by Tom Lotshaw (Law360) A refining industry trade group has urged a D.C. federal judge to order the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to scale back its cellulosic biofuel blending requirements for 2023, saying the agency shirked an obligation to do so
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by Andrew Chung (Reuters/Yahoo! News) U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared sympathetic on Wednesday to a bid by fuel producers to challenge California's standards for vehicle emissions and electric cars under a federal air pollution law in a case involving the Democratic-governed
by Stephen Dinan (The Washington Times) A federal judge ordered the administration Tuesday to reopen the “spigots” for climate and clean energy funding programs, ruling against President Trump’s funding pause. Judge Mary S. McElroy, a Trump appointee to the court in Rhode Island,
(Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Growth Energy and Clean Fuels Alliance America filed a reply brief today in a case challenging the U.S. EPA for its failure to reallocate gallons lost due to small refinery exemptions (SREs) granted after renewable volume obligations
by Noah Wicks (Agri-Pulse) The Agriculture Department is reviewing 15 of its programs amid ongoing Trump Administration scrutiny over spending, according to a list provided to Agri-Pulse on Thursday by Senate Ag Committee ranking member Amy Klobuchar's office. Among the programs that have been
by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) U.S. sales of E15, a blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline, reached a record 1.24 billion gallons in 2024, an increase of 11% over 2023, according to a Renewable Fuels Association analysis of data released by state agencies
by Mario Alejandro Ariza, Ames Alexander, Joe Engleman (Canary Media) The USDA is demanding grant rewrites favoring fossil fuels over renewables, leaving some rural recipients doubtful they’ll ever see the money they were promised. -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on March 25 it will release previously
(Growth Energy and Renewable Fuels Association) The American renewable fuels industry presented oral arguments to the U.S. Supreme Court today in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) v. Calumet Shreveport Refining, LLC, et al., a case that addresses where challenges to small refinery exemptions
by Nate Raymond (Reuters) Five Democratic-led states seek damages from oil firms; Companies are accused of concealing climate consequences; Suits target Exxon, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Shell, BP -- The U.S. Supreme Court rejected on Monday a bid by 19 Republican-led states led by Alabama to block five
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) On March 7, 2025, EPA announces a final rule to extend the Renewable Fuel Standard compliance reporting deadline for the 2024 compliance year. EPA is also making several minor amendments and technical corrections to other RFS provisions.
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Trump EPA Gives Ohio, South Dakota One-Year Extensions on Year-Round E15 -- Ohio and South Dakota were given one-year extensions on implementing permanent year-round E15 sales in their state, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
by Cole Martin (Argus Media) The US has asked a court to dismiss a case over a missed deadline for updating the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a move that could portend further delays in setting new biofuel blend mandates. Ethanol industry group
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., has paused a wide-reaching lawsuit against the Biden administration's tailpipe emissions rule that states, and agriculture groups have argued amounts to an electric-vehicle mandate. In one of his first
by Scott Irwin (farmdoc daily) Two recent farmdoc daily articles (February 5, 2025; February 12, 2025) examined the impact of small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on the demand for ethanol and biomass-based diesel (BBD). The aggregate blend rate
(Clean Fuels Alliance America) RFS must accurately reflect investments in capacity, availability of fuels, and demand from new markets -- - Today, Clean Fuels Alliance America joined 10 other national trade groups in a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin urging the
by Ann Carlson and Mary Nichols (Legal Planet) Last Friday, EPA’s Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a new and unprecedented way to try to prevent California from implementing its ambitious program to move toward 100 percent zero emission vehicles. This time around, the Trump
by Scott Irwin (farmdoc daily) A farmdoc daily article last week (February 5, 2025) examined the possible impact of reductions in the conventional mandate under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on the demand for ethanol in the physical market. A previous episode
by Jean Chemnick (E&E News Climatewire) The president ordered EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to decide by next week on one of the first major issues facing his agency. -- EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has one week to tell President Donald Trump whether
by Alex Guillén (Politico Pro) The new spending pause applied to more than two dozen EPA climate and infrastructure programs is separate from President Donald Trump’s broader spending freeze that has been blocked by the courts, according to the agency. Those programs, which
by Scott Irwin (farmdoc daily) In a farmdoc daily article last week (January 29, 2025), we examined a range of alternative scenarios for setting the 2026 mandates under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In two of the scenarios, the conventional mandate was
by Shayna Greene (Bloomberg Law) One refinery sued before over delay, prior denial; Both refineries are now challenging denials for 2023 -- Wynnewood Refining Co. and Calumet Shreveport Refining LLC filed separate suits challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s denials of their requests seeking small
(Washington Post) The budget office came under immense pressure over the impacts of a sudden pause in key government spending. -- The White House budget office on Wednesday rescinded an order freezing federal grants, according to a copy of a memo obtained
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Ohio Governor Seeks Delay in Year-Round E15 Implementation, Cites Petroleum Concerns -- Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine has asked the Trump administration to delay the implementation of year-round E15 in the state to 2026, citing concerns
(Inside EPA) The Trump EPA is asking the Supreme Court to pause cases over Biden-era preemption waivers for California vehicle rules and Clean Air Act venue provisions implicated by agency denials of renewable fuel standard (RFS) compliance waivers, with the agency
(Inside EPA) An industry group is filing quick legal challenges to EPA’s Clean Air Act preemption waivers for California’s latest Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) program and the state’s heavy truck nitrogen oxides (NOx) standards, teeing up what could be
(Inside Climate News) EPA has denied another two waiver requests from small refiners seeking compliance exemptions from renewable fuel standard (RFS) biofuel blending mandates, less than three weeks before the transition to a second Trump administration and after federal courts last
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy today filed their opening brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Environmental Protection Agency v. Calumet Shreveport Refining, LLC, Case No. 23-1229. The case seeks to overturn an opinion from the U.S. Court of
by Sarah Zimmerman (Agriculture Dive) A federal court overturned a 2020 rule that looked to accelerate innovation by allowing manufacturers to sidestep regulatory reviews. -- A federal court last week overturned a rule exempting genetically engineered plants from pre-market review, saying the
(Engine Technology Forum Policy Insider Blog) California’s influence on environmental and climate policy is both undeniable and increasingly controversial. A 2035 ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine (gasoline) light-duty vehicles and the mandated sale of zero-emission commercial vehicles
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuel trade association, filed an amicus brief in a consolidated set of court challenges to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks for Model Years 2027-2032,
(Growth Energy) On Wednesday, November 20th, Growth Energy, along with Clean Fuels Alliance America, filed a new opening brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (Case No. 20-1046) challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) failure to fully account
by Evan Halper, Maxine Joselow, Maegan Vazquez and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) The executive has taken a defiant approach to fighting climate change by attacking policies that call for a shift from fossil fuels. -- President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he has
by Jean Chemnick (E&E News Climatewire) The president-elect wants to reduce the federal workforce and install loyalists at the top of agencies. That could undercut his plans to roll back regulations. -- ... EPA has a staff of more than 17,000 people
(Office of Nebraska Attorney General) Attorney General Mike Hilgers led a coalition of states in filing a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today. Hilgers’s suit is aimed at stopping the Biden-Harris Administration from imposing an
by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) Amid significant drops or losses in income for the third quarter of 2024, three U.S. petroleum refiners who also manufacture renewable diesel provided newsworthy updates on their biofuel operations and market outlooks in recent quarterly
by Cole Martin and Matthew Cope (Argus Media) A US court on Friday (November 1, 2024) will weigh some novel issues that could affect enforcement of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the federal program that sets minimum biofuel blending levels for
by Allen Schaeffer (Engine Technology Forum) ... (T)his year vehicle and fuels policy - mostly aimed at electric vehicles (EVs), but also some proposed bans on internal combustion engines (ICEs) - has been a campaign-year issue at the national and
by Katie Schroeder (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The American Coalition for Ethanol’s 2024 conference, themed “The Gold Standard,” featured important figures with industry impact, including representatives from Summit Carbon Solutions and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Held in Omaha, Nebraska, this year’s
(Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy) Two prominent biofuel groups—the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy—commented on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to grant certiorari on petitions pertaining to the administration of small refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard, issuing
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Oct. 17 released updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data, reporting that 129 SRE petitions are now pending under the Renewable Fuel Standard, up from 50 as of mid-September. According to EPA
by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/South Dakota Farmers Union) Do we laugh or cry when we hear the president of the American Petroleum Institute (API) say the “Cold War” between ethanol and oil is over as the two industries are
by Betty Haynes (Farm Progress) ICGA says EPA’s multipollutant rule and DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rule would devastate agriculture. -- The Illinois Corn Growers Association has sued U.S. EPA for its multipollutant rule and the U.S. Department of Transportation for
by Shayna Greene (Bloomberg Law) Suit can be brought again because of recent opinion; D.C. Circuit in July vacated other agency denial decision -- Oil and gas company REH Co. on Wednesday challenged the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2019 decision to deny a Wyoming refinery exemptions
by Cami Koons (Iowa Capital Dispatch) Republican lawmakers opposing the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline said the Iowa Utilities Commission’s approval of the project was an attack on “God-given” Fifth Amendment rights. The remarks came from a group of nearly 40 lawmakers who
(Renewable Fuels Association) In a detailed brief submitted late Friday to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Renewable Fuels Association and 55 other parties argued that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unlawfully exceeded its statutory authority and acted arbitrarily and capriciously by
by Deanna R. Reitman , Julian E. Harrell , and( Tamara Criss (Faegre Drinker) - The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois recently granted the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) summary judgment in its first enforcement action
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) EPA Delay on 2026 RFS Volumes Release Could Draw Legal Action by Ethanol Group -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has until next week to release a proposed rulemaking for 2026 Renewable Fuel Standard volumes or
(Inside EPA) Refiners are suing EPA in district court in an effort to force the agency to cut its 2023 volume requirements for cellulosic biofuel under the renewable fuel standard (RFS), an action aimed at sidestepping potential procedural hurdles in their
by Keith Reid (Fuels Market News) ... If reducing carbon is truly the goal, meeting that goal should focus on the required end results and not mandating the specific approach to get to that point. However, the EPA emissions standards, announced
by Aaron Alford (OPIS/Market Watch) Delek U.S. Holdings idled its three biodiesel plants "temporarily" during the second quarter of 2024 due to "the decline in the overall biodiesel market," the company said Tuesday. Pausing operations at its biodiesel facilities in Arkansas, Texas
by Leah Garden (Trellis) California and the EU's corporate disclosure mandates are acting like a port in a storm amidst federal upheaval. -- In recent months, new mandates requiring public companies to report their greenhouse gas emissions have been challenged in the
by Clare Fieseler and Brian Dabbs (E&E News Energywire) The Biden administration is preparing decisions that will determine the industry’s fate. --- ... Much of the industry — and Biden’s Democratic allies on Capitol Hill — are frustrated by the Treasury Department’s
by Richard Valdmanis (Reuters) A federal appeals court said on Friday it rejected the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision in 2022 to deny small oil refineries temporary waivers from the nation’s biofuels blending program, and sent the matter back to the agency
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on July 18 announced it has reached a settlement with Lupton Petroleum Products Inc., and its affiliate Brad Hall Associates Inc., for violations of the Clean Air Act’s conventional and renewable fuel
(Clean Fuels Alliance America) Clean Fuels Alliance America delivered a formal notice of intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for its failure to issue timely 2026 Renewable Fuel Standards. By statute, EPA is required to finalize volumes 14 months before
Emma Dumain (E&E News Greenwire) Lawmakers from both parties have been plotting their response -- Senate Republicans are laying the groundwork for how they will “reclaim legislative authority” following a landmark Supreme Court ruling. More than a dozen GOP senators are forming an
by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Biofuels Digest) The evidence seems overwhelming that Electric Vehicles are not going to be able to meet the timeline predicted by the Biden Administration and consequently, fail to provide the reductions in pollution the U.S.
by David Murray (High Plains Journal) The Renewable Fuels Association and National Farmers Union filed a lawsuit June 17 in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s recently finalized light- and medium-duty vehicle emissions standards. RFA and NFU
(Renewable Fuels Association) The nation’s leading experts in agricultural economics and biofuels lifecycle analysis urged the D.C. Circuit Court last week to reject erroneous claims made by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) in its lawsuit challenging EPA’s 2023-2025 Renewable Fuel Standard volumes. In its
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuel trade association, filed a motion yesterday to intervene in a case brought by the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The case aims to force EPA
by Lesley Clark (Politico Pro Climatewire) EPA allows California to set tougher emissions standards, which 17 other states have also adopted. -- Fossil fuel interests want the Supreme Court to review California's authority to set stricter emissions standards for cars and trucks
by Shayna Greene (Bloomberg Law) Supplemental volumes already partially upheld by court; Recordkeeping necessary for food feedstock eligibility -- The Environmental Protection Agency defended its latest standards for renewable fuel from various attacks by both environmental and industry groups. “EPA appropriately set the specific
by Ann E. Marimow (Washington Post) The Supreme Court on Friday curtailed the power of federal government agencies to regulate vast swaths of American life, overturning a 40-year-old legal precedent long targeted by conservatives who say the government gives unaccountable bureaucrats too
by Alex Guillen (Politico Pro) Leading oil and biofuel groups and a litany of auto dealers have challenged the Transportation Department’s new fuel economy rule in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. That sets up a lottery to determine
(Aamerican Petroleum Institute) The American Petroleum Institute (API) today filed a lawsuit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) heavy-duty (HD) vehicle emissions standards for model years (MY) 2027-2032. “Today, we are standing up for consumers who
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The nation's largest oil trade group, which includes Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and Chevron (CVX.N), filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday seeking to block the Biden administration's efforts to reduce planet-warming emissions from cars and light trucks and encourage electric vehicle manufacturing,
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... In May, yet another high-stakes legal challenge to the RFS was rebuffed, establishing some important precedents and putting the program on solid footing for the future. A decision from the D.C. Circuit Court
(Holland & Knight) In this episode of our "An Energized Exchange" podcast series by our Energy & Natural Resources Industry Sector Group, attorneys Andy Kriha and Susan Lafferty delve into the intricacies of ongoing litigation surrounding small refinery exemptions. The speakers
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association today, along with Growth Energy, filed a petition in the Supreme Court of the United States requesting review of the Fifth Circuit Court’s recent opinion that it is a proper venue to consider challenges to the
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Renewable Fuel Standards set for 2020 to 2022 will stay in place after a federal appeals court on Tuesday denied review to a group of refining companies. Numerous lawsuits were filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Commodity Groups: Ethanol Threatened by Fuel-Test Rule Buried in EV Mandate -- New fuel economy test procedures contained in the Biden administration's final pollution standards for passenger vehicles penalize ethanol and should be declared unlawful, three
(Inside EPA) Several ethanol groups are challenging EPA’s update to test-fuel requirements, adopted alongside the agency’s final passenger vehicle emissions rulemaking, claiming that a revised fuel economy calculation to account for the test fuel unlawfully boosts the stringency of fuel economy
by Marc Heller (E&E News PM) A federal appeals court grappled Thursday with EPA’s regulation of biogas production for transportation fuel, a fresh point of contention in the renewable natural gas industry. During oral arguments on a lawsuit from the Coalition for
by Lesley Clark (E&E News PM) California is "not going to watch radical Republicans put the profits of big oil over the health of our planet," Gov. Gavin Newsom said. -- A coalition of Democratic-led states is countering Republican critics of the
by Jared Strong (Iowa Capital Dispatch) Supervisors of Dickinson County voted unanimously Tuesday to implement new restrictions on the placement of carbon dioxide pipelines to create larger buffers between them and people and animals. “We’ve tried to balance both sides,” said Bill
(Office of Iowa Attorney General) Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird today led a 13-state coalition in a lawsuit to pull the plug on Biden’s electric vehicle handout and defend ethanol. -- In Biden’s most recent attack in the war on gas vehicles, he
by Lesley Clark (E&E News) The ruling is a major boost to the Golden State’s ability to set tough tailpipe emissions standards — and the Biden administration’s climate agenda. -- An influential federal appeals court has allowed California to retain its longstanding
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Colonial Oil Industries Inc. must pay a $2.8 million civil penalty and purchase and retire more than 9 million renewable identification numbers (RINs) at an estimated price of $12.2 million under a settlement agreement reached
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) EPA Administrator Michael Regan on Friday spotlighted rural investments in new green funds while saying the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) model update is coming in the "very near future"
by David Shepardson and Nate Raymond (Reuters) A U.S. judge in Texas struck down a climate rule adopted by the Biden administration requiring states to measure and set declining targets for greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles using the national highway system. Texas
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) ... EPA announced new, final national emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles model years 2027 through 2032. Officials stated the new rule would avoid 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions while reducing air pollution for
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Though the EPA finalized Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for 2023 to 2025 in June 2023, the future of the rule could change depending on the outcome of a legal battle playing out in a federal
by Mike Lee (E&E News) The Biden administration released one of several coming car regulations Tuesday, a clean vehicle formula designed to push automakers to build more fuel-efficient or electric vehicles. The Department of Energy softened its “petroleum equivalency factor” after complaints
(U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) The Securities and Exchange Commission today adopted rules to enhance and standardize climate-related disclosures by public companies and in public offerings. The final rules reflect the Commission’s efforts to respond to investors’ demand for more consistent,
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The Environmental Protection Agency is responding to requests from state governors to remove the 1-psi volatility waiver for gasoline-ethanol blends containing 10 percent ethanol in their states. The governors made their request pursuant to CAA section 211(h)(5),
by Calen Moore and Celia Llopis-Jepsen (KMUW/NPR) Kansas has three carbon dioxide pipelines. Next, it could get two carbon sequestration wells, linked to ethanol plants. Here’s what we know. Two companies seek to build the first sites in Kansas where carbon dioxide emissions
by Bob Mercer (KELOLand) Legislation to help clear the way for a renewable-fuels company to build a plant at Lake Preston is moving ahead at the South Dakota Capitol. The Senate Commerce and Energy Committee on Thursday voted 7-2 in favor of
by Louis Sahagun (Los Angeles Times) ... “They’re just a wildfire waiting to happen,” the Lincoln County commissioner says of the low, bushy trees. ... In parts of California and much of the Great Basin, land owners have declared war on pinyon pines
by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) The Ames-based company that wants to build a $5.5 billion carbon capture pipeline across Iowa and neighboring states got a boost as North Dakota regulators signaled cities and counties there will be unable to impose
(Growth Energy) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit dismissed Hunt Refining Company v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today, ruling that the small refinery exemption (SRE) challenge brought by Hunt under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) could not be heard by the
by Kevin Bogardus (E&E News Greenwire) EPA needs to soon cement protections on air, climate and water to avoid those rules being buried by a Republican-led Congress and White House in 2025 if the coming elections turn against Democrats. In addition,
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) RFA Petitions Appeals Court for Rehearing on RFS Exemptions Decision -- The Renewable Fuels Association on Monday asked for a rehearing on a previous court decision to overturn EPA's rejection of 100 small-refinery waiver requests to
by Matthew Cope and Payne Williams (Argus Media) Ethanol demand may get a boost next year as the US paves a path for ethanol-derived sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the potential for permanent year-round sales of 15pc ethanol gasoline (E15) in
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Dec. 18 delivered its final rule to allow year-round E15 sales in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin to the White House Office of Management and Budget. OMB reviews marks
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) The states of Iowa and Nebraska asked a federal court on Wednesday to require EPA to "promptly" finalize a rule to allow permanent, year-round E15 sales in eight states, rejecting the agency's proposed plan to
by Jared Strong (Iowa Capital Dispatch) A federal judge on Monday permanently barred two Iowa counties from enforcing their ordinances that restrict the placement of carbon dioxide pipelines. Shelby and Story counties adopted restrictions after two companies proposed to build pipeline systems
by Marc Heller (Politico Pro E&E Daily) In the wake of another court ruling on the renewable fuel standard, there's scant sign lawmakers can pass meaningful changes. -- After a federal court ruled last week that small petroleum refiners should be given
by Joe Kunzler (Simple Flying) Alexander Zajac has filed litigation against United Airlines feeling misled. But is this a matter of reading the fine print? Simple Flying reveals. United Airlines claims to be committed to sustainability with a goal to be 100%
(Growth Energy) AAA projects that more than 49 million Americans will hit the road and drive more than 50 miles from their homes for Thanksgiving this week. That’s a lot of miles traveled, and a lot of stops at the gas station to
by Kate Winston (S&P Global) December deadline looming in lawsuit; Spending bill could be vehicle in 2024 -- In the next few months, legislative or legal proceedings could set the stage to allow year-round sales of a gasoline blend containing 15% ethanol
by Heather Timmons (Reuters) A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday said it struck down the Biden administration's decision to deny small refiners "hardship waivers" that exempt them from nation's biofuel mandates, in a win for the refining industry. In July, the Environmental
by Scott McClallen (The Center Square/Crow River Media) The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an auto group's challenge of Minnesota adopting "clean car rules" that will require automakers to introduce more low-emission vehicles. Minnesota will be the first Midwest state to
by Josh Funk (Associated Press) Navigator CO2 Ventures announced Tuesday that it is putting on hold one of the two biggest proposed carbon dioxide pipeline projects in the Midwest so it can reassess the project. The company withdrew its application for a
by Eric Sorensen, D-IL-17 (Washington Times) As the only meteorologist in Congress, I can tell you for certain: our climate is changing, and extreme weather events are negatively impacting our communities. In Congress, I am working to make sure that our
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) EPA Official Discusses E15, ESA Pesticide Challenges and PFAS Contamination -- Rod Snyder, senior adviser for agriculture at EPA, said Monday that the agency is on course to finalize a rule allowing permanent sales of E15
by Michelle Rook (AgWeb) Environmental and fossil fuel organizations have launched a series of lawsuits against the RFS which establish annual volume targets for various renewable fuels for 2023 through 2025. Nine cases have been consolidated in the D.C. Circuit
(Inside EPA) Liquid fuels groups and Republican state officials appeared to face tough questioning from appellate judges during Sept. 14 oral arguments in their case challenging EPA’s latest round of vehicle greenhouse gas standards, including whether the rule illegally “mandates” greater
by Lesley Clark (E&E News Climatewire) A powerful federal appeals court will hear arguments this week in three challenges to the Biden administration’s efforts to curb the largest source of planet-warming pollution in the United States — and the battles have
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Federal Judge Stays Minnesota Lawsuit Challenging State's EV Mandate -- A federal judge in Minnesota has stayed an ongoing lawsuit to prevent the state from adopting California's electric-vehicle mandate as a similar case continues in a
by Lesley Clark (Politico Pro Climatewire) "Minnesota is not California," car dealers said of efforts to adopt the Golden State's auto emissions standards. -- Minnesota auto dealers are asking the nation's highest bench to stop their state from modeling California's strict vehicle
(Inside EPA) Small refiners have abandoned their lawsuit against EPA’s revised timeline for compliance with renewable fuel standard (RFS) biofuel blending volumes, following their loss in a closely related case that addressed many of the same arguments over the allegedly compressed
(Inside EPA) Biofuels groups and refiners are sparring over the legality of EPA’s biofuel blending volumes for 2020 through 2022 under the renewable fuel standard (RFS), after criticizing other aspects of EPA’s volumes rule, as biofuels groups seek to maximize volumes
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuels trade association, filed a motion to intervene today in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) v. EPA et al. (Case No. 23-1277). CBD is
by Arianna Skibell (Politico's Power Switch) Oil companies and their allies are trying out a new legal defense tactic: Blame the judge. The claims — which include accusations that judges are biased — come as a flood of lawsuits against the fossil
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Renewable Fuels Association has been working on a couple of issues this summer that are important to the future of the ethanol industry. In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper provides an
by Galen Bacharier (Des Moines Register) Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is suing the Environmental Protection Agency, as Iowa and Nebraska try to force the agency to issue final rules allowing the year-round sale of gasoline blended with 15% ethanol. The Republican
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuels trade association, filed an amicus brief this week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in The San Antonio Refinery, LLC, et al. v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The case pertains
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) On Friday, EPA announced its decision denying 26 petitions seeking small refinery exemptions (SREs) from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for one or more of the compliance years between 2016 and 2023. Consistent with the April and July 2022
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico Pro) The Center for Biological Diversity is again challenging EPA's rule setting biofuel blending requirements in a federal appeals court, arguing the agency failed to comply with the Endangered Species Act. The lawsuit filed Thursday in the the D.C.
(U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of California) Ray Brewer, 66, of Porterville, and Sheridan, Montana, was sentenced today to six years and nine months in prison for running a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme where he purported to turn cow manure into green
by Anne C. Mulkern (Politico Pro Climatewire) The lawsuit — filed in federal court — argues that state regulators lack the authority to phase out diesel-powered trains. -- The railroad industry hopes to stop a California mandate to phase out diesel-powered
by John Kingston (Freight Waves) Overwhelmingly red states challenge waiver on rule governing what OEMs must sell into the state by 2042 -- Nineteen states have sought appellate court review in a challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency waiver granted to
by Sharon Lerner (ProPublica) The Environmental Protection Agency is facing a lawsuit filed by a community group and questions from a U.S. senator over the agency’s approval of fuels made from discarded plastic under a program it touted as “climate-friendly.” The new
(U.S. Department of Justice) Ijomah Oputa, 54, of Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden to 40 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud in connection with the generation and sale of fraudulent renewable
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has delivered its final rule to set 2023, 2024 and 2025 Renewable Fuel Standard blending obligations to the White House Office of Management and Budget. OMB review marks a final stage
(U.S. Department of Justice) Settlement Will Result in Cleaner Air Due to Tesoro’s Forfeiture of Air Emission Credits -- The Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company will pay a $27.5
(Inside EPA) Refiners say that EPA’s compressed schedule for compliance with the renewable fuel standard (RFS) violated their constitutional rights and must be overturned, in the latest challenge to deadline changes ostensibly designed to soften impacts from the agency’s delay
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on April 17 announced plans to comply with the consultation requirements of the Endangered Species Act as part of its upcoming Renewable Fuel Standard “set” rule under a proposed settlement agreement related
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuels trade association, filed its opening brief today in its challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) failure to enforce compliance under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In Growth Energy v. U.S. Environmental Protection
by Michele McPhee (Los Angeles Times) The main bad actors in a sprawling scam who formed a very unlikely alliance to defraud the government face a judge, five years after their dramatic arrests -- ... This week, the reckonings in
by Camille Von Kenel and Alex Guillen (Politico) Truck manufacturers will have to sell an increasing share of zero emissions vehicles now that the EPA has approved California’s regulations. California will require more zero emission trucks on the roads after a
(Inside EPA) EPA is fighting a legal push by Wyoming oil refiners for a stay of the agency’s denial of Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance waivers, a move the refiners say would require issuance of the waivers but which EPA
by Amelia Pollard (Bloomberg Law) Ryze Renewables, a company focused on converting agricultural oils and animal fats into low-carbon fuel, filed for bankruptcy on Thursday. The firm listed as much as $500 million in both assets and liabilities in its Chapter 11
(Bernstein Liebhard/PR Newswire) Bernstein Liebhard LLP announces that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Vertex Energy, Inc. ("Vertex" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: VTNR) between April 1, 2022 and August 8, 2022, inclusive
by Lesley Clark (Politico Pro Climatewire) The 17 Republican-led states challenging California's ability to set strict tailpipe emissions rules teed up their claims ahead of D.C. Circuit oral arguments in May. Republican states challenging California’s decades-old right to set its own
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Minnesota Ag Interests Sue State on Adoption of California Zero-Emission Mandate -- Agriculture, biofuels and convenience store groups allege the state of Minnesota violated the Constitution and federal law in adopting California's zero-emissions vehicles mandate,
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) The attorneys general of Nebraska and Iowa announced their intent to sue the EPA on its proposed E15 rule for eight states, in a certified letter delivered to EPA Administrator Michael Regan on Monday. The states
(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Sales of E15, a gasoline blend containing 15 percent ethanol, hit a record 171 million gallons in Minnesota in 2022, according to a new Renewable Fuels Association analysis of data from the Minnesota Department of Commerce. This
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico Pro) A spokesperson for EPA said it will review the decision. -- A federal appeals court Friday granted a request by two small refiners to halt their compliance obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard — signaling EPA's decision
(Inside EPA) A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is poised to hear oral argument in refiners’ lawsuit targeting EPA’s extended timetable for complying with renewable fuel standard (RFS) mandates, a measure ostensibly
by Gustav Melin (Bioenergy International/Swedish Bioenergy Association) ... The energy transition cannot be expedited by support and subsidies -- However, it is difficult to be re-elected on increased carbon dioxide taxes and more expensive energy prices. That’s no excuse, as there are
(Biodiesel Magazine) ... Recordkeeping challenges in renewable diesel aren’t new, but the struggle to balance the desire to incentivize production of low-carbon-intensity (low CI) fuels without harming collectors or tolerating fraud has come to a head. The following is what
by David Iaconangelo (Politico Pro) If fully built, the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex would become one of the country's first large facilities to capture and store carbon emissions from hydrogen production. -- A federal court has slapped down a Louisiana ordinance
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) 2023 will shape up as a major year in the permitting and development of carbon pipelines across the Midwest and Plains states. The Minnesota and South Dakota Public Utilities Commissions each this week will examine the
by Emily Skor (Growth Energy) ... By any measure, 2022 was a banner year for biofuel advocates in Washington, D.C. We secured new funding for blending infrastructure, critical tax incentives for clean energy, a summer waiver for E15 sales, and
by Jeff Beach (AgWeek) Iowa-based Summit Carbon Solutions wants to start construction in 2023 to benefit the ethanol industry, but some farmers have concerns about damage to farmland and property values. -- South Dakota regulators say they may need to push
(United States Attorney's Office District of Massachusetts) Defendant obtained more than $8.7 million in undue federal grant funding -- An Acton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with his role in a scheme to defraud the
(Inside EPA) EPA’s revised timeline for complying with renewable fuel standard (RFS) biofuel blending mandates is “dystopian,” according to refiners who are suing to scrap a compliance extension that they say led to an unmanageable pile-up of multiple deadlines as
(Inside EPA) A coalition of small refiners is sketching out its legal arguments against EPA’s blanket policy of denying all petitions from smaller refineries for economic hardship waivers from the renewable fuel standard (RFS), as many refiners seek to overturn
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