Federal Regulation – Advanced BioFuels USA

IRS to Seek Comment on Key Issues to Be Interpreted in Section 45Q Tax Credit

(Hunton Andrews Kurth) The Department of Treasury (“Treasury”) and Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) have released Notice 2019-32 (the “Notice”) seeking comment on key issues to be interpreted in the Section 45Q carbon oxide sequestration tax credit. Congress significantly enhanced the Section 45Q tax credit in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

ABC 2019: EPA Administrator Says Year-Round E15 to Be Approved

by Michael Verdon (Soundings Trade Only Today) ndrew R. Wheeler, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, told participants of the American Boating Congress that his agency plans to issue at the end of this month a final rule that will allow year-round sale of E15 gasoline. Wheeler also assured attendees

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Taxes and Bans: That Was the Threat California’s Top Air Regulator Leveled

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Taxes and Bans: That was the threat California’s top air regulator leveled Thursday in the ongoing war over the future of the state’s aggressive auto efficiency rules. The Trump administration is seeking to dramatically roll back Obama-era greenhouse gas standards for vehicles, but California

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Exclusive: Trump EPA Did Not Await Court Ruling to Loosen Biofuel Rules for Refiners – Documents

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The Trump administration made it easier for oil refineries to get waivers from the nation’s biofuel law at least four months before a 2017 court decision it often cites to justify the move to the corn lobby, and the move was motivated by a desire to save

May 16, 2019 Read Full Article

New Study: Renewable Fuel Standard Saves Consumers 22 Cents on Every Gallon of Gas

by Kelsey Quargnenti (Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has lowered gas prices by an average of 22 cents per gallon in recent years and saved the typical American household $250 annually, according to a study published today by economist and energy policy expert Dr. Philip K. Verleger, Jr. The

May 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol, the Fix the Ag Economy Needs

(WOWO News/Hoosier Ag Today) The key to improving the farm economy and raising grain prices is not trade, but renewable fuels. Jeff Broin, with POET, says farmers must stop thinking of themselves as food producers but think of themselves as energy producers as well, “Farmers have thought of themselves as food

May 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Tired of Hearing About the GND and NOPEC? Here Are Energy Policy Moves That Have a Real Chance in Next 12-18 Months

(Raymond James & Associates) … The EPA is moving forward on year-round E15, while concurrently reforming RINs. As a long-standing political matter, federal ethanol policy (under the umbrella of the Renewable Fuel Standard) involves divisions not along party lines but rather regional lines. This is why, for example, Sens. Ted Cruz from Texas

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Handout Recipients Reap Windfall Profits

(Growth Energy) A new report from the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that net income for oil and gas companies hit a five-year high last year – in stark contrast to claims of “hardship” oil giants have used to skirt America’s biofuel laws. According to the report, “2018 was

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Issues Guidance on Registration of Corn Kernel Fiber Pathways

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has published a document that provides guidance on how to demonstrate that an analytical method for determining the cellulosic converted fraction of corn kernel fiber co-processed with starch at a traditional ethanol facilities satisfies the applicable regulatory requirement. A notice posted to

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Letter from Washington – Taxes, Blends, RINs, Jobs and “The Year of the Tree”

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … (C)onsider this for now a Digested summary of the (Washington, DC) news you can use, as short as we can make it so that we return you to the business of building the bioeconomy that will, increasingly in the now and surely in the

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

The Case for a Credit

by Steffen Mueller and Sam Rushing (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The role of ethanol-based carbon dioxide is often underappreciated, both as an important source for the nation’s carbon dioxide market and for its carbon-reduction impact. Fermentation CO2 is captured, cleaned and condensed at 49 ethanol plants in the U.S., contributing between 30

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

House Members Call on EPA to End Refiner Exemptions

(St. Joseph Post) A bipartisan coalition of 35 members of the House of Representatives says the Environmental Protection Agency should stop issuing small refiner exemptions to large or unqualified refiners. The EPA has approved 54 waivers through the Renewable Fuel Standard, totaling 2.61 billion ethanol-equivalent gallons of renewable fuels in the

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Flores and Welch Reintroduce Bill to Limit Ethanol Quotas under RFS

by Nick Snow (Oil & Gas Journal) US Reps. Bill Flores (R-Tex.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) reintroduced legislation on May 7 which would limit ethanol quotas under the Renewable Fuel Standard to 9.7% of the total gasoline volumes projected to be sold in the coming year. H.R. 2540 recognizes negative impacts higher ethanol

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. EPA Proposes Hike in Biofuel Mandate to 20.04 Billion Gallons in 2020: Sources

by Humeyra Pamuk, Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed increasing the volume of biofuels refiners must blend into their fuel annually to 20.04 billion gallons in 2020, from 19.92 billion gallons in 2019, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The proposed mandate, now under review

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Guidance on Qualifying an Analytical Method for Determining the Cellulosic Converted Fraction of Corn Kernel Fiber

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) This document provides guidance on how to demonstrate that an analytical method for determining the cellulosic converted fraction of corn kernel fiber co-processed with starch at a traditional ethanol facility satisfies the applicable regulatory requirements. Public confidence in the volumes of cellulosic ethanol produced under the Renewable

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

The Low Carbon Coast

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Washington state (House–see correction below) has passed a low carbon fuel standard that would have it join itself to the standards already enacted in California, Oregon and British Columbia and under development now for the whole of Canada. The establishment of a clear and steady

May 9, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Delivers Proposed Rule with 2020 RVOs, ‘Other Changes’ to OMB

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has delivered a proposed rule to set 2020 renewable blending obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard to the White House Office of Management and Budget. The proposed rule also includes the 2021 RVO for biomass-based diesel and “other changes” to the

May 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Growth Energy Comments Urge EPA to Finalize E15 Year-Round Rule by June 1

(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s leading association of ethanol producers and supporters, filed comments with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in support of a proposed rule allowing year-round sales of E15 – gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol. “Unless the EPA acts quickly, the summer market for E15 will be

May 3, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith Says EPA Plan to Hide Which Refineries Are Allowed to Stop Blending Renewable Fuels Would Hurt Farmers, Rural Communities

(Office of Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said today the Trump Administration’s plan to go back on its promise to name which U.S. oil refineries are allowed to avoid requirements to blend renewable fuels into the nation’s fuel supply could ultimately contribute to job losses across rural

May 3, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Said To Halt Work on Revealing More Info for Small Refiner Waivers

(DTN Progressive Farmer) An EPA plan to reopen comments on a plan it put forth in 2016 to reveal more information on refiners relative to small refiner exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations has been put on hold, according to Reuters. EPA announced April 12 it would reopen the comment

May 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Pacific Biodiesel Eyes California as Federal, Local Support Wanes

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Hawaii-based Pacific Biodiesel has long prided itself on producing biodiesel from local resources within the petroleum-dependent archipelago and supplying the renewable fuel back to its community. But as the U.S. biodiesel sector tries to push forward in an unsupportive federal environment, producers like Pacific Biodiesel are

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

NACS, Fuel Marketers, Comment on EPA’s RIN Market Proposal

(National Association of Convenience Stores) …(P)roposed RIN Market Reform regulations are unnecessary solutions in search of problems, and that EPA should finalize only those aspects of the proposal that enhance disclosure requirements and set aside for future reconsideration those aspects that would modify market behavior. The trade associations Monday filed

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Stalls Biofuel Waiver Transparency Plan after White House Blowback: Sources

by Jarrett Renshaw, Chris Prentice, Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has suspended work on its plan to publish the names of refineries securing exemptions from federal biofuels law after receiving blowback from the White House and parts of the oil industry, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Donald J. Trump, Our Blue-Collar President

by Curtis Ellis (WND) … Last week, members of the International Union of Operating Engineers stood alongside President Trump at a union job-training center as he signed executive orders to expedite the construction of oil and gas pipelines and energy infrastructure projects, including Keystone XL, Dakota Access, Line 3 in Wisconsin and

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Can Go Further than E15

(Urban Air Initiative) The Urban Air Initiative submitted comments to the EPA supporting the agency’s proposal to make E15 available year round. While this is a critical step forward and needs to happen, UAI asked EPA to not stop at E15 and provided detailed analysis as to why the law allows higher

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Urban Air Initiative Comments on E15 Proposed Regulations focus on Sub-Sim

(Urban Air Initiative, et al.) EPA’s proposed rule is inconsistent with the text of the sub-sim law, because ethanol is now a fuel additive used in vehicle certification. The proposed rule would codify a “no more than 15%” ethanol limit for the 1 psi RVP waiver. EPA’s 15% limit is based on EPA’s misinterpretation

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Inside California’s Fight against Pollution

by Miranda Green (The Hill) … Asked who she (Mary Nichols, head of the California Air Resources Board (CARB)) thought would benefit the most from the Trump rule change, which she has argued automakers are largely opposed to, Nichols points to the fossil fuel industry. “It has been said, and I believe

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Oil and Renewable Industries Locked in Tug of War over Trump’s Ethanol Plan

by John Siciliano and Josh Siegel (Washington Examiner) The deadline for comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed plan to allow year-round sales of 15% ethanol fuel closes at midnight, but neither side in the fight — that is, the oil and renewable fuel industries — wants the plan to move ahead

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol’s Tightening Tough Spot

by Alan Guebert (Beatrice Daily Sun) … “U.S. farmers, particularly cornbelt farmers, have gotten a really bad deal from the Trump Administration on the biofuels front.” Both statements are true, according to Scott Irwin, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois who, word-for-word, offered the latter one. On April

April 26, 2019 Read Full Article

ABFA Files for Injunction against EPA to Prevent Additional SREs

(Advanced Biofuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Advanced Biofuels Association filed a motion April 24 for a preliminary injunction to prevent U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler from granting any additional small refinery exemptions (SREs) to release obligated parties from compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard until the resolution of its pending lawsuit

April 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Guest Column: Read the Fine Print on the New E15 Rule

by Doug Sombke (South Dakota Farmers Union) and Jim Seurer (Glacial Lakes Energy) (Farm Forum) … It does in fact, propose to provide year-round exemption from vapor pressure limits for blends of 15 percent ethanol, but does no more. The EPA proposal does not extend to higher blends. The anticipated increase

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Jury Finds Pennsylvania Biofuel Company Owners Guilty of Tax and False Statements Conspiracy

(U.S. Department of Justice) Following a 14-day jury trial in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Ben T. Wootton, of Enola, Pennsylvania, and Race A. Miner, of Buena Vista, Colorado, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to make false statements to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), six counts of making false statements to

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

NFU Urges Implementatin of E15 Waiver, Common-Sense Provisions for Higher Level Blends

(National Farmers Union/KTIC Radio) As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) works towards allowing year-round use of E15 gasoline, National Farmers Union (NFU) is concerned EPA’s proposed rule will make it harder for retailers to sell higher level blends of ethanol. In a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, NFU President Roger Johnson

April 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Thank You, Biodiesel Industry

by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) … This past year we engaged with organizations like National Renderers Association, National Association of Truck Stop Operators, American Soybean Association, Petroleum Marketers of America, and many more. The National Biodiesel Board has strengthened its reach and relationships by increasing regular dialogue with our industry

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Where Will All the Feedstock Come From?

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) As a new wave of large-scale biomass-based diesel projects develops, experts suggest market forces are ready to deliver the necessary fats, oils and greases. — …Many of these new biomass-based diesel projects intend to produce renewable diesel at a much larger scale than even the largest biodiesel

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Seeks Comments on SRE Portion of Proposed REGS Rule DEADLINE: TBD

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA announced April 12 that it will reopen the comment period on one aspect of proposed rule issued in 2016 in an effort to “expand transparency surrounding the small refinery exemption program and provide further opportunity for input.” The agency’s announcement relates to its proposed

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA to Propose Rule on Biomass Carbon Neutrality This Summer

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler recently informed federal lawmakers that the agency is working on a rulemaking that will define biomass as carbon neutral. A proposed rule is expected to be released this summer. … During the hearing, Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said the past several

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. EPA to Revise Proposed Freeze of Vehicle Fuel Economy Rules

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 Read Full Article

EPA’s Latest Effort on SRE Transparency Helpful Progress But Not Enough

(Growth Energy) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced they will take comment on the current process for issuing small refinery exemptions, allowing EPA to post the names of refineries who have applied for and received small refinery exemptions, an important first step in providing transparency in the process. While

April 12, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. EPA May Grant Fewer Biofuel Waivers Due to Low Credit Prices: Wheeler

by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could grant fewer waivers exempting small refineries from the country’s biofuel policy as lower prices for blending credits have reduced the cost of compliance, the agency’s administrator Andrew Wheeler told Reuters on Thursday. The Trump administration’s use of such waivers to save the

April 12, 2019 Read Full Article

Study Shows Ethanol’s Impact

by John Huthmacher (Hastings Tribune) Ethanol continues to be a driving force in Nebraska’s economy, affecting a sizable portion of the state’s business sector. This, according to a recent impact study released by University of Nebraska-Lincoln economists. The report examines the economic impact of Nebraska’s ethanol industry between 2015-17. Authors are UNL agricultural

April 9, 2019 Read Full Article

ABLC 2019 Round-Up

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … ABLC 2019 kicked off on Wednesday with about 540 delegates in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Department of Agriculture building complete with secret service protection and escorts for some big-name super star speakers, with a pretty exciting vibe in the room. In ABLC terms,

April 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Emissions from Low- and Mid-Level Blends of Anhydrous Ethanol in Gasoline 2019-01-0997

(SAE International) Typically ethanol is present in gasoline as a 10% blend by volume (E10), although E15, E85 (51 to 83%), and E0 are also available at selected stations. Numerous studies of tailpipe regulated emissions have been conducted to compare emissions from E10 and E0, and there is a growing body

April 8, 2019 Read Full Article

New Study: Non Flex Fuel Vehicles Benefit From Ethanol Blends

(Urban Air Initiative) A newly published study finds that most vehicles on the road today can adapt to mid-level ethanol blends, helping cars run more efficiently while reducing greenhouse gas emissions along with other pollutants. The study was conducted by North Carolina State University and commissioned by the Urban Air Initiative. “This study

April 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Fuels Institute Study Explores National High-Octane Standard

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A report released by the Fuels Institute, a research group that studies issues effecting vehicle and fuel markets, outlines ethanol’s potential in helping the nation achieve a high-octane fuel (HOF) standard. According to the study and its companion white paper, the goal was to “develop

April 8, 2019 Read Full Article

California Sues Trump Administration over Rollback of Emissions Standards

by Bob Egelko (San Francisco Chronicle) California’s Air Resources Board sued the Trump administration Friday for information that might support the federal government’s claim that its proposed weakening of auto emissions standards would save lives. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency introduced regulations last August to roll back fuel-efficiency standards adopted under

April 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Sen. Grassley Honored for Lifetime Achievement in Bioenergy

by Cindy Zimmerman (AgWired.com) Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) was honored at the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference (ABLC) in Washington DC this week with the Holmberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in Bioenergy. Accepting the award, Grassley said he was honored, but noted that his “work’s not done yet.” The Iowa senator, who has been

April 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Wheeler Addresses SREs, RVO Reallocation during Recent Hearings

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler told federal lawmakers in early April that it would be difficult for the agency to reallocate biofuel volumes waived by small refinery exemptions (SREs), even if Congress provided a legislative mechanism to do so. He also said the agency aims

April 5, 2019 Read Full Article

UPDATE 1-EPA Waits on DOE Input to Process Small Refinery Waivers for 2018 from U.S. Biofuel Law

by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is waiting to receive input from the Department of Energy to process 2018 applications exempting small refineries from U.S. biofuel laws, the agency’s administrator Andrew Wheeler said on Tuesday. Speaking at a hearing at the House Appropriations Committee, Wheeler said he expected

April 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Ag Policy Blog: Some Agricultural Views from Some Democratic Presidential Candidates

by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) … Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former HUD Secretary Julian Castro, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan all took questions at the Heartland Forum in consecutive order on stage. … Former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, also

April 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol Advocates Worry RIN Reform Proposals Will Derail E15 Expansion

by Jordan Godwin (Oil Price Information Service) With about two months to go before the start of the summer driving season, ethanol advocates are growing increasingly worried that EPA’s decision to combine in the same proposed rulemaking changes to how Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits are trading and a volatility waiver for

April 2, 2019 Read Full Article

The Compelling Case for Biojet Fuel

by Jess Hewitt and Jonathan Lewis (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) … Many people are confused by the term “biojet,” and the many other terms used to describe this “new fuel”. There is a standard specification that describes this product. Turbine (jet) fuels are covered by the American Society of Testing Materials

April 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Democrats Still Need Rural Voters to Defeat Trump

by J.D. Scholten (The Hill) … To win back the White House, Democrats can’t just rely on “Whole Foods” districts of educated, affluent suburbanites. Democrats can do well in “Dollar General” districts if they show up and address the issues. No one gave me much of a chance when I ran against Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), but

April 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Biofuels Advocates Testify at EPA Hearing

(Ag News Wire) The Environmental Protection Agency held a hearing Friday on proposed regulatory changes related to retail sales of 15% ethanol blended fuel (E15) and the renewable identification number (RIN) compliance system Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. Biofuels advocates, organization representatives and company officials testified at the hearing about the proposal

March 29, 2019 Read Full Article

Backstabbing the Ethanol Industry

by David Kruse (The Daily Reporter) I was told by a director of the Iowa Corn Growers that at a meeting they discussed my recent reports where I had noted that the National Corn Growers Association is dropping the ball in pushing back against President Donald Trump personally on renewable identification

March 29, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Grants Additional 2017 Small Refinery Waiver from Nation’s Biofuel Laws

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted an additional 2017 small refinery waiver from the nation’s biofuel laws, bringing the tally to 35, the agency disclosed on Thursday. READ MORE EPA Grants Another Small Refinery Waiver (Energy.AgWired.com) US EPA approves another 2017 small refinery exemption to RFS (Biodiesel

March 29, 2019 Read Full Article

Fuel Standards to Prevent Overdependence on Foreign Oil Are Out of Date

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 Read Full Article

South Dakota Farmers Union: Say No to E15 Rule; Farmer Leader Says We Can Do Better

(South Dakota Farmers Union) On the eve of a public hearing to receive comments on the long awaited ruling to allow year round rvp relief for E15, the South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) called the rule a backdoor effort to limit ethanol blends. In a call with supporters today, SDFU President

March 28, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Seeks Input on E15 Information Collection Request Extension DEADLINE: May 17, 2019

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of a proposed extension of an existing information collection request (ICR) related to E15 it plans to submit to the Office of Management and Budget. A notice published in the Federal Register March 18 explains

March 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Petrochemical Fire in Houston Reveals Much Larger Issue.

(Urban Air Initiative) On Sunday, March 17, tanks of toluene and xylene caught fire at Intercontinental Terminal in the Houston, TX area, releasing plumes of black smoke into the air. As a result, incomplete combustion of toluene and xylene combined to form benzene, a known carcinogen. Toluene and xylene are toxic aromatic chemicals added

March 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Biofuels: Recent Stability and Future Uncertainty

by Pat Westhoff (Columbia Daily Tribune) … Long-term changes in the vehicle fleet could result in even larger changes in biofuel demand. If electric cars and trucks become widespread, the demand for both petroleum-based fuels and liquid biofuels could decline. How the biofuel industry develops will be critical to U.S. agriculture.

March 26, 2019 Read Full Article

E15 Ethanol Is Coming, Like It or Not. Here’s What You Need to Know

by Jim Koscs (Hagerty) … In the United States, ninety-eight percent of gasoline sold already contains some amount of ethanol. Cars produced in the past two decades or so generally have no problem burning the common E10 blend, which contains 10 percent ethanol. Some stations have offered E15, which bumps the amount

March 24, 2019 Read Full Article

FAA Launches Voluntary MRV Program for US Aircraft Operators Participating in CORSIA

(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 Read Full Article

Comment Period for E15 Underway

by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) The EPA has given stakeholders a little more than a month to weigh in on the proposed rule that would allow year-round sales of E15. The proposal is being published in the Federal Register today, and the comment period ends April 29th. Minnesota Corn Growers president

March 22, 2019 Read Full Article

Candidates Should Recognize Biofuel Benefits

by Mike Naig and Dave Loebsack (Quad City Times) We may come from different political parties, but we share at least one common vision. Both of us strongly support renewable fuel, like biodiesel, for the vital role it plays in Iowa’s farm economy and job market, creating a cleaner environment, enhancing

March 21, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Likely to Grant Partial Waivers from U.S. Biofuel Laws for 2018: Sources

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is likely to issue partial waivers to some of the 39 small refineries seeking relief from the nation’s biofuel laws for 2018, in an unusual option to balance the competing interests of oil and corn producers, two sources briefed on the matter

March 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Trump’s Top Economic Adviser Still Supports Carbon Tax

by Scott Waldman (E&E News) President Trump’s top economic adviser is not backing away from his belief that a carbon tax would be an effective way to address greenhouse gas emissions. Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, has expressed support for a carbon tax for years. In

March 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Study Shows Biofuels Are 3 Percent of Iowa GDP

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has released a new study that shows biofuels are responsible for over $5 billion of Iowa’s GDP, or roughly three percent. The study, authored by John Urbanchuk of ABF Economics and commissioned by IRFA, also found that biofuels account for over 48,000 Iowa jobs and

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Waivers Reduce Incentive to Produce Biofuels

(KCRG) Between 2017 and 2018, U.S. ethanol consumption dropped for the first time in a decade and the Renewable Fuels Association says that’s because of the Environmental Protection Agency hurting demand. One of the reasons former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned from the agency was because of approving dozens of refiner

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Come Together: At NEC, a GM Executive Outlined Some Controversial Advice for the Ethanol Industry.

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …Collaborate with the automotive industry, the petroleum industry, fuel retailers and other stakeholders in the liquid fuels market to push for a national high-octane standard. “We’re advocating for a reasonable and manageable proposal—a new, national high-octane based fuel for all new vehicles,” said Dan

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Amy Klobuchar Knocks EPA’s Secret Waivers that Boost Big Oil

by Pat Rynard (Iowa Starting Line) Senator Amy Klobuchar blasted the Trump Administration’s continued use of blending waivers for renewable fuels usage while in Iowa this weekend. Using it as an example of how Donald Trump’s presidency has hurt rural America, she linked the EPA’s decisions to the first decline in

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Public Hearing for Modifications To Fuel Regulations To Provide Flexibility for E15; Modifications to RFS RIN Market Regulations March 29, 2019

(Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) The EPA is announcing a public hearing to be held in Ypsilanti, MI on March 29, 2019 for the proposed rule ‘‘Modifications to Fuel Regulations to Provide Flexibility for E15; Modifications to RFS RIN Market Regulations.’’ This proposed rule will be published separately in the Federal Register. The pre-publication version of this proposal can be

March 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Cruz Says EPA’s Wheeler Promised to Continue Granting Small Refinery Waivers

by Jim Wiesemeyer (Pro Farmer) Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says he won “explicit promises” from EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to keep granting small refineries waivers from U.S. biofuel mandates, without retroactively reallocating those quotas to non-exempted facilities. Cruz says he secured those commitments after joining with other Republican senators to slow

March 19, 2019 Read Full Article

UAI’s Studies Tell the Truth

by Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Institute/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The need for an updated fuel testing process. — Every time we fill our gas tanks, we are exposed to chemicals known to cause cancer. Think about how often that happens, and how a cleaner fuel is rarely an option. These toxic chemicals, known as

March 18, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. Ethanol Market Sees First Sales Decline in Decades: Lower U.S. Demand, Plunge in Exports Made for Rough 2018.

by Jim Spencer and Mike Hughlett (Star Tribune) … As production increased and sales to foreign countries rose to record levels, profits went down roughly 20 cents per gallon. … The domestic market for ethanol had stopped growing at the same time production hit a new record. Figures from the U.S.

March 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol Use Falls for First Time in 20 Years

by John Herath (Farm Journal Media) RFA Blames Waivers for Refiners — Ethanol use in the United States last year fell for the first time since 1998, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is blaming that fall on waivers EPA granted to refiners allowing them

March 15, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Grants More RFS Waivers, Undercuts Add’l Demand for Biofuels

by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) U.S. EPA retroactively granted five new small refinery exemptions for 2017, releasing them from their obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The five new small refinery exemptions reduced the 2017 renewable volume obligation (RVO) for biomass-based diesel by an additional 48 million gallons. Previously granted exemptions

March 15, 2019 Read Full Article

NTSB to Prioritize Safe Shipment of Ethanol

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 Read Full Article

Avenue 45Q

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Trump administration is developing guidance to help companies qualify for a built-out tax credit for carbon capture, utilization and storage — a welcome addition for industry officials and lawmakers who have complained the IRS is moving too slowly to implement the increased credit,

March 14, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA’s Proposed Rule Changes Around Higher Ethanol Blends Draw Mixed Reactions

by Danielle Romano (Convenience Store News) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing regulatory changes around higher ethanol blends, and they’re drawing mixed reactions. … “NACS is concerned that the proposed rulemaking would generate more problems than solutions,” said Paige Anderson, NACS’ director of government relations. “We believe that EPA’s proposal would

March 14, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard Is Not Working: Marathon CEO

by David Gaffen and Erwin Seba (Reuters) The U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) laws are not working and there is an “opportunity for a reset” of the standard in Washington, Marathon Petroleum Corp Chief Executive Gary Heminger said on Tuesday. … Heminger said U.S. refiners already rely on ethanol to boost

March 13, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. EPA to Decide on 2017 Waivers from Biofuel Laws within Week

by David Gaffen and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will decide on the seven pending applications for small refinery waivers from the nation’s biofuel laws for the 2017 calendar year in the next week, agency administrator Andrew Wheeler said on Monday. Once the 2017 applications are decided, the

March 12, 2019 Read Full Article

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Modifications to Fuel Regulations to Provide Flexibility for E15 and to Elements of the Renewable Identification Number Compliance System — COMMENTS DUE April 29, 2019

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) On March 12, 2019, EPA proposed regulatory changes to allow gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol (E15) to take advantage of the 1-psi Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver that currently applies to E10 during the summer months. EPA is also proposing regulatory changes to

March 12, 2019 Read Full Article

Trump Won’t Return to Negotiations with California on Fuel Efficiency Rollback, EPA’s Andrew Wheeler Says

by Josh Siegel (Washington Examiner) The Trump administration won’t be returning to the negotiating table with California before finalizing a plan to roll back Obama-era fuel efficiency standards, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler said Monday. Wheeler, in an interview with the Washington Examiner, said the Trump administration won’t compromise on its final

March 12, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Wants Refinery Information Sealed Agency Asks Court Not to Disclose Waivers Brief, Documents to Public

by Todd Neeeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) The EPA wants to keep from the public eye an opening brief and some records to be filed in a small-refinery waivers case, claiming in a court motion the information is subject to a protective order on confidential business information. The agency made the

March 12, 2019 Read Full Article

Throw Deep: Heard on the Floor at the Washington Sustainable Aviation Fuels Summit

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman noted: “Secretary Mabus advised us to set a goal. If it’s good enough for the Navy, it’s good enough for SeaTac airport, and we’ve established a partnership with 13 airlines with a goal of moving to 10 percent renewable

March 12, 2019 Read Full Article

101 for Low Carbon Fuel Standard

by Paul Greene (BioCycle Magazine/Montrose Environmental) California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which grew out of the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act, is stimulating markets for biogas, including renewable natural gas — Biogas project developers and financiers are finding strong offtake opportunities selling their gas into the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)

March 11, 2019 Read Full Article

Biogas To RNG Projects: What, Why And How

by Brad Pleima (BioCycle Magazine/EcoEngineers) With prices for renewable electricity low in many states, biogas producers are turning to the renewable natural gas marketplace. This road map is a valuable navigation tool. — There is a national trend to reposition biogas-producing assets into renewable fuel production facilities. Biogas is typically used to

March 11, 2019 Read Full Article

New EIA Data Confirms Ethanol Demand Destruction in 2018

(Renewable Fuels Association) Total Ethanol Consumption and Average Blend Rate Both Saw Year-Over-Year Declines — Data released today by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reveals the extensive damage to 2018 ethanol demand that resulted from former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s egregious abuse of small refinery exemptions (SREs). Pruitt excused 48 refiners from

March 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Washington State Tackles Transportation Emissions

by Jeremy Martin (Union of Concerned Scientists) … The largest source of pollution in Washington state is transportation, which is another way to say burning petroleum-based fuels like gasoline and diesel. Tackling emissions from transportation requires policies that focus on vehicles and transportation fuels. Broad economy-wide measures like carbon pricing or

March 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Court Brief: EPA Strayed on RFS Waivers — EPA Changed Course on Small-Refinery Waivers Without Public Input

by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) The EPA broke away from Renewable Fuel Standard requirements for granting small-refinery waivers starting in May 2017 and continued to deny a congressional order regarding which refiners qualify, according to a 97-page brief filed in a federal court in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. The

March 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Report: Feds’ Biofuel Policy Produced Unintended Environmental Consequences

(Public News Service) A new report says the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, created to spur ethanol production and cut air pollution, is responsible for a number of negative environmental impacts, including reduced water supplies in Texas and other drought-prone areas. Producing a single gallon of ethanol can require up to two thousand

March 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Exclusive: U.S. EPA Aims to Curb Biofuel Credit Speculation by Blocking Outsiders

by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The Environmental Protection Agency will attempt to stamp out speculation in the U.S. biofuel credit market by barring trading by non-industry players, publicizing large positions, and improving price transparency, a source familiar with the agency’s proposals told Reuters on Thursday. … For years, refiners have complained that the

March 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol Demand Boost from US EPA Lifting Summer E15 Ban Expected to Be Slow

by Meghan Gordon (S&P Global Platts) Even if the Trump administration completes a policy change allowing year-round sales of higher ethanol blends in time for this summer’s driving season, any major increase in demand may not materialize until summer 2020 because fuel stations saw the promised policy change as too uncertain

March 8, 2019 Read Full Article

White House Presses Automakers to Back Fuel-Efficiency Rollback

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 Read Full Article

EPA Changed Rules to Help Profitable Refiners Get Biofuel Waivers: Lawsuit

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) U.S. environmental regulators quietly changed the way they assess applications from refineries for waivers from the nation’s biofuels law, making it possible for highly profitable plants to secure lucrative exemptions, according to court documents filed by a biofuels trade group on Thursday. The new documents, part of

March 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Europe Needn’t Fear E10 Ethanol Blends

by James Cogan (Biofuels Digest) … The ongoing battle to convince regulators that domestic crop based ethanol is climate friendly and free of adverse side effects is a roller coaster of highs and lows. It’s not for the faint-hearted investor. But one single win for them could double the addressable market

March 6, 2019 Read Full Article

OPINION: Terminal Availability of E15 Grows as RVP Relief Nears

by Robert White (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) When E15 (gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol) debuted in 2012, it was created at retail sites by using blender pumps to dilute E85 (fuel containing up to 85 percent denatured ethanol) with E10. Blender pump technology was not new; in fact, it had

March 6, 2019 Read Full Article

All in on Ethanol?

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) EPA sent its rule that would allow the year-round sales of 15 percent ethanol fuel to the White House for review on Monday, a step that makes it more likely the agency will release a final rule before the summertime driving season starts, Pro’s

March 5, 2019 Read Full Article

How Ethanol Threatens Energy Security

by Pat Meehan (Washington Times) The blending of fuels puts needed small refineries in peril of extinction — Big oil manufacturers who can blend ethanol and oil in excess of their needs can sell that excess capacity as a credit to the smaller manufacturers who cannot produce it themselves. As a result, a

March 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Paul, Grassley Introduce Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act of 2019

(Office of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)) Today (February 27, 2019), U.S. Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Chuck Grassley of Iowa introduced the Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act of 2019(S.581), legislation that would remove burdensome regulations on domestic energy production. “The Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act provides new economic opportunity for Kentucky farmers

March 1, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. EPA Gets 37 Bids for Small Refinery Waivers through Mid-February

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has received 37 applications for small refinery waivers for 2018 from the U.S. Renewable Standard (RFS) through mid-February, according to data released on Thursday by the agency. The 37 applications matches the total the EPA received last year, when it approved waivers

February 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Kern Oil Threatens to Sue EPS over Delayed Biofuel Waiver Decision

(KTIC Radio) Kern Oil & Refining Co has threatened to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to respond to its request for a small refinery biofuel waiver within the proscribed 90 days, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday. … Kern, a privately owned California company, said

February 27, 2019 Read Full Article

API Study: EPA’s Proposal for Reforming RINs Exacerbates Broken Fuels Mandate

(American Petroleum Institute) Today (February 26, 2019), the American Petroleum Institute released a new study that found EPA’s proposal to reform the Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) market will only worsen program. This could ultimately harm consumers. “API’s new study makes clear that the EPA’s RINs reform proposal both misdiagnosed the problem and provides

February 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Delay in SAFE Rule Disappointing, But Still an Opportunity

(Urban Air Initiative) EPA’s decision to delay fuel economy rules until “later in the year” provides the Urban Air Initiative an opportunity to continue educating the agency on the benefits of clean octane from higher ethanol blends. Originally the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule was supposed to be finalized by

February 27, 2019 Read Full Article

GROWMARK Offers Pre-Blended E15 at More Terminals

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) GROWMARK Energy is adding to the number terminals around the Midwest offering pre-blended E15, according to the Renewable Fuels Association, which has worked closely with the farmer-owned cooperative on related issues such as regulatory compliance and adoption of RFA’s Misfueling Mitigation Plan (MMP). GROWMARK will now offer pre-blended E15