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by Humeyra Pamuk (National Post/Reuters) Small U.S. refineries plan to sue Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 60 days, if the agency by then fails to issue its decisions on 2018 petitions for waivers from the nation’s biofuel laws, refiners said in a letter on Wednesday. … Since Trump took office, the EPA
Federal Regulation
July 19, 2019
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by Mike Putz (Dyersville Commercial) Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand might be trailing in the polls both in Iowa and nationally, but she believes stops like the one she made to Big River Resources in Dyersville will convince Iowans to send her to the White House. The New York Senator visited
July 17, 2019
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by Maxine Joselow (E&E News) The Trump administration appears to have abandoned its initial strategy for defending the rollback of Obama-era clean car rules from court challenges, according to three people with knowledge of the situation. The administration was previously rushing to finalize the rollback in early summer. Experts have said that would
July 17, 2019
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(Diesel Technology Forum) The new generation of diesel technology is helping ports, cities, communities and entire nations meet climate and clean air challenges of today and tomorrow, according to a statement submitted today by the Diesel Technology Forum, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of diesel engines, fuel and the
July 16, 2019
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by Doug Durante (Morning Consult/Clean Fuels Development Coalition) … But what if there is research illustrating that some of these toxins — specifically ultrafine toxic particulates that often come from additives in gasoline — are not only a known danger to our public health, but that there is a solution
July 16, 2019
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(Farm Progress) Perkins Cole, a law firm representing small U.S. refineries has urged the Environmental Protection Agency to keep refiners’ applications for waivers from the Renewable Fuel Standard secret from USDA, arguing that the petitions include confidential business information, according to BusinessWorld. A dozen Republican senators, led by John Barrasso of Wyoming, have called
July 16, 2019
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(DTN Progressive Farmer Washington Insider) The notice of proposed rulemaking for the reset of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is still a ways off as there are now additional meetings scheduled on the topic at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) which is currently reviewing the EPA proposal on the
July 16, 2019
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by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) … Last October 18th, the Washington Examiner published an editorial written by Carter and Miller titled, “Consumers Will Suffer The Hangover From Trump’s Ethanol Binge.” Two days later I responded with an editorial titled, ” Failed Ethanol Critic Takes Another Shot… But Misses Once Again.“ My response set
July 15, 2019
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by Chris Hubbuch (Wisconsin State Journal) … “There’s (a) civil war within the Republican Party,” said Scott Irwin, chairman of agricultural marketing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “It’s pitting two significant Republican constituencies of the president and neither one is now in a position to issue any kinds of
July 15, 2019
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by Jessica Campisi (The Hill) The Trump administration announced late Friday that it will formally suspend an Obama-era regulation that penalized automakers that didn’t meet fuel-efficiency requirements, Reuters reports. After Congress ordered federal agencies to adjust existing penalties in 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued rules that more than
July 15, 2019
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by Caitlin McCoy, Robin Just (Harvard University Environomental and Energy Law Program) The Environmental & Energy Law Program is tracking the environmental regulatory rollbacks of the Trump administration. … The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the Department of Transportation (DOT) has set fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks
July 15, 2019
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by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) Republicans on Wednesday launched an environment-minded conservation caucus aimed at battling the perception that their party doesn’t care about climate change. Dubbed the Republican Roosevelt Conservation Caucus after National Park Service founder President Teddy Roosevelt, the bicameral group lists public land access, water quality and ocean
July 12, 2019
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by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump’s request for a review of the administration’s expanded use of biofuel waivers for oil refiners is holding up its decisions on 2018 applications, according to three sources familiar with the matter, two of whom said Trump may soon host a meeting on the
July 11, 2019
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by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board/Biofuels Digest) This year has been brutal for the biodiesel industry. As if the absence of the biodiesel tax credit wasn’t enough of a challenge, these unjust retroactive small refinery waivers are destroying the biodiesel market and devastating farmers and the workers we support. The EPA
July 11, 2019
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) … The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on July 28, 2017, https://www.dtnpf.com/…, ruled the EPA erred in how it interpreted an “inadequate domestic supply” waiver provision in the RFS on 2016 volumes and was required by the court to review the
July 10, 2019
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by Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times) The opposition to one of President Trump’s most consequential regulatory rollbacks — a plan to weaken pollution standards for automobiles nationwide — widened on Tuesday when 24 governors, including three Republicans, urged the president to abandon his plan. The governors’ plea adds to a chorus of criticism from an unlikely mix
July 10, 2019
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(Bergeson & Campbell) The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Procurement and Property Management published a final rule on July 5, 2019, that will amend the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement (Guidelines) to add 30 sections designating the product categories within which biobased products would be afforded procurement preference
July 9, 2019
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by Meghan Gordon (S&P Global Platts) Ethanol RINs fall after EPA proposes 2020-21 volumes; EPA declines to restore 2016 volumes flagged by court; Platts Analytics sees ethanol inputs above 10% this summer — The Trump administration’s proposed 2020 biofuel mandate — for refiners to blend 20.04 billion gallons, up less than 1% from this year
July 9, 2019
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(American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers) Today (July 8, 2019), AFPM launched an advertising campaign asking President Trump to keep his promise to protect U.S. refiners from unchecked ethanol mandates that threaten to kill our jobs. This campaign comes on the heels of increasing calls from the ethanol industry to eliminate small
July 9, 2019
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by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Today it seems that the use of anaerobic digestion in the Ocean State is not as widespread as it once was. According to a recent survey conducted by the Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC), owner and operator of Rhode Island’s (RI) two largest wastewater treatment
July 9, 2019
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by Cassie Mullen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) At the end of May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency removed the key regulatory barrier to using gasoline blended with up to 15% ethanol (E15) during the summer driving season, a significant barrier to wider sales of E15. This decision expanded the market
July 8, 2019
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by Jeff Wasil (Washington Examiner) … There’s also a better option than E15, one that only requires cutting red tape hindering the widespread usage of a next-generation biofuel: biobutanol. Unlike ethanol, biobutanol contains nearly 90% of the energy content of gasoline (compared to 67% for ethanol), is compatible with the existing fueling
July 8, 2019
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by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) The future of an exemption shielding oil refining companies from a federal mandate that they blend corn-based ethanol into the nation’s fuel supply is looking increasingly uncertain amid increasing political pressure on the Trump administration ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Months after the Environmental Protection Agency,
July 8, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In line with today’s top story on the EPA’s RVOs proposal for 2020, here’s the Advanced Biofuels Association’s take from ABLC 2019 on it all from a history perspective. Mike McAdams, President of Advanced Biofuels Association, looks back at the history of EPA’s small refinery exemptions going
July 8, 2019
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(Renewable Fuels Association/AgNewsWire) The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday issued proposed volume requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard program for calendar year 2020, with a total renewable fuel volume of 20.04 billion gallons, of which 5.04 billion gallons are advanced biofuel, including 540 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel. That leaves the 15-billion-gallon requirement
July 8, 2019
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(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) and KS95 teamed up today at the Winner station on Energy Park Drive to reward drivers who fueled up with Unleaded Plus (E15). “Since the EPA lifted the RVP-ban on E15 during the summer months, today’s event marked the first time we’ve
July 3, 2019
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(Associated Press) California picked up an important partner its long-running dispute with the Trump administration over vehicle emissions and fuel economy by announcing a deal with Canada to work on pollution reductions. The agreement comes as the state is in a standoff with its own federal government on the same issues,
July 3, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Energy Information Administration is seeking a three-year extension with changes to its Petroleum Supply Reporting System. The proposed changes include those related to biofuels reporting. The PSRS consists of six weekly surveys that make up the Weekly Petroleum Supply Reporting System, eight monthly
July 3, 2019
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by Bob Cleaves (Biomass Magazine/U.S. Biomass Power Association) The RFS Power Coalition met with the U.S. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs as part of its public outreach process, to share a few thoughts about electric renewable identification numbers. Across from the White House tucked in behind the Renwick Gallery is
July 2, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla., introduced legislation June 21 that aims to eliminate the Renewable Fuel Standard. Rooney cited the impact of ethanol on boat engines and the U.S. EPA’s rule to allow year-round E15 sales as the reasons for his action. The legislation, titled
July 2, 2019
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(Safe Gasoline Campaign) The 263 million gasoline vehicles on American roadways are emitting significantly more harmful emissions than being reported, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is ignoring the dangers of toxic compounds in gasoline, according to a new report released this week. Simply titled Gasolinegate, the report (and public service
July 2, 2019
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(Office of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)) Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today released the following statement in response to recent media reports on new threats to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “For years, Big Oil and its advocates on and off Capitol Hill have worked hard to undermine the RFS and dole
July 2, 2019
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by John Siciliano & Josh Siegel (Washington Examiner) … Former vice president Joe Biden has some scratching their heads over a climate plan he introduced last week during the Democratic debates to deploy 500,000 electric-car charging stations if elected president in 2020. The “big question” for Biden is what he actually means, said
July 2, 2019
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by Mark Radosevich (Convenience Store Decisions) C-store retailers must navigate the arrival of 95 RON fuel formulation, the push to add E15, underground storage tank liability and more. — Ethanol continues to be one of the top industry dilemmas in 2019, with the current 15 billion gallon mandate at odds with declining
July 1, 2019
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by Chris Prentice and Richard Valdmanis (Reuters) Senator John Kennedy of oil refining state Louisiana is blocking the confirmation of three senior appointees to the Department of Agriculture until the department butts out of parts of the administration’s biofuels policy, according to a letter he sent this week to Agriculture Secretary
July 1, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aemetis is an international renewable fuels and biochemicals company using patented industrial biotechnology for the construction and operation of advanced biorefineries. They own and operate a 60+ million gallon ethanol plant in California, a 50 million gallon capacity Biodiesel and Glycerin refinery in India, they are building
July 1, 2019
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by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) Jeff Alson was sitting in his apartment in Ann Arbor, Mich., when he felt like he was going to explode. … (Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew) Wheeler said Nichols never offered a counterproposal and accused Nichols of not being “a good faith actor in this rulemaking.” He added that “[h]er
June 28, 2019
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by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) Bill Wehrum’s ties to his former law firm and power sector clients prompted a congressional probe. — Bill Wehrum spent only a year and a half as the Environmental Protection Agency’s top air official before announcing plans to resign Wednesday amid scrutiny over possible violations of
June 27, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) … The EPA released the final rule for its ACE program June 19. The program replaces the Obama-era Clean Power Plan and establishes emissions guidelines for states to use when developing plans to limit carbon dioxide at coal-fired power plants. While biomass co-firing was discussed as a potential
June 26, 2019
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by Solomon Lanitis, Chrysa Glystra and Wesley Swift (S&P Global Platts) Ambitious emissions targets are driving governments across the globe to mandate greater use of biofuels in gasoline, and higher-ethanol blends of gasoline look set to make further inroads in the EU in the coming year. Electric vehicles and hybrids have dominated
June 26, 2019
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by Meg Cunningham (Roll Call) Rulemaking follows Interior Department actions that drew congressional criticism — A new EPA rule would allow political appointees to review and withhold documents requested by the public under the Freedom of Information Act. The final rule, published Wednesday in the Federal Register, was signed by EPA Administrator
June 26, 2019
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(Feedstuffs) EPA has rejected calls to update GHG calculations based on technological advancements in ethanol production. — A bipartisan group of senators led by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D., Ill.), both members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, urged the Environmental Protection Agency to update an outdated
June 26, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA published a notice in the Federal Register June 24 announcing it has opened a review of the Renewable Fuel Standard under Section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. According to the notice, section 610 of the RFA requires that an agency review,
June 26, 2019
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by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) will seek to permanently shut its oil refinery in the city after a massive fire caused substantial damage to the complex, the mayor confirmed on Wednesday, a day after two sources told Reuters about the plans. … Shutting the refinery, the largest and
June 26, 2019
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(National Biodiesel Board) Demand destruction for biodiesel producers cannot be made up through E15 rule, NBB says — The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) today (June 21, 2019) sent a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, highlighting the economic damage to the biodiesel and renewable diesel industry from the agency’s retroactive small refinery
June 24, 2019
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by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Under new size specifications for the 45Q tax credit, almost all ethanol plants are eligible, said Jamey Cline, in business development for Christianson PLLP. With revenues trending downward since 2018 and falling below operating expenses, diversification of revenue streams is crucial, he added. Cline was
June 23, 2019
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(Safe Gasoline Campaign) Gasoline and its emissions are one of the greatest threats to public health Americans face today. Transportation related pollution accounts for an estimated 50,000 premature deaths annually. When lead was removed from gasoline, it was replaced with benzene-laced octane enhancers—despite the fact that benzene is a well-documented carcinogen
June 22, 2019
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Top EPA and Transportation Department officials will likely face intense grilling from Democrats today at a joint hearing of two House Energy and Commerce subcommittees on the Trump administration’s proposed rollback of auto emissions standards. Headlining are EPA air chief Bill Wehrum and National Highway
June 20, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) A group of 15 companies sent a letter to Assistant EPA Administrator for Air and Radiation Bill Wehrum June 12 urging the agency to finalize provisions in the proposed renewable enhancement and growth support (REGS) rule to remove unnecessary regulatory barriers for the production of certain
June 20, 2019
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by @AmyForAmerica (Medium.com) U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released a plan outlining the more than 100 concrete steps she will take in her first 100 days as President of the United States to take on the biggest challenges we face at home and abroad. … Through executive action, Senator Klobuchar will begin to
June 19, 2019
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by Jeff Barber (OPIS) The idea of revising the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to operate more like the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) appears to be getting a fresh look. The rise in prices for California’s LCFS credits may be a motivating factor. More about that in a minute…. Let’s first look back to
June 18, 2019
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(Advanced Biofuels Association) Today (June 12, 2019), member companies and organizations from the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA), the Coalition to Address Removal of Regulatory Impediments (CARRI), and others with interest in deploying sustainable fuels sent a letter to Assistant EPA Administrator Bill Wehrum to urge the Agency to finalize provisions in
June 17, 2019
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by Jarrett Renshaw and Richard Valdmanis (Reuters) Two Midwest senators said on Friday they have introduced a bill to reform the Environmental Protection Agency’s opaque biofuel waiver program, which the corn industry says helps oil companies at the expense of farmers here by threatening ethanol demand. The bill, introduced by Republican Deb Fischer of
June 17, 2019
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(Growth Energy) Growth Energy announced that the Michigan-based fuel retailer NUVU Fuels will make E15 – a fuel with 15 percent renewable biofuel – the standard blend available to customers at all NUVU Fuels locations beginning this summer. NUVU Fuels will offer flex vehicle owners the choice of higher biofuel blends
June 13, 2019
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by Emily Moon (Pacific Standard) It could be years before farmers see any gains from the rollback of E15 restrictions—or before oil interests and environmental groups see any losses. — … For ethanol’s biggest opponents, the deregulation could usher in a whole host of plagues, including environmental hazards and falling oil profits. While
June 13, 2019
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(Growth Energy) Growth Energy announced that drivers across the United States have reached a new milestone, logging 10 billion miles on the road using E15. The news comes on the heels of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval of year-round sales of E15 – a fuel approved for cars 2001 and newer
June 13, 2019
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by Erin Vogele (Biomass Magazine) A bipartisan group of 21 members of Congress, led by Reps. John Shimkus, R-Ill., and Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler June 4 urging the agency to take action on pending Renewable Fuel Standard fuel pathways. According to the representatives,
June 12, 2019
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by Anna-Lisa Laca (AgPro) “We request that you cease issuing any further small refinery exemptions, immediately reallocate the remaining gallons, and make public the information regarding any recipients of these exemptions,” they wrote. ( Farm Journal ) U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) on Tuesday, along with 10 other
June 12, 2019
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by Mario Parker and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Ethanol, the intoxicating alcohol found in beer, wine and liquor, has been powering automobiles in the U.S. since the era of the Model T more than a century ago. Since the 1970s, when oil became more expensive and subject to international disputes — and
June 12, 2019
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by Brittany De Lea (Fox Business) President Trump is in Iowa on Tuesday, just weeks after he lifted restrictions on ethanol – which could be a boon to both farmers and some drivers. At the end of May, the Trump administration announced it would allow for the year-round sale of gasoline with higher concentrations
June 12, 2019
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by Miranda Green (The Hill) President Trump gave rallygoers in Iowa on Tuesday a sign of what might come in 2020, speaking to them about ethanol while taking hard jabs at Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Speaking in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to celebrate his administration’s decision to allow 15 percent of ethanol to be mixed
June 12, 2019
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by Miranda Green (The Hill) The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) is recommending a review of the agency’s decision to roll back a prominent Obama-era policy on auto emissions. The independent group made up of researchers and scientists wrote in a May 18 memorandum first obtained by Bloomberg that the department’s justification for
June 12, 2019
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by Meghan Gordon (S&P Global Platts) EPA says on track to release final volumes on time; Trump to tour Iowa ethanol plant Tuesday; Warren criticizes small refinery waivers — The US Environmental Protection Agency is close to releasing its proposal for how much biofuel refiners must blend into the US transportation fuel supply next
June 11, 2019
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by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) Joe Biden may have an ethanol problem. The former U.S. vice president has pledged support for advanced biofuels as part of his bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. But Biden, who leads the crowded Democratic field in opinion polls in Iowa and nationally, faces lingering questions in the
June 11, 2019
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by Richard Valdmanis (Reuters) The main U.S. refining industry association said on Monday it sued to block the Trump administration’s effort to expand sales of higher ethanol blends of gasoline, arguing the move exceeded the administration’s authority. The legal challenge from the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) association escalated a
June 11, 2019
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by Rob Hogg, Amanda Ragan and Bill Couser (Des Moines Register/Biofuels Vision 2020) As presidential candidates visit Iowa ahead of the caucuses, Biofuels Vision 2020 – a coalition of biofuels supporters – is here to educate the candidates about how renewable, low-carbon biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel reduce the carbon footprint of
June 10, 2019
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by Marianne Lavelle (Inside Climate Today) The rule opened new ways for the fossil fuel industry to challenge science-based policy. One group is using it to try to shatter the foundation of climate policy. — … The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a conservative Washington, D.C., think tank and steadfast ally of the
June 7, 2019
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Chris Grundler, the career official who heads the EPA office that oversees vehicle emissions and the Renewable Fuel Standard, will switch jobs with the head of another division that works on climate change as well as programs on acid rain and the ozone layer,
June 7, 2019
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by John Bowden (The Hill) Many top-selling automakers around the world sent a letter to President Trump on Thursday urging the Trump administration to scrap plans to roll back fuel efficiency standards set during the Obama administration. In a letter signed by 17 major automakers including General Motors, Ford and Toyota, the companies wrote that
June 7, 2019
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(Solutions from the Land) At long last, after years of appeals from biofuel interests, clean air advocates and rural Americans, EPA has lifted the summertime ban on the sale of 15-percent ethanol-blended gasoline (E15). The rule lifting the selective, if not scientifically questionable, prohibition is now in place, having become effective
June 7, 2019
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(Renewable Fuels Association) … The following key RFA resources on E15 are available publicly: RFA’s Model Misfuelling Mitigation Plan, which has become the de-facto gold standard approved and promoted by the EPA. Prior to selling E15, retailers must have plans in place outlining the measures they will take to reduce the
June 6, 2019
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Predicting how a legal case plays out can be dangerous territory, but an attorney representing ethanol interests in an expected petroleum industry challenge to EPA’s final E15 rule said the agency appears to be on solid ground with the rule. In a Renewable Fuels Association
June 4, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest’s new “Stocks Worth Tracking” Multi-Slide Guide Series highlights hot companies that are making strides in the bioeconomy. Today’s “Stock Worth Tracking” is Green Plains. Green Plains corn milling platform has changed and improved the dry mill corn process, but their technologies are now going
June 3, 2019
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) EPA beat the clock in finalizing year-round E15 on Friday, one day ahead of the beginning of the summer driving season. The agency announced a final rule that also takes a much softer approach on reforms to the biofuel credits market than what was originally
June 2, 2019
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by William C. Schillaci (EHS Daily Advisor) The EPA’s implementation of the small refinery exemption is one of the more disputed aspects of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. The major question associated with the exemption appears to be how does the Agency make decisions to approve or deny applications for
June 2, 2019
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by Eric Pfeiffer (Hoosier Ag Today) The EPA announced Friday morning that they have met the deadline for the summer driving season to allow year-round sales of E15, a fuel blended with 15 percent ethanol. “Corn farmers have been long-time advocates of higher blends of ethanol such as E15, touting its benefits to
May 31, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest’s new “Stocks Worth Tracking” Multi-Slide Guide Series highlights hot companies that are making strides in the bioeconomy. Today’s “Stock Worth Tracking” is Pacific Ethanol. Pacific Ethanol was originally founded in 2003 as the first pure-play ethanol company and now has nine bio-refineries in the
May 31, 2019
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by Jennifer A Dlouhy and Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Agency initially planned to bar some traders and cap positions; Rush to propel high-ethanol fuel by June 1 complicated effort — The Environmental Protection Agency is poised to jettison proposed trading restrictions on a $5.2 billion market for biofuel compliance credits in a coming rule, casting aside
May 29, 2019
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by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today) … While we are struggling to export corn, there is a market that is ready buy U.S. corn just in a different form. Ethanol exports have been booming and could expand even more if the EPA would allow more ethanol production. Its slow pace on
May 28, 2019
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by James Hohmann (Washington Post) … Trump proceeded to tout initiatives he’s taken to help corn growers. He noted that he directed the EPA to make it easier to sell more ethanol in vehicle fuel, lifting summertime fueling restrictions on E15 gasoline, which means it contains as much as 15 percent
May 28, 2019
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) The EPA and a handful of small refiners won a partial victory in federal court on Friday, in a lawsuit filed by a biofuels interest group calling itself Producers of Renewables United for Integrity, Truth and Transparency, or PRUITT, aimed at stopping the agency’s issuance
May 28, 2019
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by Doug Durante (Biofuels Digest/Clean Fuels Development Coalition) and Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative) Floods, horrible chemical fires, and now a barge accident in the port resulting in a chemical spill that further reveals the dirty little secret of gasoline — that it is toxic and can kill you. As CNN and
May 27, 2019
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by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth asked the Environmental Protection Agency’s inspector general Thursday to investigate whether the agency broke the law in granting dozens of waivers to the oil industry to not blend corn ethanol into the gasoline supply. Duckworth said new documents show that EPA has
May 24, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Reps. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., and Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., introduced legislation May 23 that aims to increase transparency surrounding Renewable Fuel Standard small refinery exemptions (SREs) and ensure any waived volumes are reallocated. The bill, titled the “Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act of 2019,” would ensure key
May 24, 2019
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Humeyra Pamuk and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to unveil a narrowed-down version of its proposed biofuel credit market reform this month after regulators concluded many of the agency’s initial ideas required more time to study, according to four people briefed on the matter. … It
May 24, 2019
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Tom Carper and House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone are calling on Wheeler to provide documents related to the agency’s public defense of its proposed Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles rule. In their letter, the Democrats say
May 24, 2019
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(DTN Progressive Farmer) EPA has sent its proposed plan for a reset of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), one of the final stages before the plan will be released. There are no indications regarding levels EPA is proposing at this stage for 2020,
May 23, 2019
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by Mario Parker and Jennifer Jacobs (Bloomberg) President Donald Trump is considering visiting an ethanol refinery in Iowa in the coming weeks, according to people familiar with the matter, a signal that the administration will fulfill a pledge to permit the year-round sale of high-ethanol gasoline sought by corn farmers in the state.
May 23, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Holland & Knight, a law firm based in Washington, D.C. and in the know of the fast changing federal regulations and rules, spoke at the Digest’s webinar this week about the road ahead for industrial hemp. Is it a smooth road ahead for hemp? Check out
May 23, 2019
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by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Pathway approvals by the U.S. EPA came to a screeching halt in 2018, putting the expansion of corn kernel fiber cellulosic ethanol in limbo. The EPA Part 80 Fuels Program List shows no new registrations for plants approved for D3 renewable identification number (RIN)
May 21, 2019
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(Argus Media) Higher US biofuel blending mandates cannot make up for lost export trade opportunities, according to farm groups caught in the crossfire of the country’s trade war with China. US independent refiners show little concern that the administration will blunt sharply lower exports to China by pressuring more renewable fuels
May 21, 2019
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(Hunton Andrews Kurth) The Department of Treasury (“Treasury”) and Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) have released Notice 2019-32 (the “Notice”) seeking comment on key issues to be interpreted in the Section 45Q carbon oxide sequestration tax credit. Congress significantly enhanced the Section 45Q tax credit in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018
May 17, 2019
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by Michael Verdon (Soundings Trade Only Today) Andrew R. Wheeler, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, told participants of the American Boating Congress that his agency plans to issue at the end of this month a final rule that will allow year-round sale of E15 gasoline. Wheeler also assured
May 17, 2019
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Taxes and Bans: That was the threat California’s top air regulator leveled Thursday in the ongoing war over the future of the state’s aggressive auto efficiency rules. The Trump administration is seeking to dramatically roll back Obama-era greenhouse gas standards for vehicles, but California
May 17, 2019
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by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The Trump administration made it easier for oil refineries to get waivers from the nation’s biofuel law at least four months before a 2017 court decision it often cites to justify the move to the corn lobby, and the move was motivated by a desire to save
May 16, 2019
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by Kelsey Quargnenti (Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has lowered gas prices by an average of 22 cents per gallon in recent years and saved the typical American household $250 annually, according to a study published today by economist and energy policy expert Dr. Philip K. Verleger, Jr. The
May 15, 2019
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(WOWO News/Hoosier Ag Today) The key to improving the farm economy and raising grain prices is not trade, but renewable fuels. Jeff Broin, with POET, says farmers must stop thinking of themselves as food producers but think of themselves as energy producers as well, “Farmers have thought of themselves as food
May 15, 2019
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(Raymond James & Associates) … The EPA is moving forward on year-round E15, while concurrently reforming RINs. As a long-standing political matter, federal ethanol policy (under the umbrella of the Renewable Fuel Standard) involves divisions not along party lines but rather regional lines. This is why, for example, Sens. Ted Cruz from Texas
May 14, 2019
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(Growth Energy) A new report from the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that net income for oil and gas companies hit a five-year high last year – in stark contrast to claims of “hardship” oil giants have used to skirt America’s biofuel laws. According to the report, “2018 was
May 14, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has published a document that provides guidance on how to demonstrate that an analytical method for determining the cellulosic converted fraction of corn kernel fiber co-processed with starch at a traditional ethanol facilities satisfies the applicable regulatory requirement. A notice posted to
May 14, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … (C)onsider this for now a Digested summary of the (Washington, DC) news you can use, as short as we can make it so that we return you to the business of building the bioeconomy that will, increasingly in the now and surely in the
May 14, 2019
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by Steffen Mueller and Sam Rushing (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The role of ethanol-based carbon dioxide is often underappreciated, both as an important source for the nation’s carbon dioxide market and for its carbon-reduction impact. Fermentation CO2 is captured, cleaned and condensed at 49 ethanol plants in the U.S., contributing between 30
May 10, 2019
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(St. Joseph Post) A bipartisan coalition of 35 members of the House of Representatives says the Environmental Protection Agency should stop issuing small refiner exemptions to large or unqualified refiners. The EPA has approved 54 waivers through the Renewable Fuel Standard, totaling 2.61 billion ethanol-equivalent gallons of renewable fuels in the
May 10, 2019
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by Nick Snow (Oil & Gas Journal) US Reps. Bill Flores (R-Tex.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) reintroduced legislation on May 7 which would limit ethanol quotas under the Renewable Fuel Standard to 9.7% of the total gasoline volumes projected to be sold in the coming year. H.R. 2540 recognizes negative impacts higher ethanol
May 10, 2019
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by Humeyra Pamuk, Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed increasing the volume of biofuels refiners must blend into their fuel annually to 20.04 billion gallons in 2020, from 19.92 billion gallons in 2019, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The proposed mandate, now under review
May 10, 2019
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(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) This document provides guidance on how to demonstrate that an analytical method for determining the cellulosic converted fraction of corn kernel fiber co-processed with starch at a traditional ethanol facility satisfies the applicable regulatory requirements. Public confidence in the volumes of cellulosic ethanol produced under the Renewable
May 10, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Washington state (House–see correction below) has passed a low carbon fuel standard that would have it join itself to the standards already enacted in California, Oregon and British Columbia and under development now for the whole of Canada. The establishment of a clear and steady
May 9, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has delivered a proposed rule to set 2020 renewable blending obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard to the White House Office of Management and Budget. The proposed rule also includes the 2021 RVO for biomass-based diesel and “other changes” to the
May 8, 2019
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(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s leading association of ethanol producers and supporters, filed comments with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in support of a proposed rule allowing year-round sales of E15 – gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol. “Unless the EPA acts quickly, the summer market for E15 will be
May 3, 2019
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(Office of Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said today the Trump Administration’s plan to go back on its promise to name which U.S. oil refineries are allowed to avoid requirements to blend renewable fuels into the nation’s fuel supply could ultimately contribute to job losses across rural
May 3, 2019
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(DTN Progressive Farmer) An EPA plan to reopen comments on a plan it put forth in 2016 to reveal more information on refiners relative to small refiner exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations has been put on hold, according to Reuters. EPA announced April 12 it would reopen the comment
May 2, 2019
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Hawaii-based Pacific Biodiesel has long prided itself on producing biodiesel from local resources within the petroleum-dependent archipelago and supplying the renewable fuel back to its community. But as the U.S. biodiesel sector tries to push forward in an unsupportive federal environment, producers like Pacific Biodiesel are
May 1, 2019
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(National Association of Convenience Stores) …(P)roposed RIN Market Reform regulations are unnecessary solutions in search of problems, and that EPA should finalize only those aspects of the proposal that enhance disclosure requirements and set aside for future reconsideration those aspects that would modify market behavior. The trade associations Monday filed
May 1, 2019
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by Jarrett Renshaw, Chris Prentice, Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has suspended work on its plan to publish the names of refineries securing exemptions from federal biofuels law after receiving blowback from the White House and parts of the oil industry, according to four sources familiar with the matter.
May 1, 2019
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by Curtis Ellis (WND) … Last week, members of the International Union of Operating Engineers stood alongside President Trump at a union job-training center as he signed executive orders to expedite the construction of oil and gas pipelines and energy infrastructure projects, including Keystone XL, Dakota Access, Line 3 in Wisconsin and
May 1, 2019
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(Urban Air Initiative) The Urban Air Initiative submitted comments to the EPA supporting the agency’s proposal to make E15 available year round. While this is a critical step forward and needs to happen, UAI asked EPA to not stop at E15 and provided detailed analysis as to why the law allows higher
May 1, 2019
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by Jarrett Renshaw, Chris Prentice and Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has suspended work on its plan to publish the names of refineries securing exemptions from federal biofuels law after receiving blowback from the White House and parts of the oil industry, according to four sources familiar with the
April 30, 2019
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(Urban Air Initiative, et al.) EPA’s proposed rule is inconsistent with the text of the sub-sim law, because ethanol is now a fuel additive used in vehicle certification. The proposed rule would codify a “no more than 15%” ethanol limit for the 1 psi RVP waiver. EPA’s 15% limit is based on EPA’s misinterpretation
April 30, 2019
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by Miranda Green (The Hill) … Asked who she (Mary Nichols, head of the California Air Resources Board (CARB)) thought would benefit the most from the Trump rule change, which she has argued automakers are largely opposed to, Nichols points to the fossil fuel industry. “It has been said, and I believe
April 30, 2019
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by John Siciliano and Josh Siegel (Washington Examiner) The deadline for comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed plan to allow year-round sales of 15% ethanol fuel closes at midnight, but neither side in the fight — that is, the oil and renewable fuel industries — wants the plan to move ahead
April 30, 2019
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by Alan Guebert (Beatrice Daily Sun) … “U.S. farmers, particularly cornbelt farmers, have gotten a really bad deal from the Trump Administration on the biofuels front.” Both statements are true, according to Scott Irwin, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois who, word-for-word, offered the latter one. On April
April 26, 2019
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(Advanced Biofuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Advanced Biofuels Association filed a motion April 24 for a preliminary injunction to prevent U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler from granting any additional small refinery exemptions (SREs) to release obligated parties from compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard until the resolution of its pending lawsuit
April 25, 2019
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by Doug Sombke (South Dakota Farmers Union) and Jim Seurer (Glacial Lakes Energy) (Farm Forum) … It does in fact, propose to provide year-round exemption from vapor pressure limits for blends of 15 percent ethanol, but does no more. The EPA proposal does not extend to higher blends. The anticipated increase
April 24, 2019
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(U.S. Department of Justice) Following a 14-day jury trial in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Ben T. Wootton, of Enola, Pennsylvania, and Race A. Miner, of Buena Vista, Colorado, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to make false statements to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), six counts of making false statements to
April 24, 2019
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(National Farmers Union/KTIC Radio) As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) works towards allowing year-round use of E15 gasoline, National Farmers Union (NFU) is concerned EPA’s proposed rule will make it harder for retailers to sell higher level blends of ethanol. In a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, NFU President Roger Johnson
April 19, 2019
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by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) … This past year we engaged with organizations like National Renderers Association, National Association of Truck Stop Operators, American Soybean Association, Petroleum Marketers of America, and many more. The National Biodiesel Board has strengthened its reach and relationships by increasing regular dialogue with our industry
April 17, 2019
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) As a new wave of large-scale biomass-based diesel projects develops, experts suggest market forces are ready to deliver the necessary fats, oils and greases. — …Many of these new biomass-based diesel projects intend to produce renewable diesel at a much larger scale than even the largest biodiesel
April 17, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA announced April 12 that it will reopen the comment period on one aspect of proposed rule issued in 2016 in an effort to “expand transparency surrounding the small refinery exemption program and provide further opportunity for input.” The agency’s announcement relates to its proposed
April 17, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler recently informed federal lawmakers that the agency is working on a rulemaking that will define biomass as carbon neutral. A proposed rule is expected to be released this summer. … During the hearing, Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said the past several
April 17, 2019
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by David Shepardson (Reuters) The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday the agency would revise its proposed freeze of vehicle fuel economy standards before unveiling its final regulation in the coming months. In August, the EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed freezing requirements for new
April 12, 2019
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(Growth Energy) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced they will take comment on the current process for issuing small refinery exemptions, allowing EPA to post the names of refineries who have applied for and received small refinery exemptions, an important first step in providing transparency in the process. While
April 12, 2019
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by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could grant fewer waivers exempting small refineries from the country’s biofuel policy as lower prices for blending credits have reduced the cost of compliance, the agency’s administrator Andrew Wheeler told Reuters on Thursday. The Trump administration’s use of such waivers to save the
April 12, 2019
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by John Huthmacher (Hastings Tribune) Ethanol continues to be a driving force in Nebraska’s economy, affecting a sizable portion of the state’s business sector. This, according to a recent impact study released by University of Nebraska-Lincoln economists. The report examines the economic impact of Nebraska’s ethanol industry between 2015-17. Authors are UNL agricultural
April 9, 2019
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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … ABLC 2019 kicked off on Wednesday with about 540 delegates in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Department of Agriculture building complete with secret service protection and escorts for some big-name super star speakers, with a pretty exciting vibe in the room. In ABLC terms,
April 8, 2019
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(SAE International) Typically ethanol is present in gasoline as a 10% blend by volume (E10), although E15, E85 (51 to 83%), and E0 are also available at selected stations. Numerous studies of tailpipe regulated emissions have been conducted to compare emissions from E10 and E0, and there is a growing body
April 8, 2019
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(Urban Air Initiative) A newly published study finds that most vehicles on the road today can adapt to mid-level ethanol blends, helping cars run more efficiently while reducing greenhouse gas emissions along with other pollutants. The study was conducted by North Carolina State University and commissioned by the Urban Air Initiative. “This study
April 8, 2019
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by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A report released by the Fuels Institute, a research group that studies issues effecting vehicle and fuel markets, outlines ethanol’s potential in helping the nation achieve a high-octane fuel (HOF) standard. According to the study and its companion white paper, the goal was to “develop
April 8, 2019
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by Bob Egelko (San Francisco Chronicle) California’s Air Resources Board sued the Trump administration Friday for information that might support the federal government’s claim that its proposed weakening of auto emissions standards would save lives. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency introduced regulations last August to roll back fuel-efficiency standards adopted under
April 8, 2019
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by Cindy Zimmerman (AgWired.com) Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) was honored at the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference (ABLC) in Washington DC this week with the Holmberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in Bioenergy. Accepting the award, Grassley said he was honored, but noted that his “work’s not done yet.” The Iowa senator, who has been
April 5, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler told federal lawmakers in early April that it would be difficult for the agency to reallocate biofuel volumes waived by small refinery exemptions (SREs), even if Congress provided a legislative mechanism to do so. He also said the agency aims
April 5, 2019
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by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is waiting to receive input from the Department of Energy to process 2018 applications exempting small refineries from U.S. biofuel laws, the agency’s administrator Andrew Wheeler said on Tuesday. Speaking at a hearing at the House Appropriations Committee, Wheeler said he expected
April 4, 2019
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by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) … Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former HUD Secretary Julian Castro, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan all took questions at the Heartland Forum in consecutive order on stage. … Former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, also
April 2, 2019
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by Jordan Godwin (Oil Price Information Service) With about two months to go before the start of the summer driving season, ethanol advocates are growing increasingly worried that EPA’s decision to combine in the same proposed rulemaking changes to how Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits are trading and a volatility waiver for
April 2, 2019
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by Jess Hewitt and Jonathan Lewis (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) … Many people are confused by the term “biojet,” and the many other terms used to describe this “new fuel”. There is a standard specification that describes this product. Turbine (jet) fuels are covered by the American Society of Testing Materials
April 2, 2019
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by J.D. Scholten (The Hill) … To win back the White House, Democrats can’t just rely on “Whole Foods” districts of educated, affluent suburbanites. Democrats can do well in “Dollar General” districts if they show up and address the issues. No one gave me much of a chance when I ran against Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), but
April 1, 2019
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EPA to Hold Hearing on 2020 RFS Proposal July 31 in Michigan
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has announced plans to hold a public hearing July 31 in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on its proposed rule to set 2020 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) and the 2021 RVO for biomass-based diesel under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The agency released the rulemaking on July