Federal Regulation – Advanced BioFuels USA

Roadblock to Higher Blends

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA’s rule allowing year-round sale of E15 is a monumental achievement for the ethanol industry, but might also stymie growth for higher blends. Challenges to the rule could take the issues to court. — … Specifically, the rule limits blends higher than

January 23, 2020 Read Full Article

At the Table, or On the Menu?

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) As discussions about climate change ramp up, ethanol and its impact on emissions and the environment should be top of mind. — We’re only halfway through the 116th Congress and, already, there have been nearly 40 legislative proposals and resolutions introduced to tackle climate

January 23, 2020 Read Full Article

B&C Launches TSCA Tutor™ Online, On-Demand Training Courses

(Bergeson & Campbell) Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to announce the release of the complete suite of TSCA Tutor™ regulatory training courses online and on-demand at www.TSCAtutor.com. Professionals seeking expert, efficient, essential training can preview and enroll in on-demand classes to complete at their own pace and timing. In

January 22, 2020 Read Full Article

Grassley: New WOTUS Coming This Week, Trump Got No Applause on Ethanol

(Hagstrom Report/Fence Post) … In a call to rural reporters, Grassley (Senator Charles Grassley R-IA) noted that he continues to warn the Trump administration that farmers are watching the management of the Renewable Fuel Standard and that he had heard Trump got a warm welcome when he spoke at the

January 22, 2020 Read Full Article

Are Presidential Candidates Listening to the Biofuels Industry?

by Ben Nuelle (AgriPulse) Biofuel industry advocates say they’re pleased with how the Democratic presidential candidates are talking about ethanol and biodiesel in Iowa, although most of the campaigns haven’t provided specifics about how they would increase demand. READ MORE Trump to farmers: Your ‘best days’ are ahead (AgriPulse) Trump

January 22, 2020 Read Full Article

Plan to Gut Obama’s Auto Mileage Rules Is Getting Dialed Back

by Ryan Beene and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Revised proposal will require modest annual efficiency gains; Draft rule is under review by White House budget office — … A draft of the final rule, now undergoing a final White House review, includes several changes that could make it easier to

January 22, 2020 Read Full Article

Fueling the Future: Diesel Fleets Will Continue to Thrive with Biodiesel

(National Biodiesel Board) Attendees hear from industry leaders representing the Fuels Institute, the National Truck Equipment Association, and major OEMs — Attendees at the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo received an enlightening glimpse into the future as industry leaders from the Fuels Institute, the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA), and major

January 22, 2020 Read Full Article

Why Ethanol Endures as Important Market for Midwestern Farmers

by Jim Spencer and Mike Hughlett (Star Tribune) The biofuel’s intended uses for energy independence and greenhouse gas reduction have become matters of debate. But no one questions its political clout, economic importance or staying power. — … Janet McCabe is a former assistant administrator of the air and radiation office

January 20, 2020 Read Full Article

EPA: 21 SRE Petitions Now Pending for Compliance Year 2019

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA released updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data on Jan. 16, reporting that five new SRE petitions have been filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard for compliance year 2019, up from 16 petitions that had been filed as of Dec. 19, 2019. A

January 17, 2020 Read Full Article

RFA CEO Offers Outlook for Ethanol’s Future at Iowa Summit

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) As the keynote speaker at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit Thursday, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said “2019 sucked” but the industry is focusing forward now into the “Roaring ’20s.” Cooper offered four predictions for the new decade. 1. The battle over the Renewable Fuel Standard

January 17, 2020 Read Full Article

USDA Seeks Input on New Ethanol Sales Infrastructure Incentive Program

(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking public input to help with the creation of the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), a new program that will expand the availability of domestic ethanol and biodiesel by incentivizing the expansion of sales of renewable fuels. “Feedback from farmers, retailers and

January 16, 2020 Read Full Article

Aemetis Acquires Partially Complete Ethanol Plant in Kansas

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Aemetis Inc. has purchased a partially complete ethanol plant in Kansas. While the company previously said it would convert the facility to cellulosic production, Aemetis Chairman and CEO Eric McAfee said there are currently no plans to build at the site. … In its third

January 16, 2020 Read Full Article

IRS Delay Threatens Carbon Capture Projects

by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) Almost two years after Congress passed a law more than doubling tax credits for power and industrial plants that build systems to prevent carbon dioxide emissions, efforts to begin construction are on hold. Companies have announced plans to build more than 20 so-called carbon capture facilities,

January 15, 2020 Read Full Article

Biodiesel Economics: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to REG’s Biodiesel

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From GHG emissions and carbon savings to growing public policy support, REG is working hard on improving biodiesel’s LCFS value. Check out this Slide-Guide from REG’s Director of Government Affairs, Lindsay Fitzgerald’s presentation at ABLC NEXT in San Francisco to get the latest on states

January 15, 2020 Read Full Article

Auto Rollback Goes to OMB Review

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) EPA and NHTSA on Tuesday sent their new auto emissions and fuel efficiency rules to the Office of Management and Budget for review, EPA confirmed to ME. This is the second half of the SAFE Vehicles rule and covers model years 2021 through 2026,

January 15, 2020 Read Full Article

The RFS: Where Things Stand

by Bob Cleaves (Biomass Magazine/Biomass Power Association) As we begin 2020, I thought an update of the Biomass Power Association’s pursuit of electric RINs, or eRINs, would be in order. Last year was big for us, and while we would prefer for this campaign to be over and electricity implemented

January 14, 2020 Read Full Article

A Vision for Biodiesel

by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) … NBB undertook a formal strategic planning process in the second half of 2019 to ask the tough questions, define the challenges and opportunities, and to lay out a roadmap to achieving those objectives over the next three to five years. So, our

January 13, 2020 Read Full Article

Crude Oil: Has the United States Really Achieved Independence?

by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) The recent conflict with Iran and its proxies in Iraq has served as a reminder of the enduring potential for geopolitical risk to unsettle petroleum markets – not just globally but also in the U.S. While the U.S. has become significantly more energy-secure over the

January 13, 2020 Read Full Article

US EPA Sets 2020 Cellulosic Waiver Credit at $1.80, in Line with Platts Expectations

by Josh Pedrick (S&P Global Platts) The US Environmental Protection Agency has set the 2020 cellulosic waiver credit (CWC) at $1.80, in line with S&P Global Platts expectations, the agency said on its website. Parties obligated under the Renewable Fuel Standard can purchase the CWC if they are unable to

January 13, 2020 Read Full Article

Dem Senators Urge Shareholders on Climate:

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) A trio of Democratic senators urged four major Marathon Petroleum shareholders to exert influence to shift the refining company’s climate change lobbying efforts. The letters from Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii) and Martin Heinrich (N.M.) to JPMorgan Chase, BlackRock, State Street and Vanguard cited Marathon’s push to thwart increasing vehicle fuel economy standards and

January 13, 2020 Read Full Article

Congressional Watchdog to Review Trump Admin’s Use of Biofuel Waivers

by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters/Financial Post) The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) will review the Trump administration’s use of waivers exempting oil refineries from the nation’s biofuel blending requirements, according to a letter dated Friday, after lawmakers called for an investigation. The so-called Small Refinery Exemptions are intended to protect refineries in

January 11, 2020 Read Full Article

API Uses Annual Energy Report to Continue Its Attack On Biofuels

(DTN Progressive Farmer) The American Petroleum Institute (API) utilized a portion of its State of American Energy 2020 report to reiterate its complaints about U.S. biofuel policy. “Biofuel mandates distort the marketplace to use products that can damage vehicles,” API stated. API maintained that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) of reducing U.S.

January 9, 2020 Read Full Article

Advisory Panel Slams Trump’s Regulatory Rollbacks

by Sean Reilly, Kelsey Brugger, Maxine Joselow and Ariel Wittenberg (E&E News) … The SAB (Science Advisory Board) also lobbed extensive criticism at the Trump administration’s rollback of Obama-era clean car standards. “There are significant weaknesses in the scientific analysis of the proposed rule,” the board wrote in its draft report. The clean

January 9, 2020 Read Full Article

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Every Single Point Ron Hart Tried to Make about Ethanol Was Wrong

by Bob Miller (Destin Log) Ethanol is in fact an excellent solvent and will help keep injectors clean. — I just read Ron Hart’s opinion piece in your paper. I don’t want to call it ignorant but it is extremely poorly researched. Essentially every point he try’s to make is erroneous. We have

January 8, 2020 Read Full Article

U.S. EPA’S Cleaner Trucks Initiative Launches Next Chapter for Advanced Diesel Technology

(Diesel Technology Forum) he Diesel Technology Forum issued the following statement today at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) regarding the Cleaner Trucks Initiative (CTI). This initiative will include a future rulemaking to establish updated standards which address nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions

January 8, 2020 Read Full Article

Suncor Asks 10th Circuit to Review EPA’s Denial of Controversial Biofuels Exemption

by Michael Karlik (Colorado Politics) Suncor Energy U.S.A. has filed a petition asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit to review a federal decision denying the company a one-year exemption from the country’s biofuels requirement at its two refineries in Commerce City. In a letter dated Oct. 25, the

January 6, 2020 Read Full Article

Valero Energy and AFPM Petition Supreme Court on RFS’ Point of Obligation

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, D.C., Valero Energy Corporation and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to look at whether the EPA is following the law by not considering past petitions to change the point of obligation in the RFS. Valero and AFPM wants the

January 6, 2020 Read Full Article

The RFA 2020 Out-In List

(Renewable Fuels Association) RFAEditor’s Note: In keeping with a long-standing RFA holiday tradition, our very own Senior Strategic Advisor offers his views on what is on the way “out” as we turn our calendars to 2020 and what will be “in” as the new year begins. The 2020 Out-In List — 2019

January 3, 2020 Read Full Article

OPINION: 2019 Brought Some Good Ethanol News for Retailers

by Cassie Mullen (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Renewable Fuels Association) As we enter this new decade of the 2020s, the future looks incredibly bright for higher blends of ethanol. Here are a few of the highlights we experienced in 2019 that will no doubt lead to continued expansion in the new year. E15

January 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Cutting Edge Funding: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Debt and Equity Financing Mechanisms for Bioeconomy Projects

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Money, money, money – a growing bioeconomy needs lots of it. But with so many challenges like a lack of certainty in government programs or a perceived lack of funds at the company and project levels, what are the solutions? Mark Riedy, Partner at Kilpatrick Townsend shared

January 2, 2020 Read Full Article

USDA Issues Final Rule for Advanced Biofuel Payment Program

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service published a final rule for the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program on Dec. 27. The program provides quarterly payments to producers of eligible advanced biofuels. To be eligible for payments, the advanced biofuels produced must be derived from renewable biomass other than

January 2, 2020 Read Full Article

The Digest’s Biofuels Mandates Around the World 2020

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 64 countries have targets or mandates – but how much where, and when, and what? Besides the EU, the major blending mandates that will drive global demand are those set in the US, China and Brazil – each of which has set targets – or, in

January 2, 2020 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK — Dave VanderGriend

“Locally, a chain of convenience stores has installed blender pumps selling mid-level blends in addition to E10 and E85. Consumers are responding by purchasing nearly as much E30 as E10, resulting in 2.5 times more ethanol sales compared to E10-only retailers.” Dave VanderGriend laments that this is apparently illegal according

December 31, 2019 Read Full Article

Washington, DC, Is No Longer an Option

by Dave VanderGriend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Urban Air Initiative/ICM) Mid-level blends are the future of the ethanol industry, and the U.S. government can’t be trusted to promote their use. … An overlooked provision in the recent rule allowing year-round sales of E15 caps ethanol blends at 15 percent by making

December 31, 2019 Read Full Article

An Opportunity to Focus Forward

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … I do remain bullish, because I believe in ethanol. It’s the right fuel at the right time—and for the time to come. It’s the low-carbon, low-cost fuel America and the world need now. As long as we remain committed to the

December 31, 2019 Read Full Article

Valuable and Viable: Changes to the 45Q Tax Credit Increase the Monetary Value of Carbon Dioxide for Ethanol Producers.

by Andrew Duguid (Battelle/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Changes to Section 45Q of the U.S. tax code have made it easier for ethanol producers to take advantage of tax credits for capturing and storing carbon dioxide emissions. However, producers must act fast to meet the Jan. 1, 2024, deadline to start construction.

December 31, 2019 Read Full Article

Why Electric Cars Still Don’t Live up to the Hype

by Charles Lane (Washington Post) … For the past 10 years, I’ve waged a quixotic counteroffensive against electric-car boosterism, raining skepticism on the vehicles’ potential to cure climate change, much less to be the clean, green wave of the transportation future. … Otherwise, electric cars will be a niche product for upper-income folks. And

December 31, 2019 Read Full Article

Who Is Driving Our Ethanol Policy? And Why Does It Matter?

by Jeffrey T. Manuel and Thomas D. Rogers (The Hill/Changing America) To prepare America for a green future, you have to understand the power politics of the present. — … But the real drivers of biofuel policy in both countries (U.S. and Brazil) are powerful multiparty blocs of legislators

December 28, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA: 6 New SREs Filed for Compliance Year 2019

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA released updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data on Dec. 19, reporting that six new SRE petitions have been filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard for compliance year 2019, up from 10 petitions that had been filed as of Nov. 21, 2019. A

December 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Economics, Expectations and Exports

by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol Producer Magazine talked to three experts about the past year, and what they see moving into 2020. — 2019 brought a Reid vapor pressure waiver for E15, but it also brought excessive small refinery waivers and low margins for ethanol plants. The year

December 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Common Ground

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The future of liquid fuels, whether derived from renewable resources or not, might depend on a collaboration between ethanol and petroleum interests. — While electric vehicles are gaining popularity, experts say a quick transition to a fully electric fleet isn’t likely, and liquid fuels

December 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Hydrogen Tech’s Diversified Future: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Hydrogenics

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hydrogenics is a unit of Cummins Inc. active in designing, manufacturing, building and installing industrial and commercial Hydrogen generation, Hydrogen fuel cells and MW-scale energy storage solutions. Based in Mississauga, Canada with manufacturing facilities located in Germany, Belgium and United States, the company offers PEM and alkaline

December 23, 2019 Read Full Article

Yay or Nay for EPA? RFS Volumes out for 2020, Biodiesel for 2021 – What’s the Reaction from Industry?

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … Should Santa bring coal for EPA’s stocking this year? Do the biofuels and agriculture industries think the EPA just put coal in their stocking? Is it thumbs up or thumbs down from biofuel industry advocates on last week’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency renewable

December 23, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol Report on 2019: RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper Bids Farewell to a Bad Year

(AgNewsWire) To say 2019 has been a rough year for the ethanol industry would be an understatement. Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper says it was one of the worst years – if not the worst – the industry has seen in its relatively short history. The best news

December 20, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Chief Denies Coordinating with DOJ on Investigation of Automakers Siding with California

by Josh Siegel and Abby Smith (Washington Examiner) Environmental Protection Agency head Andrew Wheeler said he was not involved with the Justice Department’s decision to launch an antitrust investigation against four automakers that joined with California on fuel efficiency rules, a move that Democrats have questioned as possible retaliation by the White House.

December 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Refiners Bummed RFS Reset Rule Withdrawn

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The refining industry is disappointed that EPA on Thursday withdrew a proposed rule to set a biofuel blending schedule under the Renewable Fuel Standard for 2020 through 2022. The agency said it needs to consider more options, Eric reported. One refining industry source said

December 20, 2019 Read Full Article

The Bioeconomy Christmas: Uncle Sam puts $12B+ for Biomass-Based Diesel, Action on Biointermediates, Cellulosics, and Small Refinery Waivers into the Stocking This Year

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, Congressional leaders announced a five-year extension of the biomass-based diesel tax credit as part of a year-end tax extenders package. As Christmas gifts go, the importance and value of this to the biomass-based diesel universe cannot be overemphasized. No phase down Unexpectedly, the five

December 20, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Fulfills Another Trump Administration Promise: Finalizes RFS Volumes for 2020 and Biomass Based Diesel Volumes for 2021

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule that establishes the required renewable volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for 2020, and the biomass-based diesel volume for 2021. Through this action, the Trump Administration has fulfilled yet another key promise to the American people, American farmers

December 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Is Big Oil Feeling the Heat?

by Matt Carr (New Energy American/The Hill) … In 2016 Big Oil received the gift of the century in a Donald Trump presidency. Despite promises in Iowa to grow the renewable fuels industry and to promote clean air, he immediately set out to do exactly the opposite. He put fossil fuel boosters Scott Pruitt and Andrew Wheeler in charge

December 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Trump Administration to Stick with 2020 Biofuel Plan over Farmer Objections: Sources

by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters/Investing.com) The White House will stick with its current proposal on 2020 biofuel blending requirements, despite anger in Farm Country that the plan does too little for corn growers, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The issue could undermine President Donald Trump’s support among biofuel advocates

December 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol Industry Leaders to Governor Noem: E30 Ready for Prime Time

(South Dakota Farmers Union/Governors’ Biofuels Coalition) Following her remarks at the Glacial Lakes Energy annual shareholders meeting last week, a broad group of ethanol, agriculture, and clean air supporters commended South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for her leadership in advancing 30% ethanol blends. Long considered the “sweet spot” for optimum ethanol

December 17, 2019 Read Full Article

The Kodak Moment: The World’s Airlines Consider Their Low-Carbon Options in an Era of Flight-Shaming

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Now, the airlines were just about the first customers to clamor for advanced biofuels. In 2006, Richard Altman of the recently-formed Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative showed up at one of the earliest advanced biofuels events, and when he laid out the intent of the

December 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Govs. Walz and Noem for Support of E30

(Grand Rapids Herald Review) Recently, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the chair of the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition, along with South Dakota Gov. and coalition vice chair Kristi Noem, sent a letter to President Trump urging the administration to consider 30 percent ethanol blends, or E30, as a way to reduce toxic aromatics

December 13, 2019 Read Full Article

How Ethanol Plant Shutdowns Deepen Pain for U.S. Corn Farmers

by Mark Weinraub and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) … (Indiana farmer Paul) Hodgen’s troubles reflect the increasing difficulties faced by America’s corn farmers as a meltdown in the ethanol industry hits the corn market – adding strains to farmers already facing poor weather and the U.S. trade war with China. Some 13

December 13, 2019 Read Full Article

Carbon Capture and Storage Projects Advancing at Ethanol, Coal Plants

by Amy R. Sisk (Bismarck Tribune) As a Richardton ethanol facility gears up to store its carbon emissions underground, the company that runs a coal-fired power plant north of Washburn has secured funding to help determine whether it should pursue similar technology. Red Trail Energy, which turns corn into ethanol

December 11, 2019 Read Full Article

For Trump Loyalist Rep. Jim Hagedorn, Ethanol Rules Pose a Challenge

by Gabe Schneider (MinnPost) In August, Corn Plus, one of the oldest biofuel plants in the state of Minnesota, closed. Forty employees lost their jobs. The reasons for a slump in the biofuels industry are many, but one stands out: a Trump administration policy allowing a substantial number of gasoline refineries

December 11, 2019 Read Full Article

Report from Growth Energy Debunks Unsupported Claims Regarding Endangered Species

(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest association of biofuel producers, released a new report demonstrating how claims on the Renewable Fuel Standard’s (RFS) alleged impact on endangered species “relies on unsupported assumptions and speculation.” The report was authored by Ramboll, a global research and management firm specializing in sustainable development, at the

December 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Trump Says U.S. Will Finalize New Fuel Efficiency Rules Next Year

by David Shepardson (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration will finalize its rollback of Obama-era vehicle emissions standards next year and expected it would provoke a new legal challenge by California. … Trump said on Friday that the dispute was over “a tiny amount of

December 10, 2019 Read Full Article

IMO 2020: What Fleets Need to Know and How to Prepare

by Bill Zobel (Trillium/ACT News) Will the looming IMO 2020 sulfur regulation impact domestic diesel prices? How on-road fleets can turn to domestically produced fuels to avoid price volatility. — There’s much debate about how the upcoming International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulation on sulfur emissions, going into effect on January 1st,

December 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Choices at the Pump: Convenience Matters Dives into What It Will Take to Add E15 to Your Fuel Lineup.

(National Association of Convenience Stores) On this week’s episode of Convenience Matters, “Increasing Fuel Options for Consumers,” NACS hosts John Eichberger, executive director for the Fuels Institute, and Donovan Woods, director of operations for the Fuels Institute, discuss the future of liquid fuels with Kristi Moriarty, senior engineer at the National

December 5, 2019 Read Full Article

OPINION: Pipe Dope and Higher Ethanol Blends

by Cassie Mullen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The compatibility of pipe dope associated with underground storage tank systems for blends of ethanol above 10 percent has been a subject of controversy for many years and has been repeatedly misrepresented by those hoping to suppress market adoption of additional blends. Ethanol

December 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Larry Kudlow Hatches New Plan to Boost Biofuel Mandates

by Jennifer Jacobs, Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Mario Parker (Bloomberg News/Transport Topics) White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow is developing a new plan to bolster biofuel-blending requirements after ethanol allies in politically important farm states complained the current proposal doesn’t do enough to compensate for waivers exempting some small refineries from

December 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Klobuchar Leads Letter Expressing Concern that the Newly Proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Blending Targets Will Be Undermined by Continued Abuse of ‘Hardship’ Waivers

(Office of Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)) Klobuchar has spent months calling for an end to the harm caused by abuse of hardship waivers — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led a public comment letter last week to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler expressing concern over the proposed supplemental

December 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Reynolds Requires All New State Diesel Vehicles to Use Fuel at Least 20% Biodiesel

by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) Gov. Kim Reynolds gave a boost Tuesday to Iowa’s renewable fuels industry, requiring that all new state-owned diesel-powered vehicles — from cars and trucks to snowplows and graders — be able to use at least 20% biodiesel. Reynolds signed the executive order at the Iowa Farm

December 4, 2019 Read Full Article

More than 11,700 Comments Filed on EPA’s SRE Proposal

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The public comment period of U.S. EPA’s supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that addresses the agency’s plan to reallocate future Renewable Fuel Standard volumes lost to small refinery exemptions (SREs) closed Nov. 29. More than 11,700 comments were filed on the proposal, according to data

December 3, 2019 Read Full Article

New Consumer Reports Analysis Shows Near-Freeze of Fuel Economy Rules Would Cost Consumers $300 Billion

(Consumer Reports) Rolling back fuel economy requirements down to 1.5% annual increases would raise net cost per vehicle by $2,100 — As the federal government reportedly moves closer to finalizing plans to weaken fuel economy and vehicle emissions standards, Consumer Reports has analyzed several likely scenarios, including the recently-reported possibility of

December 3, 2019 Read Full Article

From Waste Woody Biomass to Carbon Negative Transportation Fuels via CCUS

by Philipp Stratmann (Velocys/Biofuels Digest) At this year’s ABLC Next Conference in San Francisco Velocys presented on the opportunity to produce negative emission fuels at our planned Bayou Fuels facility in Natchez, Mississippi. Whilst we were not the only company presenting on advanced biofuel products at the conference, our integration of

December 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Reducing Toxic Aromatics: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to High Octane Low Carbon Ethanol

Ethanol is better for your health and “What a difference a year makes.” That’s what Douglas Durante, Executive Director of Clean Fuels Development Coalition told the audience recently at the World Ethanol and Biofuels conference in Brussels. The latest on how ethanol grows in this seemingly conflicting universe, trends that

December 2, 2019 Read Full Article

ACE Urges EPA to Get RFS Back on Track

(American Coalition for Ethanol) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) submitted comments today to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its proposed supplemental rulemaking to the 2020 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). ACE CEO Brian Jennings detailed three areas in which the proposal falls short in ACE’s written

November 29, 2019 Read Full Article

New Jersey Senator Calls for 45Q Probe

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez called on the IRS’ watchdog to open an investigation into potentially fraudulent claims for the tax credit to capture carbon, known as 45Q. In a letter dated Nov. 19 to Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russell George,

November 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Low Hanging Fruit on the Climate Change Tree: Renewable Fuels in Gas and Diesel Engines

(Diesel Technology Forum) … As more governors look to California for leadership on climate change, they should look to what’s working in California…and it doesn’t have to do with electric cars, but with use of low-carbon renewable biofuels in internal combustion engines. Newly elected governors are turning to California for

November 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Stop the Anti-Ethanol Ridiculousness–An Open Letter Reply to an Unmistakable Editorial Failure

by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) This past Saturday, a media outlet called THE ATLANTIC published an anti-ethanol editorial titled “STOP THE ETHANOL MADNESS.” … The following is my rebuttal to him and THE ATLANTIC: Dear Editors – The anti-ethanol editorial written by Mario Loyola, “STOP THE ETHANOL MADNESS,” is highly

November 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Governors Ask President Trump to Remove Gasoline’s Deadly Aromatics

(Governors’ Biofuels Coalition) Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem Say Poisonous Aromatics Put Our Health at Risk — In a letter to President Trump today, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem asked him to enforce a provision of the Clean Air Act that

November 25, 2019 Read Full Article

White House Asks Iowa Senator for Input on Biofuels Policy: Sources

by Stephanie Kelly, Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The White House has asked Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley’s office for input on the administration’s latest proposal to boost the ethanol market in 2020, according to two sources familiar with the matter on Friday, after a flurry of conversations between President Donald Trump and corn-state

November 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Calgren Dairy Fuels’ Lagoon Digester Cluster Project: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Pooping Cows Bringing Us Biofuel

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Methane – we all know there’s too much of it and much of it comes from farting and pooping cows. But Calgren has been doing something about that for years, before cow manure memes became cool. Calgren turns dairy manure biogas into biofuels as well as

November 22, 2019 Read Full Article

Cellulosic Production Idled Citing EPA Decisions, POET-DSM Converting Cellulose Plant to Research, Development

by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) In another response to EPA’s actions regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard, POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels LLC announced Tuesday the company will “pause” production of cellulosic ethanol at its Project Liberty plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels is a 50-50 joint venture between Royal DSM and

November 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Iowa Poll: Despite State Impacts, Registered Republicans Approve of How Trump Has Handled Trade with China

by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) Three-fourths of Iowa’s registered Republicans back President Donald Trump’s approach to trade with China, and half say his tariffs have done more to help than harm Iowa agribusiness, a new Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows. The poll includes 502 registered Republicans who do not plan to caucus

November 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Sec. Perdue Comments on Ethanol and SREs

by Chuck Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) During a visit to the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) annual convention on Friday, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was asked about EPA’s supplemental proposal to account for small refinery exemptions and to address the concerns of the industry that it is insufficient. “I want to put it

November 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol Blog: Senators Ask Trump to Stick to Biofuels Agreement

by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) A group of United States senators asked President Donald Trump in a letter on Friday to make sure an EPA proposal to account for small-refinery exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard will account for actual gallons waived. The letter is signed by Sens. Charles Grassley,

November 18, 2019 Read Full Article

California and Nearly Two Dozen Other States Sue Trump Administration for the Right to Set Fuel-Efficiency Standards

by Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) Lawsuit marks the latest in an escalating fight over one of the nation’s biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. — California and 22 other states sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, asking a federal court to block the Trump administration from

November 16, 2019 Read Full Article

The Trouble with Biofuels

by Clair L. Jarvis: … Perhaps the most interesting thing about the expansion of the biofuels industry — as a share of the fuel market and a lobbying power — is that the general public hasn’t really noticed. Compared with fracking or coal, biofuels aren’t the subject of many policy reports

November 15, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Small Refinery Exemptions in the Renewable Fuel Standard Explained

(U.S. Department of Energy Energy Information Administration) … The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandates the amount of renewable fuels refineres must blend into the U.S. transportation fuel supply. As part of the RFS program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can grant annual waivers to some petroleum refineries, called small refinery exemptions (SREs), which

November 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Rep. Welch, Sen. Udall Introduce Legislation to Reform the Renewable Fuel Standard to Benefit the Environment

(Office of Representative Peter Welch (D-VT)) Bill would phase out corn ethanol mandate, reverse tide of habitat destruction, and boost the mandate for advanced biofuels that reduce greenhouse gases — Today (November 14, 2019), Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) introduced companion bills in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S.

November 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Fuels Institute Resource Helps Navigate Biofuel Regulations — The Report Helps Retailers Better Understand Their Responsibilities.

(National Association of Convenience Stores) Biofuels are playing an increasingly important role in the U.S. fuel supply due to a combination of regulatory programs, market developments and technological advancements, but navigating the federal requirements pertaining to the storage and dispensing of such fuels can be confusing. To provide greater clarity in

November 15, 2019 Read Full Article

NBB Releases New Report on the Importance of the Biodiesel Tax Incentive

(National Biodiesel Board) The tax incentive is crucial to continued growth of the U.S. biodiesel industry — Today (November 12, 2019), the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) released a new report, “The Importance of the Biodiesel Tax Credit,” showing how the emerging biodiesel industry relies on the combined values of the tax

November 13, 2019 Read Full Article

Court Dismisses ABFA’s Petition for Review of EPA SRE Methodology

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Nov. 12 dismissed a petition for review filed by the Advanced Biofuels Association challenging the U.S. EPA’s methodology for granting small refinery exemptions (SREs). The court’s judgement, however, provides a clearer legal pathway for current

November 13, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Grants Request for Reconsideration of Title V Ethanol Rule

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA announced Nov. 6 it is granting a request for reconsideration filed by the National Resource Defense Council in March 2009 related to the agency’s exclusion of ethanol plants from Title V permitting requirements under the Clean Air Act. A proposed rule published

November 13, 2019 Read Full Article

Man with the Plan – Millions Projected for New Projects: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Aemetis’ Multi-Million $ Dairy Biogas and Wood Waste Plants

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aemetis is known for their advanced renewable fuels by many,like their California ethanol plant and India biodiesel plant, but what you may now know is that they are building a $56 million dairy biogas digesters, pipeline and cleanup system and a $200 million cellulosic ethanol plant

November 12, 2019 Read Full Article

Whose Side Is Trump on? The Fight Continues…Corn Country and Oil Country Still Battling It out in Washington, DC

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … It’s a back and forth game of Trump’s promises to help farmers and agriculture and support ethanol and biofuels, EPA giving small refinery waivers to big oil companies, …. … (T)he latest responses from Midwest Senators, the American Coalition for Ethanol, how both

November 11, 2019 Read Full Article

How Big Ethanol Plans Will Rock Global Corn and Sugar Markets

(Gro Intelligence) … Today, a record amount of ethanol is produced globally, and expectations are for further growth as three of the world’s largest ethanol producing countries move ahead with expansion plans. US proposals, which are aimed at shoring up demand for corn, could break a longstanding barrier that has capped ethanol

November 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Ernst Says President Trump Is Upset by EPA’s Biofuels Rules

by O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa) Iowa Senator Joni Ernst today said she’s talked directly with President Trump about the furor over proposed EPA rules which Ernst says do not fulfill the deal Trump struck in September on the renewable fuels standard. “I did visit with the president actually, again, two

November 8, 2019 Read Full Article

LETTER: Iowa Ag Secretary: EPA Is ‘Undermining’ RFS

by Mike Naig (Sioux City Journal/Iowa Department of Agriculture) There’s a growing sense of frustration across America’s heartland, and it’s not hard to understand why. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is undermining the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), which is hurting farmers, biofuels producers and rural communities across Iowa. … EPA

November 7, 2019 Read Full Article

Salem Plant Turning More Cooking Oil into Biodiesel than Ever

by Pete Danko (Portland Business Journal) SeQuential, the Oregon company that collects used cooking oil and turns it into biodiesel, has boosted production capacity at its Salem plant by 30 percent. It credited a state program with helping drive increased demand. Output has been growing every year since the southeast Salem

November 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Amy Klobuchar: Donald Trump’s Presidency of Broken Promises Is further Dividing America

by Amy Klobuchar (Argus Leader) ‘When we’re straight with the American people, we can build an even bigger coalition with an optimistic economic and justice agenda for this country.’ — From town halls to fish fries, debate stages to Hall of Fame dinners, we have talked a lot about changing our

November 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Senate Interior Appropriations Bill Requires EPA to Act on eRINs

(RFS Power Coalition/Biomass Magazine) The RFS Power Coalition today applauded the passage of H.R. 3055 (116), the Senate’s Interior Appropriations bill. The Interior-EPA portion of the spending package includes a provision led by Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, requiring the EPA to take swift action on existing eRIN applications: Electric Pathway.—The Committee

November 6, 2019 Read Full Article

North American Outlook on Biofuels Challenges and Opportunities

by Steve Hartig (Biofuels Digest) The North American biofuels market can be split into three main segments all of which have major dynamics. What I would like to do is give a high-level overview of what I see as some of both the challenges and opportunities across these. Ethanol which is a

November 6, 2019 Read Full Article

For Trump, Hints of Trouble in Ethanol Country

by Art Cullen (Storm Lake Times/Washington Post) … (J.D.) Scholten, a 39-year-old former semi-pro pitcher, was out on a 14-county “Don’t Forget About Us Tour” targeting Iowa towns of 1,000 people or fewer in his uphill climb against Rep. Steve King, the anti-immigrant Republican who dabbles in white nationalism. King’s

November 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Buttigieg Says There’s Real Cost to Trump’s Broken RFS Promises

by Bob Fisher (KGLO/Radio Iowa) Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg says President Trump isn’t keeping his promises to Iowa’s agricultural community when it comes to the Renewable Fuels Standard. “Actions speak louder than words and the president says he cares about farmers, but if you look what he’s done with the RFS

November 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Rural Leaders Ask President Trump to Uphold Biofuel Promise

(Renewable Fuels Association) A broad coalition of biofuel and farm advocates today sent a letter to the White House calling on President Trump to fix a flawed proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency, which “fails in its mission to reinvigorate farm economies and reopen biofuel plants across America’s heartland.” The letter

November 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Fractionation Processes Can Improve Profitability of Ethanol Production

(EurekAlert!/University of Illinois) The U.S. is the world’s largest producer of bioethanol as renewable liquid fuel, with more than 200 commercial plants processing over 16 billion gallons per year. Plants typically use dry grind processing methods; however, implementing fractionation techniques that separate corn components prior to fermentation can improve profitability, a

November 5, 2019 Read Full Article

ABLCNext Top 10 Takeaways – What Was the Industry Buzzing about in San Francisco?

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC Next last week, there was lots of buzz and tons of discussion about all sorts of things, but what were the key takeaways? Let’s start with Sustainable Aviation Fuels, CRISPR, new food, the law, and more. In today’s Digest, find out what the

November 5, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Refinery Exemptions Reduced Renewable Fuel Blending Requirements in 2018

(U.S. Energy Information Administration) On August 9, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it had granted 31 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) for the 2018 compliance year, or 4 fewer than were approved for the 2017 compliance year. As of October 2019, two SRE applications

November 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Correcting the Record on the Impact of Small Refinery Exemptions

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Earlier this week, I had the honor of testifying before a House Energy & Commerce Committee subcommittee on the devastating impact of small refinery exemptions (SREs) on the U.S. ethanol industry. My testimony described the demand destruction that has occurred as a consequence of the massive increase

November 4, 2019 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2019 State of the Industry Address

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s ABLC Week and the semi-annual State of the Industry Address was a highlight at the opening of the on-stage presentations — known as a networking event but also featuring a slide deck and commentary on US and international bioeconomy trends. READ MORE

November 1, 2019 Read Full Article

John Phipps: Why the Current Ethanol Debate Could Be Trivial By 2023

by John Phipps (Farm Journal Ag Web) … The current dispute could be child’s play a few years from now – 2023 – when RFS mandated volumes will be set by at EPA discretion. By that time the effect of electric vehicles, the gradually slowing economy, and further trade breakdown could

October 31, 2019 Read Full Article

House Energy Hearing Pits Ethanol vs. EPA, Administration

by Matt Kaye (FarmWeekNow.com) Renewable Fuels Association chief Geoff Cooper called the proposed supplemental rule issued by EPA a “bait and switch.” — … During a hearing before a U.S. House Energy subcommittee, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) chief Geoff Cooper accused EPA of secretly granting Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) as

October 31, 2019 Read Full Article

Trump’s Push for Ethanol Not Reaching Pumps

(Finance & Commerce/Bloomberg) Donald Trump’s effort to boost corn demand by allowing year-round sales of ethanol-blended gasoline has run into a logistical problem. Few stations offer it. In corn country, gasoline with a 15% blend of ethanol is now pretty accessible year-round. But in large population states including California, New York

October 31, 2019 Read Full Article

The Race Is on to Repurpose Garbage

by Marc S. Reisch (Chemical & Engineering News) Despite a spotty track record, companies keep trying to convert trash into energy, fuels, and chemicals — … Local press reports noted weather-related construction delays, a challenge to the plant’s environmental permits, and difficult markets for recycled materials. Those delays point to

October 31, 2019 Read Full Article

Views from Napa Valley: A Peak at California’s Low Carbon Fuels Program (2019)

by Michele Rubino (Biofuels Digest) … Take California’s climate change mitigation efforts – and specifically the LCFS (Low Carbon Fuels Standard), the State’s flagship Program aimed at decarbonizing the transportation sector. Back in 2015 the Program was emerging from years of vicious lawsuits, aimed at damaging and delaying it. The

October 30, 2019 Read Full Article

DC Circuit Finds That EPA Will Have to Explain Its Rejection of Facts in Rollback of Clean Car Standards

(Sierra Club) (October 25, 2019) the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C Circuit confirmed that EPA cannot ignore the record of facts supporting the conclusion that the clean car standards are achievable. In January 2017, the Obama administration went through a robust mid-term evaluation for the clean car standards that confirmed

October 30, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Posts Call-in Information for Oct. 30 Hearing on SRE Proposal (and Proposal) COMMENT DEADLINE: November 29, 2019

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has posted call-in information for its Oct. 30 hearing on the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking released Oct. 15 that seeks comments on how the agency should project the volume of small refinery exemptions (SREs) in future annual Renewable Fuel Standard rulemakings

October 29, 2019 Read Full Article

Car Clash Hits Cap Hill: Motor Madness

by Gavin Bade (Politico’s Morning Energy) House lawmakers will hold a hearing today to critique the White House plan to roll back vehicle fuel economy standards, a day after GM, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota said they would side with the Trump administration on the proposal. … Lawmakers on the House Committee

October 29, 2019 Read Full Article

Biofuel Groups File Petition Challenging Trump Administration’s Small-Refinery Waivers

by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) Biofuels groups have filed a petition in the U.S. court of appeals in Washington against the Environmental Protection Agency, challenging the agency’s process for granting refineries exemptions to the nation’s biofuel blending mandates, the groups said Wednesday. The petition, filed by groups such as the Renewable

October 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Moving beyond the RFS

Douglas A. Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Governor’s Biofuels Coalition) The global biofuels community is without a doubt watching the developments in the US with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and might be understandably confused. How is a program that was passed by the U.S. Congress and supported by Democrats and Republicans