Federal Regulation – Advanced BioFuels USA

EPA Seeks Oil, Corn Sectors’ Input on Next Phase of U.S. Biofuel Policy -Sources

by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has asked industry groups for their input on the future of the nation’s biofuel policy after it ends its current phase in 2022, four sources familiar with the matter said. The consultations will provide a new opportunity for the oil, corn and

April 16, 2021 Read Full Article

Biden Prepares Sweeping Order on Climate-Related Risks

by Lorraine Woellert (Politico) In a draft executive order, President Joe Biden reaches into all corners of the federal government with plans that would touch every sector. — President Joe Biden is preparing to instruct federal agencies to take sweeping action to combat climate-related financial risks to government and the

April 16, 2021 Read Full Article

EPA Provides Some Clarity on Mid-Level Blends in Court

(Urban Air Institute) A three-judge-panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard oral arguments Tuesday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not go far enough when it extended the 1 pound RVP waiver to allow year-round E15. The Urban Air Initiative (UAI), along with a broad

April 14, 2021 Read Full Article

RFA, Growth Energy and NCGA Defend Year-Round E15 in Court

(Renewable Fuels Association) Today, the D.C. Circuit Court will hear oral arguments in American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, et al. vs. EPA, a case in which oil refiners challenge the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2019 rulemaking that paved the way for the year-round sale of E15. As intervenors in the case, the Renewable

April 13, 2021 Read Full Article

Study Shows Higher Ethanol Blends Reduce CO2 Emissions

by Lura Roti (SDPB Radio) Results from a recent University of Nebraska Study could dramatically increase demand for ethanol. This is optimistic news for South Dakota corn farmers, ethanol manufacturers and family farm advocates. Redefining Renewable Fuels was a year-long study conducted by researchers from the University of Nebraska Department of Chemical

April 9, 2021 Read Full Article

Biofuels Caucus Requests Meeting with EPA Administrator

by Jacqui Fatka (Farm Progress) Bipartisan members urge Administrator Regan to maximize benefits of RFS. The bipartisan Congressional Biofuels Caucus extended an invitation to meet with EPA Administrator Michael Regan to discuss the Renewable Fuel Standard and other biofuels priorities. In a letter to Regan, the members urged the administrator to maximize

April 9, 2021 Read Full Article

Oil Industry Games in the Delaware Valley Are Played out | Opinion

by Jan Koninckx (USA TODAY Network/Delaware Online) Every few years, leaders like Sen. Tom Carper and Sen. Chris Coons are on the receiving end of lobbying blitz by area petroleum refiners seeking to roll back the Renewable Fuel Standard. The 2005 law requires oil refiners to blend a modest, but growing

April 9, 2021 Read Full Article

Renewable Diesel Growth Provides Signal Upstream to Expand Crush Capacity

by Ron Kotrba (Bio-Based Diesel Daily) Canada’s largest agribusiness, Richardson International Ltd., is doubling canola crush capacity at its processing facility in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. In addition to doubling capacity to 2.2 million metric tons, the company said it will optimize operational efficiencies and modernize the plant to meet growing demand. Construction

April 8, 2021 Read Full Article

Biden Wins CAFE Penalty Court Dispute

by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York has sided with the Biden administration in a lovers’ quarrel with green groups, blue states and Tesla over the Trump administration’s delay of a fuel economy penalty increase. A late-Trump rule (Reg.

April 7, 2021 Read Full Article

RFS Won’t Expire Next Year, Volume Requirements in Limbo

by Kellan Heavican (Brownfield Ag News) The clock on the Renewable Fuel Standard won’t run out at the end of 2022 when it resets, but industry leaders wonder how the Environmental Protection Agency will set volume requirements for 2023. Renewable Fuels Association CEO Geoff Cooper calls the RFS “an absolute winner.”

April 6, 2021 Read Full Article

Algae Oil, Lignin, Plastics, Waste: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Conventional Fuels from Unconventional Sources

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Southwest Research Institute’sEloy Flores, Assistant Director R&D in Chemical Engineering, shared this illuminating slide guide on SwRI’s work with alternative fuels technology and all steps from idea/concept, engine testing to pilot plant, scale up and transformation to the commercial plant. READ MORE Malaysia sends back

April 6, 2021 Read Full Article

Coprocessing at Diesel Refinery: bp Products, North America — Cherry Point Refinery | Blaine, Washington

(EcoEngineers) bp’s Cherry Point Refinery is the first refinery in the Pacific Northwest capable of manufacturing diesel made from biomass-based feedstocks, which are processed alongside conventional feedstocks in an existing ultralow-sulfur diesel unit. Renewable diesel has the same properties as conventional ultralow-sulfur diesel, but with a lower carbon footprint. Producing and distributing

April 5, 2021 Read Full Article

Tailpipe Litigation Put in Park

by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) Despite procedural objections from states and environmentalists, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday granted the Biden administration’s request to pause litigation over federal auto emissions and fuel economy standards. That will give the agencies time to rewrite the SAFE Vehicles rule that

April 5, 2021 Read Full Article

Nebraska Ethanol: Emerging Issues Forum Features CEO Panel

(AgNewsWire) The 16th Annual Ethanol: Emerging Issues Forum last week, hosted by the Nebraska Ethanol Board and Renewable Fuels Nebraska, featured an industry CEO panel that discussed some of the most pressing topics in the renewable fuels space. Renewable Fuels Nebraska (RFN) interim director Pam Miller moderated the panel with American Coalition for Ethanol CEO Brian

April 2, 2021 Read Full Article

USDA Seeks Public Input to Help Create a New Rural Renewable Energy Pilot Program DEADLINE: April 29, 2021

(U.S. Department of Agriculture) Agency to Host Public Listening Session on April 22, 2021 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is requesting public input from interested parties, including potential customers and interested stakeholders, to help create a new Rural Renewable Energy Pilot Program. To ensure a diverse

April 2, 2021 Read Full Article

Opinion: Scrap the Renewable Fuel Standard

by Andrew Quinlan (Center for Freedom and Prosperity/Washington Examiner) Plummeting demand due to reduced travel during the COVID-19 pandemic compounded the many flaws with the Renewable Fuel Standard and strained some in the petroleum industry to the breaking point. … The RFS has not brought promised environmental benefits. A large

April 2, 2021 Read Full Article

Exclusive: White House Asks EPA to Study How EVs Can Generate Renewable Fuel Credits

by Jarrett Renshaw, Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The White House has directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to study how using renewable fuels to power electric vehicle charging could generate tradeable credits under the nation’s biofuels program, two sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters. … If the program were expanded

April 1, 2021 Read Full Article

Biofuel Groups, States File Amicus Briefs in SCOTUS SRE Case

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Advanced Biofuels Association, Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, the National Biodiesel Board and a group of eight states on March 31 filed amicus briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court urging the court to affirm the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals’ January 2020 ruling

April 1, 2021 Read Full Article

USDA Seeks Comments on Rural Energy Pilot Program DEADLINE: April 29, 2021

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The USDA on March 30 announced it is seeking public input on a new rural energy pilot program that was authorized in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, a bill signed by former President Donald Trump on Dec. 27, 2020. Section 781 of that nearly 5,600-page bill authorizes

March 31, 2021 Read Full Article

Auto Industry Urges Biden to Back ‘Comprehensive’ EV Plan

by David Shephardson (Reuters) … “Neither the current trajectory of consumer adoption of EVs, nor existing levels of federal support for supply- and demand-side policies, is sufficient to meet our goal of a net-zero carbon transportation future.” The White House did not immediately comment on the letter. John Bozzella, who heads

March 30, 2021 Read Full Article

Biden’s High-Cost Plan To Accelerate U.S. Adoption Of Electric Vehicles

by David Blackmon (Forbes) With electric vehicles making up just 2% of U.S. auto sales in 2020, achieving a rapid “energy transition” to an all-electric vehicle fleet in the coming 15 years will be a huge endeavor, one that President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats in congress are determined to aggressively

March 25, 2021 Read Full Article

Regan: EPA to Get RFS Back on Track What the Broader Economy Can Learn From Climate Work Done in Agriculture

by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) One day after EPA granted deadline extensions to refiners to comply with the Renewable Fuel Standard, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the Biden administration will be working to get the RFS back on track this year. On Tuesday, EPA announced it would extend deadlines for

March 25, 2021 Read Full Article

Meeting Emissions Goals Will Save Consumers A LOT of Money — Fact Sheet: Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards

(Consumer Reports) The Biden-Harris Administration has committed to getting the U.S. on a path to a low-carbon economy by 2050, bringing back the Obama-Biden vehicle standards, and setting new, ambitious ones. Meeting those commitments will require steady progress on gasoline vehicle fuel economy and zero emissions vehicle market share. Consumer Reports

March 23, 2021 Read Full Article

RFA Urges EPA to Stay the Course on Renewable Fuel Standard

(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association on Wednesday asked newly confirmed EPA Administrator Michael Regan to “stay the course” on the Renewable Fuel Standard, as the important policy faces renewed attacks from oil refiners. In a letter to Regan, RFA responds to several assertions about the RFS and RIN credits contained

March 18, 2021 Read Full Article

Biden Administration Wants the Financial Sector to Face up to Climate Risk

by Steven Mufson and Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) The Commodity Futures Trading Commission aims to create a new Climate Risk Unit, joining initiatives at Treasury, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Reserve — A growing number of federal regulators are pushing corporate America to reckon with the cost

March 18, 2021 Read Full Article

Mess with Texas: Time for a 2nd Look at Electric Vehicles

by Burl Haigwood (Clean Fuels Development Coalition) … Imagine it is 2050 and Texas gets hit by another winter storm, flood, heat wave, or God forbid, a physical or cyber terrorist attack on a vulnerable electric power system. As news cameras roll with footage of citizens lined up to evacuate, or

March 18, 2021 Read Full Article

USDA Seeks Public Input on Climate-Smart Ag and Forestry Strategy DEADLINE April 30, 2021

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA on March 15 announced it is opening a 45-day public comment period to gather input on its climate-smart agriculture and forestry strategy, including several topics focused specifically on biofuels, bioproducts and renewable energy. The agency said the notice soliciting public comments represents an

March 16, 2021 Read Full Article

RFS Reset Coming in 2022

by Julie Harker (Brownfield Ag News) A reset of the Renewable Fuels Standard will take place in 2022 as part of the original law. Gary Marshall, former CEO of the Missouri Corn Growers, tells Brownfield the EPA Administrator will have to assess the RFS program. “The RFS (will) all of a

March 16, 2021 Read Full Article

Supreme Court Picks Date for Ethanol Case

by Larry Lee (Brownfield Ag News) An ethanol court case over Small Refinery Exemptions will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court April 27th. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper says he is confident the Supreme Court will review the case and affirm the 10th Circuit Court decision in their favor,

March 16, 2021 Read Full Article

Now You Can Give the SEC Your “Two Cents” On Climate Disclosures DEADLINE June 15, 2021

(Our Daily Planet) The Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission wants to know what you want to know about how corporations are dealing with climate change and other environmental risks. In a speech yesterday to the liberal think tank the Center for American Progress, she explained specifically what the Commission, which

March 16, 2021 Read Full Article

A Large PR Firm Pledged to Fight Climate Change. Then It Took Millions from a Notorious Fossil Fuel Trade Group.

by Zahra Hirji and Kendall Taggart (BuzzFeed News) Edelman, a PR firm that’s pledged to “work with an environmental conscience,” was paid $4 million to promote one of the most extreme fossil fuel trade groups in the country, new tax filings show. — Edelman, one of the largest public relations firms

March 15, 2021 Read Full Article

RFA: EPA Should Shelve Proposal to Extend RFS Compliance Deadlines

(Renewable Fuels Association) In comments submitted today (March 11, 2021) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Renewable Fuels Association opposed a proposal to extend the deadlines for demonstrating compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard for 2019 and 2020. “This proposal is unnecessary, and the timelines are excessive,” wrote RFA President

March 15, 2021 Read Full Article

Three Days of SCOTUS … Refiners’ Appeal

by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) … On April 27 the court will hear refiners’ appeal of the 10th Circuit’s ruling that severely limited EPA’s ability to exempt small refiners from biofuels blending requirements. (EPA recently shifted to support the 10th Circuit’s decision and is waiting to act on 46

March 15, 2021 Read Full Article

Automakers Push for Lower Emissions Standard

by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) Automakers are proposing a vehicle emissions standard lower than both the Obama administration’s rates and the deal that California set with five automakers, the Associated Press reports. The standards would be above the Trump administration’s 1.5 percent annual improvement requirement, but would fall short of

March 15, 2021 Read Full Article

CFDC Calls On EPA to Prioritize Octane in New Fuel Economy Rule

(Clean Fuels Development Coalition) The Clean Fuels Development Coalition called the pending revision of the nation’s fuel economy rules one of the most immediate and tangible actions the Biden Administration can take to address a range of issues impacting climate, health, and economic challenges. In a letter congratulating incoming Environmental Protection

March 12, 2021 Read Full Article

Biofuel Supported Bills Introduced on Capitol Hill

by Jacqui Fatka (Farm Progress) House climate proposal includes RFS integrity provisions and Adopt GREET Act recognizes ethanol’s improved environmental benefits. — Legislators are looking to expand access and acceptance of biofuels with the introduction of several bills this week on Capitol Hill. On Wednesday, Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., introduced the

March 4, 2021 Read Full Article

SDFU Calls for Repeal & Replace of Fuel Economy Rule to Include Octane and Higher Ethanol Blends

by Rusty Halvorson (KFGO) Speaking at the National Farmers Union National Convention February 26, 2021, South Dakota Chapter President Doug Sombke said ethanol advocates need to prioritize support for a high octane standard in the new fuel economy rule that could triple demand for ethanol over the next decade. Sombke and NFU

March 3, 2021 Read Full Article

More States Follow California’s Lead on Vehicle Emissions Standards

by Rachel Frazin (The Hill) An increasing number of states are looking to follow the precedent set by California and adopt stricter vehicle emissions standards as the Biden administration appears poised to green light those efforts. The Virginia legislature this past week passed legislation to toughen its emission rules, and similar

March 1, 2021 Read Full Article

Biden Is Hiking the Cost of Carbon. It Will Change How the U.S. Tackles Global Warming.

by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) President Biden on Friday dramatically altered the way the U.S. government calculates the real-world cost of climate change, a move that could reshape a range of consequential decisions, from whether to allow new coal leasing on federal land to what sort of steel is

February 26, 2021 Read Full Article

SEC to Toughen Climate Rules on Companies

by Avery Ellfeldt (E&E News) The acting head of the Securities and Exchange Commission is expanding the agency’s efforts to push public companies to be transparent about the threats they face from climate change. Acting SEC Chair Allison Herren Lee announced yesterday (February 24, 2021) that the agency’s Division of Corporation Finance

February 26, 2021 Read Full Article

Researchers Challenge the CRP Status Quo to Mitigate Fossil Fuels

(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment/Phys.Org) … (A)llocating CRP land for high-yielding energy biomass might eliminate the need for bioenergy crops and food crops to vie for space. A team led by CABBI Sustainability Theme Leader Madhu Khanna and Ph.D. student Luoye Chen developed an

February 26, 2021 Read Full Article

Ethanol Leaders Say EPA Still Has to Account for Lost Gallons

(Brownfield Ag News) Ethanol industry leaders say the EPA’s recent change of policy on Small Refinery Exemptions is a start, but there is still a lot of work to do. Geoff Cooper with the Renewable Fuels Association tells Brownfield the EPA’s change, of course, does not take care of re-allocating

February 25, 2021 Read Full Article

Ethanol and Biomass-Based Diesel RIN Prices Approaching All-Time Highs

by Sean Hill (U.S. Energy Information Administration) The prices of renewable identification number (RIN) credits—the compliance mechanisms used for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—have been steadily rising in recent months and are approaching their highest nominal levels in the history of

February 24, 2021 Read Full Article

LCFS and RFS – Conflict or Complement?

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Do Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) policies conflict or complement the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)? That was the question Dr. Jarrett Whistance with the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri was called on to answer at last week’s National Ethanol Conference. Whistance, who is Program

February 24, 2021 Read Full Article

U.S. Postal Service Awards Contract to Launch Multi-Billion-Dollar Modernization of Postal Delivery Vehicle Fleet

(U.S. Postal Service) … Under the contract’s initial $482 million investment, Oshkosh Defense will finalize the production design of the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) — a purpose-built, right-hand-drive vehicle for mail and package delivery — and will assemble 50,000 to 165,000 of them over 10 years. The vehicles will be

February 24, 2021 Read Full Article

Logjam Kicks up Debate over Boosting Electric Vehicles

by Marc Heller (E&E News) A backlog of applications for advanced renewable fuels at EPA is spurring a new debate in the biofuel industry: Should the agency catch up on proposals related to electric vehicles first? That’s a possibility, a biofuel industry source told E&E News, as the Biden administration faces

February 22, 2021 Read Full Article

Johnson, Craig Introduce RFS Integrity Act

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Reps. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., and Angie Craig, D-Minn., on Feb. 19 reintroduced the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act, which aims to ensure transparency and predictability in the U.S. EPA’s administration of the small refinery exemption (SRE) process. The bill would require small refineries to submit a

February 22, 2021 Read Full Article

EPA Supports 10th Circuit Court Ruling to Tighten Small Refinery Exemptions

by Tyne Morgan (Ag Web) Renewable Fuels groups are celebrating an EPA win. More than a year after the 10th Circuit Court issued its initial ruling on the small-refinery provisions within the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), EPA announced Monday it’s supporting the court’s ruling. As a result, there will be tighter

February 22, 2021 Read Full Article

Highlights from the 26th annual National Ethanol Conference: Ethanol Report 2-19-21

(Energy.AgWired.com) This edition of the Ethanol Report features highlights from the 26th annual National Ethanol Conference (NEC). First, we hear some of Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper’s annual State of the Industry address focusing on ethanol as essential energy. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) discusses her Next Generation Fuels

February 19, 2021 Read Full Article

RFA: RFS General Waiver Requests Are Unjustified and Illegal

(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association today filed comments with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in response to earlier requests from oil refiners and the governors of six oil-producing states seeking a general waiver from 2019 and 2020 renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard. “These waiver requests, which were rushed

February 19, 2021 Read Full Article

Social Distance, Meet Social Carbon

by Zack Coleman (Politico’s Morning Energy) The White House is expected to sharply raise the government’s calculation of how much greenhouse gases will cost the U.S. in the future, a policy change that will make it easier for his administration to justify more stringent regulations as he seeks to green

February 19, 2021 Read Full Article

POET Urges Biden Climate Team to Grasp E15 Philosophy

(Biofuels International) POET has urged the new Biden administration to embrace E15. The world’s largest biofuels producer, based in Sioux Falls in South Dakota, has also welcomed the new President’s leadership in making climate a top priority. … Rob Walther, vice president of Federal Advocacy at POET, said each member

February 19, 2021 Read Full Article

Draft Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2019 Open for Public Comment DEADLINE: March 15, 2021

(Environmental Protection Agency) Per an announcement in the Federal Register (FR) FRL-10019-87-OAR, the Draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory is now available for public comment. To ensure your comments are considered for the final version of the document, please submit your comments by March 15, 2021. Learn more on how to submit comments.

February 17, 2021 Read Full Article

RFA’s Cooper: Ethanol Provides Essential Energy for Meeting Global Challenges

(Renewable Fuels Association) Just as ethanol has played an essential role in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, the low-carbon fuel will also serve as essential energy for combatting climate change, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said today at the 26th annual National Ethanol Conference. “As COVID cases began to

February 17, 2021 Read Full Article

Building the Evidence on Corn Ethanol’s Greenhouse Gas Profile

by Jan Lewandrowski (US Department of Agriculture) Over the past two decades, the demand for renewable fuels — including corn-based ethanol — has helped drive a strong domestic market for corn, and supported rural America by generating jobs (PDF, 1.5 MB). New research is confirming that corn ethanol also has more greenhouse gas

February 15, 2021 Read Full Article

PBF Energy Considering Renewable Diesel Project at Chalmette, Louisiana, Refinery

by Janet McGurty (S&P Global Platts) Technical feasibility study ongoing; Project would mitigate RFS costs — PBF Energy is considering a renewable diesel project at its 190,000 b/d refinery in Chalmette, Louisiana, as it seeks to mitigate the high cost of meeting the Renewable Fuel Standard, a company executive said Feb. 11.

February 12, 2021 Read Full Article

Governor Walz Sends Biofuels Letter to President Biden

(Red River Farm Network) Minnesota Governor Tim Walz sent a letter to President Biden on Wednesday asking him to support the biofuels industry and reverse the Trump administrations actions in supporting small refinery exemptions. Walz wants the Biden administration to issue an executive order to ban the use of aromatics

February 12, 2021 Read Full Article

Biden’s EPA Pick to Review Options for Biofuel Blending Law beyond 2022

by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) U.S. President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency said he will confer with legal and policy teams to understand the options available for setting mandates to blend biofuels into the nation’s fuel mix beyond 2022. Michael Regan also said he has had conversations with

February 12, 2021 Read Full Article

Groups Testify against EPA’s Proposed RFS Deadline Extensions PUBLIC COMMENT DEADLINE: March 11, 2021

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Representatives of the biofuels industry testified against the U.S. EPA’s proposed extension of the 2019 and 2020 Renewable Fuel Standard compliance deadlines during a Feb. 9 virtual hearing. Public comments on the proposal can be filed through March 11. The EPA published a proposed rule in

February 11, 2021 Read Full Article

Dems Ask Sec. Pete to Revive GHG Reporting Rule

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) A coalition of congressional Democrats on Tuesday wrote to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging him to reinstate a Federal Highway Administration regulation that required state planners to measure and report annual changes in greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles traveling on major interstates and highways. The

February 10, 2021 Read Full Article

Three Methods to Produce Rare Cannabinoids: Cultivation, Chemical Synthesis, and Biosynthesis

by Maxim Mikheev (BIOMEDICAN/Biofuels Digest) There is a rapidly growing demand for cannabinoids (the compounds found in the cannabis plant) because of their numerous health benefits. While the most popular cannabinoid is CBD, there are over one hundred known cannabinoids, including rare ones like CBG, CBN, THCA, and THCV. Thanks to

February 9, 2021 Read Full Article

Life is a Highway

by John Eichberger (Fuels Institute) … Fuels Institute recently published “The Impact of Transportation-related Environmental Initiatives” which provides an objective assessment of 37 global efforts and a deep dive into 14 of the most prominent initiatives affecting transportation. As we embark upon a dedicated path to reducing carbon emissions, this report can

February 8, 2021 Read Full Article

Ag Policy Blog Working on the Night Moves: Cruz RINs Cap Plan Struck Down in Wee Hours Friday

by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) The Senate rejected an attempt by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to cap the price of renewable identification numbers, or RINs, at 10 cents, as part of a proposed amendment to the COVID-19 stimulus bill, in the wee hours of the morning on Friday. RINs are

February 8, 2021 Read Full Article

NREL Develops New Method to Better Understand Ethanol Production

(Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office funded researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and collaborated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to address a significant challenge facing the ethanol industry. It is difficult to precisely and

February 5, 2021 Read Full Article

Thune, Shaheen Reintroduce Bill to Advance Renewable Fuel Technologies

(Office of Senator John Thune (R-SD)) Bill would require EPA to approve proven technologies, expedite review of others — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) today reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to approve certain advanced biofuel registrations that have gone without approval by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) despite the fuels already being

February 5, 2021 Read Full Article

Marathon Petroleum Balancing Traditional Refinery Operations with New Renewable Ventures

by Janet McGurty (S&P Global Platts) Sees Q1 2021 gasoline demand 90% of Q1 2020; STAR project continues at Galveston Bay, TX, refinery; Dickinson, ND RD plant to reach full rates end-Q1 — US refiner Marathon Petroleum is embracing the renewable energy space as it looks to cut its carbon footprint, while positioning

February 5, 2021 Read Full Article

Klobuchar, Grassley Highlight Need to Restore Integrity to Renewable Fuel Standard in Letter to Environmental Protection Agency

(Office of Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)) U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) led a letter to Acting Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Jane Nishida highlighting the need to restore integrity to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by reviewing small refinery waivers, swiftly issuing a proposed rule

February 4, 2021 Read Full Article

To Make the U.S. Auto Fleet Greener, Increasing Fuel Efficiency Matters More Than Selling Electric Vehicles

by John DeCicco (The Conversation) … Motorcars stay on the road for a long time, so failing to adequately reduce gasoline vehicle emissions this year burdens the atmosphere with excess carbon dioxide (CO2) for many years ahead. … The media spotlight on EVs can lend them outsize importance in discussions of

February 4, 2021 Read Full Article

Regan Faces Senate Committee Wednesday: EPA Nominee Regan Tells Grassley Biofuels Part of Biden Climate Plan

by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley said he wants regulatory stability in agriculture when considering the Biden administration’s nominee to head the EPA, Michael Regan. In a recent conversation with Regan ahead of his Wednesday hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Grassley said

February 3, 2021 Read Full Article

EPA Races to Draft Interim Auto Standards for CO2

by Maxine Joselow (E&E News) President Biden’s EPA is expected to draft interim auto emissions standards based on an agreement last year between California and five car companies, according to sources following the matter. EPA is poised to unveil the interim standards and notify the auto industry by April 1.

February 3, 2021 Read Full Article

Toyota, Fiat Chrysler Drop Support for Trump Effort to Bar California Emissions Rules

by David Shepardson (Reuters/Yahoo!Finance) Toyota Motor Corp, Fiat Chrysler and other major automakers said on Tuesday they were joining General Motors in abandoning support for former President Donald Trump’s effort to bar California from setting its own zero emission vehicle rules. The automakers, which also included Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, Mitsubishi

February 3, 2021 Read Full Article

Growth Energy Battles in Court to Reverse Demand Destruction

(Growth Energy) On Friday, January 29th, Growth Energy, along with others in the biofuels industry, filed an opening brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (Case No. 20-1046) challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) failure to properly establish 2020 biofuel blending targets under the Renewable Fuel

February 3, 2021 Read Full Article

Trump Left Biden a $30 Billion Fund Used for Trade Wars. Biden Has Other Plans for It.

by Liz Crampton (Politico) A Depression-era financial institution was used by the Trump administration to dole out billions to farmers. Now the Biden team has their own ideas about how the money should be spent. The Trump administration used it to bail out farmers suffering from its trade wars. Now

February 1, 2021 Read Full Article

Infrastructure Bill Can Bring Us Closer to E15 Standard

by Timothy J. Rudnicki (Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) In the past few weeks, we have been working with state lawmakers to advance a bill that would provide partial funding for fuel retailers to make the necessary infrastructure upgrades to offer E15. This initiative holds the potential to strengthen market signals to speed

January 29, 2021 Read Full Article

Spotlight: E15 May Get Boost with Friendlier Labeling at the Pump PUBLIC COMMENT DEADLINE: April 19, 2021

by Corey Lavinsky and Zane McDonald (S&P Global Platts) US Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule to modify the label requirements for gasoline blended with 15% ethanol; EPA’s proposed mock-up labels are less likely to dissuade a customer from using the blend; E15 grew sharply during President Trump’s tenure, supported by several government

January 29, 2021 Read Full Article

EPA Directed to Report on 2017 Court Order

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is directing the Environmental Protection Agency to submit a status report every 60 days “on its progress in complying with the court’s remand” stemming from the July 2017 ruling in a case regarding the improper waiver of 500

January 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Biden’s Climate Goals Will Boost Ethanol for Now: Oil Refiners and Ethanol Producers’ Collective Pain Hasn’t Done Much to Align Their Interests

by Jinjoo Lee (Wall Street Journal) In the tug of war for former President Donald Trump’s favors, oil refiners won some surprising victories over ethanol producers. Their fortunes are about to flip under President Joe Biden’s climate-driven administration. The fate of U.S. oil refiners and ethanol are inextricably linked through the

January 28, 2021 Read Full Article

New RFA Staffer in DC, 10 Years of Ethanol Safety, and Crappie Masters 2021

(Ethanol Report 1-28-21/Energy.AgWired.com) In this edition of the Ethanol Report , we hear from three Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) staff members about the organization’s efforts in advocacy, safety, and education. Troy Bredenkamp is RFA’s brand new Senior Vice President for Government & Public Affairs in the Washington D.C. office and he

January 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Gov. Reynolds Plans to Build ‘Relationships’ with President Biden to Protect Biofuels

by John Steppe (The Gazette/SoutherMinn.com) Gov. Kim Reynolds is looking forward to “building those same relationships” with President Joe Biden and his Environmental Protection Agency staff that she had with the Trump administration to protect biofuels, Reynolds said during Tuesday’s virtual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. … “I will hold this

January 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Biden’s ‘Buy American’ Executive Order Pushes for Electric Vehicles

by Tyne Morgan (AgWeb) Biofuels groups have high hopes a Biden Administration will get the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) back on track. But an announcement just days on the job seems to showcase a Biden Administration’s push for electric vehicles instead. … The news came as a surprise to biofuels

January 28, 2021 Read Full Article

Farm, Biofuels, and Environmental Groups Oppose SAFE Rule

(National Farmers Union) An alliance of farm, biofuels, and environmental organizations last night filed an amicus brief in objection to the Safer Affordable Fuel Efficiency Vehicle (SAFE) Rule on the grounds that it both fails to account for toxic pollution from aromatic-laden fuel as well as ignores the important role that ethanol can

January 27, 2021 Read Full Article

The Clean Economy Employment Now (“CLEEN”) Project Launches Nation’s First Database with Actionable Ideas for Federal Leaders to Combat Climate Change, “Build Back Better,” and Advance Climate Justice / Includes Advanced Biofuels USA “Disappearing Gas Tax” Proposal

(The CLEEN Project) The CLEEN Project was created through a collective of more than 200 contributors and 70 Advisory Board members from the private sector, federal and state government, environmental justice organizations, and leading climate-focused think tanks who share a desire to help catalyze job creation and a 21st century

January 27, 2021 Read Full Article

Sinclair Confirms It Secured Trump EPA’s Last Biofuel Waivers, Defends Them in Court

by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) Sinclair Oil Corporation confirmed on Tuesday it secured biofuel blending waivers for its refineries from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shortly before the departure of the administration of President Donald Trump last week. The company made the statement in a court filing defending the waivers against a

January 26, 2021 Read Full Article

Biden Administration to Review SAFE Vehicles Rule

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA’s Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficiency (SAFE) Vehicles Rule is one of the many federal regulations that are set to be reviewed by the Biden administration, according to an executive order issued Jan. 20. “Our Nation has an abiding commitment to empower our workers and communities; promote and

January 26, 2021 Read Full Article

All EVs by 2035? Report Shows Roadblocks

by David Ferris (E&E News) This study, an update by the California Energy Commission on the state’s EV charging needs, is the first to try to game out the implications of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s earthshaking order to ban the sale of internal-combustion engines by 2035. The short answer: Charging stations will

January 25, 2021 Read Full Article

Ethanol Blog: Valero Sues Texas-Based Commodity Group for Failure to Deliver 106 Million RINs

by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Valero has filed a lawsuit in Texas state court alleging a Cypress, Texas,-based commodity group failed to deliver renewable identification numbers, or RINs, as part of an agreement with Valero. In the lawsuit filed on Dec. 31 in Harris County, Texas, Valero alleges because Sundive

January 22, 2021 Read Full Article

D.C. Circuit Court Stays EPA Action Granting Refinery Waivers

(Renewable Fuels Association) In response to an emergency motion filed Tuesday evening by the Renewable Fuels Association, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today ordered that EPA’s action on Tuesday to grant three small refinery petitions must be “administratively stayed pending further order of the court.” The order prevents EPA

January 21, 2021 Read Full Article

RFA Files Petition and Emergency Motion to Halt EPA’s Dark-of-Night Refinery Waivers

(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association filed a petition for review and an emergency motion to stay the effectiveness of three small refinery exemptions granted Tuesday evening by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with less than 24 hours remaining in the Trump administration. “EPA’s decision will inflict substantial, immediate, and irreversible harm” on U.S.

January 21, 2021 Read Full Article

A Muted Year for Biofuels M&A Activity: 2020 Review and Outlook

by Bruce Comer and Frank Kim (Ocean Park Advisors/Biofuels Digest) COVID-19 further plagues the already challenged North American biofuels M&A market, while capital investments thrive. — Biofuels merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in North America remained sluggish in 2020. For the second consecutive year, no large-scale, operating biofuels plant changed

January 21, 2021 Read Full Article

Top 10 Bioeconomy Must-Knows in the Biden Transition

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Who are the key bioeconomy players in the new Biden Administration? What recent moves by the outgoing Trump Administration and Congress will set their budget and regulatory framework for 2021. What will the new Administration do, right away and this year? READ MORE 1. New

January 20, 2021 Read Full Article

EPA Proposes to Extend 2019, 2020 RFS Deadlines DEADLINE Comments due March 11, 2021

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA is scheduled to publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register on Jan. 15 extending certain Renewable Fuel Standard deadlines for compliance years 2019 and 2020. A public comment period is open through March 11 and a virtual public hearing is scheduled

January 20, 2021 Read Full Article

Renewable Fuel Standard Program: Petitions for a Waiver of the 2019 and 2020 Renewable Fuel Standards DEADLINE Comments due February 18, 2021

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) EPA seeks comment on several petitions for a waiver of the 2019 and 2020 Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) volume requirements from refineries and the governors of several states. The petitions and the associated Federal Register Notice are provided below. Comments must be received on or before February

January 20, 2021 Read Full Article

Carbon Reductions On the Rise in 2021

by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board) With carbon reduction taking center stage, biodiesel and renewable diesel can provide immediate and substantial benefits, including 80% reduction in both greenhouse gases and particulate matter, an over 40% reduction in carbon monoxide, and more. Biodiesel and renewable diesel are on the “Rise” in

January 20, 2021 Read Full Article

Renewable Diesel’s Rising Tide

by Tom Bryan (Biodiesel Magazine) An update on U.S. renewable diesel projects—operational, expanding, under construction and proposed—giving new purpose to aging oil refineries. The report represents a transformative volume of nearly 5.5 billion gallons of new or potential capacity. The appeal of stacking the $1-per-gallon biodiesel tax credit on top

January 19, 2021 Read Full Article

Holding Strong: U.S. Biodiesel Producers Surveyed

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

January 19, 2021 Read Full Article

Renewed Focus on Climate Legislation Could Help Biofuels

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

January 19, 2021 Read Full Article

Official Release of the MOVES3 Motor Vehicle Emissions Model for SIPs and Transportation Conformity

(Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the availability of the (MOVES3) for official purposes outside of California. MOVES3 is the latest state-of-the art upgrade to EPA’s modeling tools for estimating emissions from cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles based on the latest data and regulations. MOVES3

January 19, 2021 Read Full Article

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

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

January 19, 2021 Read Full Article

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

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

January 19, 2021 Read Full Article

‘Essential Energy,’ the Theme of the Upcoming National Ethanol Conference

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ‘Essential Energy,’ the theme of the upcoming National Ethanol Conference, is inspired by the inclusion of U.S. biofuel producers on the Department of Homeland Security’s list of critical and essential industries during the onset of the pandemic. As states across the country

January 16, 2021 Read Full Article

House Biofuels Caucus Urges Trump to Reject SRE Petitions

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Members of the House Biofuels Caucus sent a letter to President Trump on Jan. 12 urging him to direct the U.S. EPA to immediately reject any pending small refinery exemption (SRE) requests that do not meet criteria established by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in its January