enjoys broad support among farmers, but some are unhappy about the impact of his trade and biofuel policies on crop prices and international demand for U.S. agricultural products. Democrat challenger Joe Biden has seized on the biofuel issue,

October 13, 2020 Read Full Article

AG Talks Priorities to White House Aspirants

by Steve Kopperud (Brownfield Ag News) This was the week agriculture – organized and individual – emerged from the political closet and started laying down markers for the November 3 election. The Ag CEO Council, comprised of the heads of 21 of the nation’s largest ag groups, including the American Farm Bureau

October 9, 2020 Read Full Article

Elected Officials Urge Automakers to Support Cleaner Cars

by Chris Teale (Smart Cities Dive) More than 200 elected officials at the city and state level issued a joint declaration Thursday calling on automakers to stop supporting the Trump administration’s rollback of national and state clean car standards. The “Clean Cars Declaration” urges General Motors (GM), Toyota, Fiat Chrysler, Nissan, Subaru, Hyundai and

October 9, 2020 Read Full Article

Shaheen, Lankford & King Introduce Bipartisan ‘DRIVE LESS’ Act to Reduce Federal Spending on Government Vehicles, Save Taxpayer Money

(Office of Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)) U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), James Lankford (R-OK) and Angus King (I-ME) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to save taxpayer dollars by reducing the federal funding available for the acquisition and leasing of new federal vehicles. The Domestic Reduction In Vehicle Expenditure and Lowering Emissions from State

October 8, 2020 Read Full Article

Biden Considering Climate Lead for White House

by Eric Wolff (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Democratic nominees in considering appointing a senior adviser to oversee energy and climate policy across the government if he wins next month’s election. Ben Lefebvre and Anthony Adragna report that there’s no firm list of who might occupy such a post, but former Obama adviser John

October 8, 2020 Read Full Article

Trust Me. I’m from the Government and Here to Help

by Dave VanderGriend (ICM/Urban Air Initiative/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … But what we thought we did know was that he (President Donald Trump) was determined to remove regulations that were holding back American business. So that held some excitement and promise as to the art of the possible. As we looked

October 7, 2020 Read Full Article

Ethanol’s Recovery Readout

by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A survey of ethanol plant CEOs and general managers shows the COVID-19 downturn had a significant impact on their operations. Most producers have substantially ramped up production since spring, but a full recovery is expected to take many months. … About 84% of CEOs

October 7, 2020 Read Full Article

The Pandemic Could End Texas’s Oil Boom—and Start Something Better: Profits from the Permian Basin Are Falling and Renewable Energy Is Surging. Here’s What That Means for the Lonestar State’s Future.

by Justin Miller (Texas Observer/Popular Science) … Thousands flocked to the region to get a piece of the boom. “You could be someone with no college degree, no high school diploma … and get out here and make $50,000 to $60,000 a year, easy,” says (Josh) Thomas, who was

October 6, 2020 Read Full Article

Sonny Perdue Fuels Ethics Scrutiny as Trump’s Rural Envoy

by Ryan McCrimmon (Politico) The agriculture secretary has kept farmers in Trump’s corner, but Democrats claim he crosses the line between public duties and political promotion. — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue offered a spirited pitch for voters to reelect President Donald Trump at an official USDA event with North Carolina food

October 5, 2020 Read Full Article

Big Oil’s $100 Billion Bender: How the U.S. Government Provided a Safety Net for the Flagging Fossil Fuel Industry

(Bailout Watch) The U.S. government’s efforts to stabilize the financial system at the start of the global pandemic last spring have propped up the fossil fuel industry, which entered the year with heavy debt loads and was slammed by the sharp drop in the price of oil after the pandemic

October 2, 2020 Read Full Article

Trump Signs Government Funding Bill Including CCC Replenishment

by Larry Lee (Brownfield Ag News) … President Trump signed a continuing resolution funding the government after returning from campaign stops in Minnesota, about an hour after Washington officially ran out of money. Farm Bureau economist John Newton tells Brownfield the continuing resolution immediately replenishes 20 billion dollars for Commodity Credit

October 2, 2020 Read Full Article

Joni Ernst Is Now in Trouble. Trump Is a Huge Part of Her Problem.

by Art Cullen (Washington Post/Storm Lake Times) One big reason Republicans are shoving a Supreme Court appointment through the Senate before the election is their rising fear of losing the upper chamber — and the White House — in November. Those fears are well-founded. Two weeks ago, one of the

September 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Fact-Checking President Trump’s Ethanol and Oil Production Claims

by Robert Rapier (Forbes) This week at a campaign rally in Jacksonville, Florida, President Trump made a puzzling claim. Near the end of a story about Kamala Harris, Trump said “The great state of Iowa — where I made ethanol possible for them…” I can’t even begin to understand what that means, but

September 28, 2020 Read Full Article

Bustos Introduces Next Generation Fuels Act

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., on Sept. 24 introduced the Next Generation Fuels Act, a bill that establishes a minimum octane standard for gasoline and requires sources of added octane value to reduce carbon emissions by at least 30 percent when compared to baseline gasoline. The

September 25, 2020 Read Full Article

Trump’s Trade and Coronavirus Aid to Agriculture Could Hit $50 Billion

by Chuck Abbott (Successful Farming) … Trump administration could spend $50 billion — quadruple the cost of the auto industry bailout — in less than three years to buffer the impact of trade war and pandemic on agriculture. Farm groups welcomed the second round of coronavirus assistance while critics said

September 23, 2020 Read Full Article

Behind the Smoke: It’s What You Don’t See That Kills

by Doug Durante and Larry Pearce (Morning Consult) … But a bigger problem has existed for decades in the air we don’t see — air polluted with toxic ultra-fine particles, or UFPs. For more than 30 years, a small group of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulators have hidden a far more lethal

September 23, 2020 Read Full Article

Our View: Ethanol: Trump, Hagedorn, EPA Leave Farmers behind

(Mankato Free Press) President Donald Trump and his Environmental Protection Agency have about six weeks to keep their promises to farmers on ethanol, which have been broken for the past three years. While farmers have backed Trump in varying degrees since he took office, their wellspring of patience seems to be running

September 23, 2020 Read Full Article

EPA Delivers Final Fuels Regulatory Streamlining Rule to OMB

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA released a proposed rule on April 13 that aims to streamline and modernize the agency’s existing fuels regulations. In the rulemaking, the EPA said it is proposing “some slight modifications to the Renewable Fuel Standard,” but indicated it does not plan

September 22, 2020 Read Full Article

FEW General Sessions Address Policy, Production

by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Brian Jennings, CEO of the American Coalition for Ethanol, told audience members at the 2020 Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo during the general session panel Sept. 16 that the gap waiver denial, two days before, is a win, but there’s more work to do. Take

September 22, 2020 Read Full Article

Rural America 2020 Launches Major Ad Campaign Highlighting Trump’s Broken Ethanol Promises

(Rural America 2020) ‘Trump’s Broken Ethanol Promise’ campaign will focus on the President’s failure to deliver on promises on ethanol and E15: Will highlight how Trump has undermined the needs of farmers by providing waivers to big oil to avoid ethanol requirements — 30 billboards launch today across Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan,

September 18, 2020 Read Full Article

Trump Decision Bolstering Ethanol Becomes Campaign Flashpoint

(The Gazette) President Donald Trump has been receiving praise from farm state Republicans for his decision to deny the “gap year” waivers and increase access to E15 corn-based ethanol. But it also was panned by Democrats Wednesday as nothing more than a political ploy. “What the administration has done is really

September 17, 2020 Read Full Article

Trump Administration Eyes at Least $300 Million Aid to Refiners Denied Biofuel Waivers: Sources

by Stephanie Kelly, Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The Trump administration is considering at least $300 million in cash aid to U.S. oil refiners that are denied exemptions to U.S. biofuel blending laws for the 2019 compliance year, two sources familiar with the matter said. … Although the administration has yet to

September 17, 2020 Read Full Article

EPA Releases Final Rule Intended to Promote Transparency in Developing Regulatory Guidance Documents

(Bergeson and Campbell) On September 14, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a pre-publication version of a final rule establishing the procedures and requirements for how EPA will manage the issuance of guidance documents consistent with Executive Order (EO) 13891, “Promoting the Rule of Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents.”

September 17, 2020 Read Full Article

WTO Rules Against Trump China Tariffs

by Larry Lee (Brownfield Ag News) The World Trade Organization has ruled in favor of China, saying President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods violates international regulations for trade. The WTO panel says the U.S. could not prove the tariffs were necessary, but the ruling also does not force the U.S. to

September 16, 2020 Read Full Article

U.S. Presidential Candidate Biden Rips Trump’s Record on Ethanol

by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden late on Tuesday attacked President Donald Trump’s record on ethanol, saying his administration’s recent moves to help the industry were too little, too late and transparently political. U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden late on Tuesday attacked President Donald Trump’s

September 16, 2020 Read Full Article

EPA Denies Gap Year RFS Waiver Requests

by John Herath (Farm Journal Ag/Web) Applications for oil refiners to be exempted from the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) have been a contentious election for President Donald Trump in Iowa. His administration took a step to alleviate those political pressures Monday by denying so-called “gap year” waiver requests. The 10th Circuit

September 14, 2020 Read Full Article

Brazil Agrees to Extend US Ethanol Quota for 90 Days

by Bill Tomson (Agri-Pulse) The U.S. and Brazil have agreed to revive for 90 days the expired tariff rate quota that allows some U.S. ethanol to flow to the South American country duty free, the two countries said in a joint statement Friday night. It’s a stopgap deal that takes effect

September 14, 2020 Read Full Article

Trump Now Backs Higher-Ethanol Gas at Pumps in Move to Court Farm Votes before November

by Rachel Koning Beals (Market Watch) At least one farm group says gesture doesn’t wipe out a pro-Big Oil presidency to date — Trump has approved using existing filling station pumps to distribute higher-ethanol gasoline. “Subject only to State approval, our important Ethanol Industry will be allowed to use the 10% Pumps

September 14, 2020 Read Full Article

Trump Considers Cash Aid for Refineries Denied Biofuel Waivers

by Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Trump administration officials are developing a plan to offset the potential economic damage of denying dozens of refineries waivers from biofuel-usage mandates: giving them financial aid. The approach is actively being discussed by top Environmental Protection Agency officials as the administration courts two important voting blocs for President

September 12, 2020 Read Full Article

RINs Jump 18% on News Trump Wants All Gap Year Requests Denied

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In New York state, Reuters reports that RIN prices skyrocketed a two-year high of 55 cents for D6 credits on the back of its exclusive story that President Trump told the EPA to deny all gap-year SRE applications. The RIN prices, not seen that high since

September 10, 2020 Read Full Article

Without a Grand Deal, Trump Tries to Dodge Ethanol Question

by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) … And with the election just two months away, all signs are Trump is trying to push back a decision on the how much ethanol to blend into the nation’s gasoline supply until after the ballots are cast, so as not to alienate voters in

September 4, 2020 Read Full Article

Bloomberg Launches ESG Ratings

by Ally Selby (Financial Standard) Bloomberg has launched proprietary environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings, which it says will help to provide transparent, data driven insights into company performance. Initially, Bloomberg will offer environmental and social scores for 252 oil and gas companies, as well as board composition scores for 4300

September 1, 2020 Read Full Article

Trump Moves to Open up Drilling in National Forests

by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) … Under draft rules to be published Tuesday, the U.S. Forest Service would be limited in its ability to conduct environmental reviews of drilling projects while oil and gas companies would not be required to provide as much notice to the public. READ MORE U.S.

September 1, 2020 Read Full Article

UPDATE 1-Brazil Drops Zero-Tariff Ethanol Import Quota Enjoyed by U.S. Producers

by Rodrigo Viga Gaier (Reuters) Brazil allowed a non-tariff quota for ethanol imports to expire on Monday, which will result in U.S. producers having to pay a 20% tariff unless the Brazilian government takes new action. “The expiry date was today and nothing was decided, but that does not stop the

September 1, 2020 Read Full Article

The Case for Climate Action: Building a Clean Economy for the American People

(Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis) … In the near term, we must continue to significantly grow solar and wind energy, energy storage, and electric vehicles while conducting more research into new technologies, advanced biofuels, and smaller and safer nuclear power. … Congress can make clean energy choices

August 31, 2020 Read Full Article

Brazil Should Not Renew Ethanol Quota and Will Negotiate with US, Says Source

(BOL/Reuters (Google translation)) Brazil is unlikely to renew the tariff-free quota for ethanol imports that expires today, and as a result, purchases from outside Mercosur should start paying a 20% tax, a government source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. With the end of the quota, which would mainly

August 31, 2020 Read Full Article

House Ag Chair Backs Biden on Killing Trump Tariffs

by Philip Brasher (Agri-Pulse) House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson supports Joe Biden’s plan to eliminate President Donald Trump’s tariffs on China but said he isn’t sure what the alternative is for countering Chinese trade practices. “First thing I want to see is to stop these tariffs. I think it’s been

August 31, 2020 Read Full Article

Can Iowa Farmers Survive without Ethanol? Can Trump Survive without Iowa Farmers?

by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register/Ames Tribune) … “I’ve sat in front of the president, and he does look you in the eye, and he does listen to you,” (Bill) Couser said, adding, “It just makes you wonder what happens after that.” He holds out hope Trump will heed the requests

August 28, 2020 Read Full Article

Brazil Legislators Press President to Keep Ethanol Tariff

by Ricardo Della Coletta (Associated Press/U.S. News and World Report) A group of Brazilian lawmakers made a final push Thursday to try to convince President Jair Bolsonaro not to reduce tariffs on American ethanol, a major Trump administration request. — A group of Brazilian lawmakers made a final push Thursday

August 28, 2020 Read Full Article

Joni Ernst Sells Out Iowa In RNC Speech

by Pat Rynard (Iowa Starting Line) Sen. Joni Ernst’s undying loyalty to Pres. Donald Trump was rewarded tonight with a high-profile speech at the Republican National Convention. She repaid Trump for the political boost to her reelection campaign by betraying the Iowans she’s serving, vouching for the President on the exact