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(National Biodiesel Board) The tax incentive is crucial to continued growth of the U.S. biodiesel industry — Today (November 12, 2019), the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) released a new report, “The Importance of the Biodiesel Tax Credit,” showing how the emerging biodiesel industry relies on the combined values of the tax
Federal Regulation
November 13, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Nov. 12 dismissed a petition for review filed by the Advanced Biofuels Association challenging the U.S. EPA’s methodology for granting small refinery exemptions (SREs). The court’s judgement, however, provides a clearer legal pathway for current
November 13, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA announced Nov. 6 it is granting a request for reconsideration filed by the National Resource Defense Council in March 2009 related to the agency’s exclusion of ethanol plants from Title V permitting requirements under the Clean Air Act. A proposed rule published
November 13, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aemetis is known for their advanced renewable fuels by many,like their California ethanol plant and India biodiesel plant, but what you may now know is that they are building a $56 million dairy biogas digesters, pipeline and cleanup system and a $200 million cellulosic ethanol plant
November 12, 2019
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(Gro Intelligence) … Today, a record amount of ethanol is produced globally, and expectations are for further growth as three of the world’s largest ethanol producing countries move ahead with expansion plans. US proposals, which are aimed at shoring up demand for corn, could break a longstanding barrier that has capped ethanol
November 8, 2019
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by O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa) Iowa Senator Joni Ernst today said she’s talked directly with President Trump about the furor over proposed EPA rules which Ernst says do not fulfill the deal Trump struck in September on the renewable fuels standard. “I did visit with the president actually, again, two
November 8, 2019
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by Mike Naig (Sioux City Journal/Iowa Department of Agriculture) There’s a growing sense of frustration across America’s heartland, and it’s not hard to understand why. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is undermining the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), which is hurting farmers, biofuels producers and rural communities across Iowa. … EPA
November 7, 2019
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by Pete Danko (Portland Business Journal) SeQuential, the Oregon company that collects used cooking oil and turns it into biodiesel, has boosted production capacity at its Salem plant by 30 percent. It credited a state program with helping drive increased demand. Output has been growing every year since the southeast Salem
November 6, 2019
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by Amy Klobuchar (Argus Leader) ‘When we’re straight with the American people, we can build an even bigger coalition with an optimistic economic and justice agenda for this country.’ — From town halls to fish fries, debate stages to Hall of Fame dinners, we have talked a lot about changing our
November 6, 2019
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(RFS Power Coalition/Biomass Magazine) The RFS Power Coalition today applauded the passage of H.R. 3055 (116), the Senate’s Interior Appropriations bill. The Interior-EPA portion of the spending package includes a provision led by Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, requiring the EPA to take swift action on existing eRIN applications: Electric Pathway.—The Committee
November 6, 2019
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by Steve Hartig (Biofuels Digest) The North American biofuels market can be split into three main segments all of which have major dynamics. What I would like to do is give a high-level overview of what I see as some of both the challenges and opportunities across these. Ethanol which is a
November 6, 2019
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by Art Cullen (Storm Lake Times/Washington Post) … (J.D.) Scholten, a 39-year-old former semi-pro pitcher, was out on a 14-county “Don’t Forget About Us Tour” targeting Iowa towns of 1,000 people or fewer in his uphill climb against Rep. Steve King, the anti-immigrant Republican who dabbles in white nationalism. King’s
November 5, 2019
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by Bob Fisher (KGLO/Radio Iowa) Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg says President Trump isn’t keeping his promises to Iowa’s agricultural community when it comes to the Renewable Fuels Standard. “Actions speak louder than words and the president says he cares about farmers, but if you look what he’s done with the RFS
November 5, 2019
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(Renewable Fuels Association) A broad coalition of biofuel and farm advocates today sent a letter to the White House calling on President Trump to fix a flawed proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency, which “fails in its mission to reinvigorate farm economies and reopen biofuel plants across America’s heartland.” The letter
November 5, 2019
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(EurekAlert!/University of Illinois) The U.S. is the world’s largest producer of bioethanol as renewable liquid fuel, with more than 200 commercial plants processing over 16 billion gallons per year. Plants typically use dry grind processing methods; however, implementing fractionation techniques that separate corn components prior to fermentation can improve profitability, a
November 5, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC Next last week, there was lots of buzz and tons of discussion about all sorts of things, but what were the key takeaways? Let’s start with Sustainable Aviation Fuels, CRISPR, new food, the law, and more. In today’s Digest, find out what the
November 5, 2019
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(U.S. Energy Information Administration) On August 9, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it had granted 31 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) for the 2018 compliance year, or 4 fewer than were approved for the 2017 compliance year. As of October 2019, two SRE applications
November 4, 2019
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by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Earlier this week, I had the honor of testifying before a House Energy & Commerce Committee subcommittee on the devastating impact of small refinery exemptions (SREs) on the U.S. ethanol industry. My testimony described the demand destruction that has occurred as a consequence of the massive increase
November 4, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s ABLC Week and the semi-annual State of the Industry Address was a highlight at the opening of the on-stage presentations — known as a networking event but also featuring a slide deck and commentary on US and international bioeconomy trends. READ MORE
November 1, 2019
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by John Phipps (Farm Journal Ag Web) … The current dispute could be child’s play a few years from now – 2023 – when RFS mandated volumes will be set by at EPA discretion. By that time the effect of electric vehicles, the gradually slowing economy, and further trade breakdown could
October 31, 2019
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by Matt Kaye (FarmWeekNow.com) Renewable Fuels Association chief Geoff Cooper called the proposed supplemental rule issued by EPA a “bait and switch.” — … During a hearing before a U.S. House Energy subcommittee, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) chief Geoff Cooper accused EPA of secretly granting Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) as
October 31, 2019
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(Finance & Commerce/Bloomberg) Donald Trump’s effort to boost corn demand by allowing year-round sales of ethanol-blended gasoline has run into a logistical problem. Few stations offer it. In corn country, gasoline with a 15% blend of ethanol is now pretty accessible year-round. But in large population states including California, New York
October 31, 2019
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by Marc S. Reisch (Chemical & Engineering News) Despite a spotty track record, companies keep trying to convert trash into energy, fuels, and chemicals — … Local press reports noted weather-related construction delays, a challenge to the plant’s environmental permits, and difficult markets for recycled materials. Those delays point to
October 31, 2019
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by Michele Rubino (Biofuels Digest) … Take California’s climate change mitigation efforts – and specifically the LCFS (Low Carbon Fuels Standard), the State’s flagship Program aimed at decarbonizing the transportation sector. Back in 2015 the Program was emerging from years of vicious lawsuits, aimed at damaging and delaying it. The
October 30, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has posted call-in information for its Oct. 30 hearing on the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking released Oct. 15 that seeks comments on how the agency should project the volume of small refinery exemptions (SREs) in future annual Renewable Fuel Standard rulemakings
October 29, 2019
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by Gavin Bade (Politico’s Morning Energy) House lawmakers will hold a hearing today to critique the White House plan to roll back vehicle fuel economy standards, a day after GM, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota said they would side with the Trump administration on the proposal. … Lawmakers on the House Committee
October 29, 2019
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by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) Biofuels groups have filed a petition in the U.S. court of appeals in Washington against the Environmental Protection Agency, challenging the agency’s process for granting refineries exemptions to the nation’s biofuel blending mandates, the groups said Wednesday. The petition, filed by groups such as the Renewable
October 24, 2019
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Douglas A. Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Governor’s Biofuels Coalition) The global biofuels community is without a doubt watching the developments in the US with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and might be understandably confused. How is a program that was passed by the U.S. Congress and supported by Democrats and Republicans
October 23, 2019
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by Walker Orenstein (Twin Cities Business) Minnesota lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have come out in support of ethanol and biodiesel, which they believe could help boost agriculture and reduce carbon emissions. — In turbulent times for trade-dependent corn and soybean farmers, elected officials across the political spectrum in
October 23, 2019
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(Renewable Fuels Association) Newly available court documents assert that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency inappropriately granted Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance exemptions to certain small refineries that did not even qualify for the waivers, and that there was division within the Trump administration about its new approach to small refinery hardship
October 23, 2019
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by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg/Detroit News) Administration officials warned that an EPA plan for boosting biofuel-blending requirements violated the spirit of a deal brokered by President Donald Trump. The White House blessed it anyway. The back and forth is revealed in newly released documents from a White House review of the Environmental
October 23, 2019
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(U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee) Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chairman Paul Tonko (D-NY) announced today that the Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee will hold a legislative hearing on Tuesday, October 29, at 10:30 am in the John D. Dingell
October 23, 2019
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By Ron Lamberty (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … Contrary to oil industry and media talking point headlines portraying Trump’s attempts to fix what his EPA’s policies have destroyed as a “payoff” or “hush money,” farmers and the ethanol industry merely want the law to be enforced as written—and
October 23, 2019
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by Emily Skor (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Growth Energy report highlights ethanol’s environmental benefits as EPA contemplates RFS reset. — … Right now, the agency is also crafting a rule that will set new goal posts for renewable energy in 2021 and 2022. When Congress established the Renewable Fuel Standard,
October 23, 2019
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(Solutions from the Land) Tomorrow marks the seventh annual Bioenergy Day, during which more than 40 organizations all over the United States and Canada – businesses, non-profits, universities, and state and local governments – are showcasing the many ways they benefit from bioenergy. The day facilitates interaction between bioenergy projects and
October 22, 2019
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(Diesel Technology Forum) Thanks to the introduction of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, more efficient engines and more effective emissions control technologies, diesel engines, vehicles and equipment are a small and declining contributor of black carbon emissions globally. Technology and policy opportunities exist for accelerating turnover from old to new technology
October 22, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA hopes to have a new program up and running in early 2020 that will support retail sales of higher ethanol blends, including E15, according to statements made by U.S. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Censky during an Oct. 17 congressional hearing. Censky appeared before
October 22, 2019
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by Andrew Hecht (Seeking Alpha) Summary: Lots of action in ethanol since the 2018 low. Liquidity declines in the biofuel. The trade war impacts ethanol – a policy decision fails to keep a promise. The falling Brazilian currency is also a factor. ADM is an ethanol producer. … The trade
October 22, 2019
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by Jim Wiesemeyer (Pro Farmer) President Donald Trump today said a plan to recalculate biofuel-blending requirements to offset waivers exempting refineries from the mandates is approved, done and ready to sign and that the deal is “going to be terrific for the small refiners” that have “been hurt for a long
October 22, 2019
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by Pat Gruber (GEVO/American Energy Society) It’s a gaping hole in most conversations about fuel: what do we do about liquid transportation fuels? No matter how quickly we try to electrify our transportation sector, gasoline isn’t going away. Diesel isn’t going away. Jet fuel certainly isn’t going away. Even the most ambitious
October 21, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA published updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data on Oct. 17 that shows the agency has received five SRE applications for compliance year 2019. All five applications are listed as pending. No other changes were made to the EPA’s SRE data. In addition
October 18, 2019
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by Brian Dabbs (National Journal) … Now, though, two retiring Republican House members want to carve out a new future for U.S. liquid transportation fuel policy. Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois, who represents some of the most prolific corn-producing counties in the U.S., and Rep. Bill Flores, a petroleum-backing Texan,
October 18, 2019
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by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) Angry over proposed ethanol changes, Iowa agriculture leaders warned Wednesday that President Donald Trump will lose rural voters next year unless he makes good on a deal to restore millions of gallons of lost renewable fuel demand. “No more Iowa nice. Now, it’s Iowa pissed,” said Craig Floss, CEO
October 18, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA recently approved a Renewable Fuel Standard fuel pathway filed on behalf of Texmark Chemicals Inc. and Neste US Inc. that will allow renewable diesel produced at Neste’s biorefinery in Porvoo, Finland, to be shipped to Texmark’s facility in Galena Park, Texas, where it
October 17, 2019
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(South Dakota Farmers Union) Following yet another disappointing announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on their management of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke said it’s time to recognize the RFS Is broken. “The “big beautiful deal” EPA announced last week raised more
October 17, 2019
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(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) On October 15, 2019, EPA issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking seeking additional comment on the recently proposed rule to establish the cellulosic biofuel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel volumes for 2020 and the biomass-based diesel volume for 2021 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.
October 16, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “EPA Reneges on Trump’s Biofuels Deal”, said the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association in reacting to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s new plans for fulfilling federal renewable fuel requirements. EPA released a proposed supplemental rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard today, and the bioeconomy is up in arms, and
October 16, 2019
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Michael B. Gerrard and John C. Dernbach, Editors (Environmental Law Institute) Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the United States provides a “legal playbook” for deep decarbonization in the United States, identifying well over 1,000 legal options for enabling the United States to address one of the greatest problems facing this country
October 14, 2019
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(National Biodiesel Board) The National Biodiesel Board released results Oct. 9 of an annual national poll of registered voters designed to measure awareness of and attitudes toward biodiesel and federal policies that support the industry. The results show a candidate’s support for policies to promote clean energy, including biodiesel and renewable
October 10, 2019
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) First and foremost, the group asked Trump to expedite any new rulemaking process aimed at the waivers issue. … As part of the biofuels announcement last week, the Trump administration also directed EPA and USDA to take steps to address barriers to the use
October 10, 2019
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(Rock House Advisors and Playmaker Strategies/Biodiesel Magazine) Over the past three years Playmaker Strategies, based in Washington, D.C., and Rock House Advisors of Jefferson City, Missouri, have teamed up to write and produce “Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Policy, Regulatory and Market Perspectives.” For more than two decades, the authors of
October 9, 2019
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) A group of large investors is calling on GM to join a voluntary emissions deal struck between California, Ford and three other automakers — a deal that’s currently the subject of a Trump administration antitrust investigation, Pro’s Alex Guillén reports. “Joining the agreement with California
October 9, 2019
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by Tristan R. Brown (Seeking Alpha) Summary — The “giant package” that President Donald Trump had promised to the U.S. biofuels sector back in August was finally unveiled late last week. While the plan’s details continue to be scarce, those that have been provided suggest that the plan won’t do
October 8, 2019
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(Office of Representative Cindy Axne (D-IA-3) Axne, Klobuchar express concern regarding recent EPA statement claiming “zero evidence” that biofuel waivers are hurting ethanol producers, request USDA conduct an economic impact report — Today (October 3, 2019), U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne (D-IA-03) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent a letter to U.S.
October 8, 2019
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(Biofuels International) A new nationwide US survey conducted by Morning Consult has found strong support for ethanol and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Support for the latter has reached its highest level since the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) began polling on RFS support in 2016. The survey additionally found that
October 7, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Pacific Ethanol is a leading producer and marketer of low-carbon renewable fuels and high-quality alcohol products, and in some ways more importantly, they are a beacon for us to understand the future of pure-play ethanol and protein companies, going forward. Among the major players are
October 7, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In today’s Digest, the 4-Point Agreement, the backstory, the Glad Tidings, the Unfinished Business, and reaction from the stakeholders as we parse out the impact on future volumes, waivers, backfills, RINs, E15, blender pumps and more, …. The 4-Point Agreement The Administration announced that the
October 7, 2019
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by Chuck Abbott (Successful Farming) The U.S. appeals court in Washington unanimously ordered the EPA to reconsider its Renewable Fuel Standard for 2018 because it failed to account for the potential impact of full-throttle corn production on endangered species and habitat. Even though the decision was directed at agency deliberations
October 4, 2019
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by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) The White House removed language calling climate change a “serious challenge” from a proposal that limits California’s ability to set tougher vehicle emissions standards, according to reporting from E&E News. A draft of the document obtained by E&E shows the White House striking the phrase “while global climate
October 4, 2019
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(Environmental Protection Agency) Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue issued the following statements after President Donald J. Trump successfully negotiated an agreement on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): “President Trump’s leadership has led to an agreement that continues to promote
October 4, 2019
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(Renewable Fuels Association) Registered voters oppose the Trump administration’s actions to exempt oil refineries from renewable fuel blending obligations by a margin of nearly two to one, according to new polling data released today by the Renewable Fuels Association. The nationwide survey, by Morning Consult, also found strong support for ethanol
October 3, 2019
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by Candace Krebs (Ag Journal) … “What people don’t realize is that shale provides a particular very light type of oil, and we can’t use that exclusively with the way our refineries are configured,” explains Scott Richman, chief economist for the Renewable Fuels Association. “Total imports of oil into U.S. have
October 3, 2019
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by Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative/Biofuels Digest) … (A)nyone who owns a blender pump woke up one day in June to find out they were a refiner! Actually, a “fuel manufacturer” to be exact, with all the numbing, strangling regulations that go with it. While the fire is raging throughout the
October 3, 2019
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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) A series of unfortunate events this summer—all caused by U.S. government action or inaction—has led to a precarious situation in the biodiesel sector, but there may be a silver lining. — … The volume of SREs (small oil refinery exemptions) granted has exploded during the
October 2, 2019
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(Internal Revenue Service/Federal Register) … The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The IRS is
October 2, 2019
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by David J. Lynch (Washington Post) … After two decades, Siouxland (Energy Cooperative) this month halted operations following the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to exempt 31 small oil refiners from a federal law requiring them to blend ethanol in their gasoline. The waivers, which the Trump administration has approved almost
October 2, 2019
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(Safe Gasoline Campaign) In a wide-ranging interview on a popular South Dakota Business Radio program, Sombke and Daschle stressed that moving to high octane gasoline is a way to build on the success of the Renewable Fuel Standard. The path to get there is through the Safe Affordable Fuel Efficiency (SAFE) rule currently
September 30, 2019
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by Dave Blower Jr. (The News Gazette) The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) and the Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) along with 12 other Indiana farm, ethanol and biodiesel plants and allied industries wrote to Indiana’s congressional delegation expressing frustration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to compel the
September 27, 2019
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by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) Leaders in the renewable fuels industry say it’s urgent that President Trump fix the demand destruction and “economic crisis” created by RFS waivers. Ron Heck of Perry, Iowa, secretary of the National Biodiesel Board, says there’s no time to wait. “Many farmers are losing patience with
September 27, 2019
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by Steve Vander Griend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Urban Air Initiative) … While we are all glad Reid vapor pressure (RVP) relief for E15 was finalized, limiting us to E15 makes this a small victory rather than the game-changer it could have been. While the RVP issue, waivers and the renewable volume
September 26, 2019
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(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest association of biofuel producers, released a new report examining the potential impact of a growing role for U.S. biofuels in America’s clean energy future. The report was authored by Ramboll, a global research and management firm specializing in sustainable development, at the request of Growth Energy.
September 26, 2019
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by Stephanie Mercier (Farm Journal AgWeb) … While supporters of the U.S. biofuel industry will no doubt continue to advocate for some remedial action by the administration on the SRE/RFS issues, they should not overlook the fact that the U.S. market for fuel for surface vehicles, like cars, light trucks,
September 26, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Renewable Fuels Association sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler Sept. 25 criticizing statements he made during a Sept. 19 congressional hearing where he claimed small refinery exemptions (SREs) are not impacting the ethanol industry. Wheeler appeared before the U.S. House of Representatives
September 26, 2019
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(Sierra Club) Today, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that New Mexico will join 14 other states in adopting clean car standards requiring new cars sold in the state to emit fewer greenhouse gases. They also mandate an increasing percentage of cars sold in the state to be zero emissions. The governor
September 25, 2019
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by Kim Wynn (Grand Forks Herald) The Department of Transportation aims to tackle vehicle pollution in an attempt to bolster use of electric cars and increase biofuels infrastructure. — As Minnesota has failed to meet its goal of a 15% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 to 2015, the Department
September 25, 2019
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(Our Daily Planet) Looking to take further action against the State of California, the Environmental Protection Agency under the guise of enforcing the state’s non-compliance with the Clean Air Act (CAA) says it will take away billions in federal funds provided to the state of California to implement low carbon transportation
September 25, 2019
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by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Projections for E15 have been inconsistent since the May 31 Reid vapor pressure waiver. Ethanol Producer Magazine explores some of the factors that will influence the blend’s trajectory in the coming years. … Before the waiver, retailers selling E15 had already planned to increase
September 24, 2019
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by Carrie Muehling (Energy.AgWired.com) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is applauding lawmakers for support of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). RFA thanked a bipartisan group of 25 members of the U.S. House of Representatives for asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to prospectively restore RFS volumes lost to small refinery exemptions. In a
September 24, 2019
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by John Cumbers (Forbes) When it comes to action on climate change, what’s good for the planet must also benefit the economy and the livelihoods of people, which are more often than not at the forefront of the minds of voters and can make or break a government. When oil and
September 23, 2019
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) With a reported big deal for biofuels in flux, an economist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign put forward a plan on Thursday to account for more than 4 billion gallons of biofuels exempted to small refineries from the Renewable Fuel Standard from 2016
September 23, 2019
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by Tim Mullaney (CNBC) President Trump is planning an ethanol deal to please U.S. farmers angry that many oil refiners have been freed from obligations to use oil-based fuel. The deal, still not yet reduced to a written bill, is likely to make oil companies that have been given permission
September 23, 2019
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(GZ Energy LLC/Biodiesel Magazine) Physical commodities brokerage GZ Energy LLC plans to launch its groundbreaking digital trading platform, GZX, in October. GZX will provide renewable fuel market participants with a means to discreetly trade separated (K2) renewable identification numbers (RINs), California Low Carbon Fuel Standard credits, and Oregon Clean Fuels Program credits
September 23, 2019
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by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) President Donald Trump on Thursday discussed biofuels policy with senators from U.S. oil states, including Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, who said the president was engaged on the issue that has pitted Big Oil and Big Corn against each other. The oil industry is opposed to the
September 20, 2019
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(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) President Trump promised the American people that his Administration would address and correct the current fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards, and today (September 19, 2019), his Administration is taking steps to fulfill this promise. Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
September 20, 2019
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by Dino Grandoni and Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) 22 other states, plus D.C., Los Angeles and New York City, joined in the lawsuit — California and 22 other states filed a lawsuit in federal court Friday against the Trump administration, challenging its decision to revoke the most-populous state’s right to
September 20, 2019
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by Nora Goldstein (BioCycle Magazine) Overall, demand for RNG is strong in spite of an oversupply of D3 RINs in 2018. — In 2018, cellulosic biofuel producers, including those making renewable natural gas (RNG), outperformed the annual Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) quantity for D3 RINs (Renewable Identification Numbers) set by
September 19, 2019
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(The Telegraph) Local ethanol officials are lauding the Small Refinery Exeption Fairness Act of 2019 introduced Wednesday by U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville. Davis introduced the bill after the EPA continues to increase the number of small refineries exempted from the Renewable Fuel Standard. Davis’ bill would require the EPA administrator to use
September 19, 2019
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(Renewable Fuels Association) A new study shows that the Renewable Fuel Standard not only saves drivers money at the gas pump every day, but also enhances energy security by greatly reducing or even eliminating the blow to our nation’s drivers when global oil production is disrupted. The analysis confirms that the growing supply
September 19, 2019
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(Biofuels International) A member of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) has testified to the House Small Business Committee on Rural Development on the contribution of biodiesel to the clean energy economy. Thomas Brooks, general manager of Western Dubuque Biodiesel, spoke at a hearing on ‘Growing the Clean Energy Economy’, in
September 19, 2019
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by Miranda Green (The Hill) President Trump announced on Wednesday that his administration will be removing California’s tailpipe emissions waiver under the Clean Air Act, a decision likely to face fierce backlash in courts. Trump made the announcement via Twitter while touring California for private fundraisers and a visit to the
September 18, 2019
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“I’ve been hoodwinked so many times, not just by the EPA on this issue, but by other bureaucracies as well, so I’m going to see if what we talked about is the end product,” Senatory Chuck Grassley (R-IA) told reporters on September 17 referencing enforcement of the Renewable Fuel Standard.
September 18, 2019
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by Stephanie Batchelor (Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)/Biofuels Digest) As we speculate on the details and implications of the administration’s renewable fuels deal, the future of an entire green industry hangs in the balance. The debate over the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has become muddied with rhetoric about special interests and government
September 18, 2019
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by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The Trump administration will revoke California’s right to set stricter air pollution for cars and light trucks on Wednesday, according to two senior administration officials, as part of a larger effort to weaken an Obama-era climate policy curbing greenhouse gas emissions from
September 17, 2019
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(Biorenewable Deployment Consortium) BDC is a 501c3 organization focused on education and brokering partnerships in order to accelerate the deployment of economic bioprocesses and assist the forest products industry to get the most value from the tree. BDC membership represents bioprocess companies and the major forest products companies. BDC believes
September 16, 2019
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by Amy Mayer (Iowa Public Radio) The national average price for corn this season is back to $3.60 a bushel, about where it’s been most of this year except for an early-season spike ($4.16 in July) before the size and quality of the crop was known. That’s not great news for corn growers,
September 16, 2019
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The White House is considering a plan that could limit the number of small refinery exemptions to the RFS, increase the volumes of biofuels that must be blended into gasoline and boost the spread of 15 percent ethanol fuels, four industry and other sources
September 16, 2019
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by Julie Harker (Brownfield Ag News) An Iowa biodiesel business manager has testified at a House subcommittee hearing that his business is contributing to the clean energy economy, saying strong consistent federal policy is needed, “It’s ironic that the EPA has such concern for the economic hardships facing small (oil)
September 13, 2019
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) The farmer-owned CountryMark cooperative and fuel refinery is caught in the middle of the small-refinery exemption controversy. The company operates in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky — most of its customers at more than 100 retail stations are farmers and rural communities that have
September 13, 2019
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(Federal Register) The Office of Science Technology and Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on the U.S. Bioeconomy. The Bioeconomy represents the infrastructure, innovation, products, technology, and data derived from biologically-related processes and science that drive economic growth, promote health, and increase public benefit. Through this Request for
September 13, 2019
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by Jon Chavez (The Blade) Members of Ohio’s oil refining industry will rally in Toledo Thursday at One Government Center downtown to urge President Trump not to tamper with laws regulating U.S. biofuels policy, because doing so could put smaller refineries, including the Toledo Refining Co. operation in Oregon, at risk
September 12, 2019
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by Mario Parker and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg/Investors Business Daily) Discussions aimed at breaking logjam over biofuel plan; Friday deadline issued for ideas on potential compromise — Trump administration officials are squeezing biofuel and oil refining executives to agree to a plan to bolster corn-based ethanol and soy-based biodiesel. In
September 12, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Many have asked, why do we need mandates for renewable fuels, carbon prices, and all that. Isn’t that a government subsidy, a hand-out for politician-friendly technologies that can’t make it in the marketplace? Well, that depends, my friend, how you think about the community landfill. About landfills
September 12, 2019
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by Mario Parker and Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Trump administration officials are set to meet with renewable fuel producers on Wednesday, as they seek to entice industry endorsements for a plan to bolster corn-based ethanol and soy-based biodiesel. The meeting is slated to include executives from Louis Dreyfus Co., Renewable Biofuels
September 11, 2019
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by P.J. Huffstutter and Tom Polansek (Reuters) … Many farmers are angry, and some are directing their anger not at the Republican president, but at Washington’s bureaucracy. Trump has faced backlash from agricultural groups, ethanol producers and Midwestern politicians upset that his trade war with China has slashed export sales
September 10, 2019
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(South Dakota Farmers Union) It’s a critical time for the ethanol industry said former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle today, Sept. 9, 2019, when he met with more than 300 farmers, ranchers and agriculture supporters in D.C. as part of the National Farmers Union Fly-In. “It’s a critical time, not only for agriculture,
September 10, 2019
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Political consultant, pollster, and “public opinion guru” Frank Luntz gave a surprising plug for the use of E85 (85 percent ethanol blended fuel) and the need for more flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) during an appearance on FOX News Channel’s The Ingraham Angle with Laura Ingraham last Thursday. “There’s
September 9, 2019
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by Ty Rushing (NWestIowa.com) … During his town hall, King addressed multiple topics including immigration, trade negotiations and the struggles of the agricultural renewable fuels community. POET Biorefining, the nation’s largest ethanol producer, has a plant south of Ashton, which King made reference to when questioning a recent decision by the
September 9, 2019
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by Arnold Schwarzenegger (Washington Post) California has been a leader in the fight to clean our air since one of my heroes, Ronald Reagan, was our governor. The Trump administration, for some reason, is hellbent on reversing decades of history and progress. Whether it is political pettiness, shortsightedness or just plain jealousy,
September 9, 2019
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by Chris Prentice, Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) U.S. agricultural trade groups on Friday told the Trump administration a proposed biofuel reform package falls short of expectations, four sources familiar with discussions said, complicating plans the administration had for presenting the proposal to President Donald Trump. … The plan
September 8, 2019
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According to Reuters‘ reporters Humeyra Pamuk and Jarrett Renshaw, Terry Branstad, the former Iowa governor and now U.S. ambassador to China, showed a map of counties that had flipped in Trump’s favor in 2016 but were now considered at risk in the November 2020 election. Branstad also listed quotes from
September 6, 2019
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by Humeyra Pamuk and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) At a closed-door meeting at the White House on Aug. 19, President Donald Trump looked increasingly alarmed as his top envoy to China delivered evidence of rising Farm Belt frustration over his biofuel policy along with a stark warning: You’ve got a problem in
September 6, 2019
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(Bloomberg) Trump officials honing plan to benefit ethanol, biodiesel; Latest initiative would spike 2020 quotas by 1 billion gallons — Top administration officials have developed plans to give a 5% boost to U.S. renewable fuel-blending quotas in 2020, as President Donald Trump seeks to temper farm-state criticism he has undermined U.S.
September 6, 2019
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) California and the Trump administration will duke it out in court today over EPA’s initial decision to undo Obama-era auto emissions standards. … It’s California vs. Donald Trump today at the D.C. Circuit in an early test of the clash between the state and federal
September 6, 2019
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(Biobased and Renewable Products Update) On August 30, 2019, the National Chicken Council submitted a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expressing concerns with the proposed required volume obligations (RVO) for 2020 combined with the recent waiver that will increase the use of ethanol-15 (E15) under the Renewable Fuel Standard
September 6, 2019
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by Dave Boyer (The Washington Times) A leading trade group for the petroleum industry warned President Trump on Tuesday to ditch his plan to boost ethanol production, saying it would be a “disastrous political decision.” … He (Frank Macchiarola, a vice president of the American Petroleum Institute) said the petroleum industry
September 5, 2019
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by Matt Carr (Biofuels Digest/New Energy America) … President Trump has repeatedly buckled under pressure from fossil fuel interests and their Wall Street backers, giving an unprecedented number of “small refinery waivers” to oil refiners that have reported record profits year over year, significantly undermining biofuel production by destroying nearly 4
September 4, 2019
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by Tim Ryan (Court House News) The D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s renewable fuel standards in the face of challenges from energy companies, biofuel producers and industry groups. Under longstanding EPA policy, the burden of introducing more renewable fuel into the U.S. market falls on fuel
September 3, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s nothing like a former fed to give a unique perspective on federal programs and policy. Paul Argyropoulos, President of Policy Nexus Advisors, gave this illuminating overview of what he thinks the future holds, influencing factors and drivers that can change the whole planes, trains
September 3, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New Jersey, Senator Cory Booker announced that, if elected as US President, he would “Immediately end the granting of unwarranted RFS small refinery waivers to big oil companies, and substantially increase funding for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Booker became the second US
September 3, 2019
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by Brian Jennings (Ethanol Producer Magazine/American Coalition for Ethanol) … Are we simply going to play defense on the RFS and hope the E15 market develops quickly, or can we turn the page, go on offense and initiate a new legislative or regulatory strategy to increase ethanol use far beyond
September 3, 2019
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(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) and KS95 FM teamed up today to reward consumers who fueled up with Unleaded Plus (E15) at Hopkins Express Minnoco. During the hour-long promotion from 12 pm to 1 pm, consumers who fueled up with E15 were rewarded with prizes that
September 3, 2019
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(Renewable Fuels Association) In formal comments submitted today (August 30, 2019) in response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed 2020 renewable volume obligations, the Renewable Fuels Association called on the EPA to follow the law and make up for the lost blending volumes resulting from the numerous secretive refinery waivers
September 3, 2019
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by Michael Bakas (Utility Dive/Ameresco) When it comes to addressing climate change, we must pursue the many diverse approaches for reducing carbon emissions. One of the most overlooked opportunities in our arsenal today is renewable natural gas (RNG). It’s simply not getting enough attention in relationship to its potential for major impact.
September 2, 2019
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In a February 2018 letter to the EPA from the American Petroleum Institute: “…RIN costs are largely recovered by refineries, both large and small, through the increased value of gasoline and diesel fuel they supply to the market.” … “These points make clear that small refinery exemptions are unnecessary as
September 1, 2019
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by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) On Wednesday, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and the American Petroleum Institute sent a letter to President Trump in response to reports that the administration is considering measures to mitigate the harm that the renewable fuels industry has experienced as a result of the
September 1, 2019
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by Doug Sombke (The Hill/Farmers Union Enterprises and the South Dakota Farmers Union) … I recently wrote a letter to the president suggesting a pathway out from under the proverbial rock. I urged him to direct the EPA to enforce the mandatory provision of the Clean Air Act that requires it to reduce the toxic
September 1, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) President Donald Trump issued a tweet Aug. 29 suggesting his administration is working on a “giant package” to boost demand for ethanol. He did not indicate what the timeframe for the release of that package might be. Trump’s tweet followed weeks of outrage by
September 1, 2019
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by Maxine Joselow (E&E News) Federal agencies have been reluctant to buy electric vehicles because of high prices and a lack of charging infrastructure, the government’s internal watchdog said in a report released yesterday. READ MORE FEDERAL VEHICLE FLEETS: Agencies Have Continued to Incorporate Alternative Fuel Vehicles into Fleets, but
August 29, 2019
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by O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa) Governor Kim Reynolds and Midwest governors are planning a trip to Washington, D.C. to talk with President Trump about unrest in farm country. “Let him know first-hand what’s happening on the ground,” Reynolds said this morning. The Trump Administration recently granted waivers to oil companies,
August 28, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Klobuchar says “I will stop the oil refinery waivers”: In Iowa, US Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said that, if elected President in 2020, would in her first 100 days in office order a moratorium on oil refinery waivers issued under the Renewable Fuel Standard, restore the
August 28, 2019
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(Renewable Fuels Association) Documents obtained by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) show that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ignored strong recommendations from within the Trump Administration to redistribute Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blending obligations lost to small refinery exemptions in the proposed rule for 2020 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs). According to
August 27, 2019
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by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Bryan Stockton gave attendees of the American Coalition for Ethanol’s annual conference in Omaha, Nebraska, an update on some of the litigation affecting the ethanol industry. Stockton is an attorney at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is working on behalf of the industry to
August 26, 2019
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by Jennifer A Dlouhy and Mario Parker (Bloomberg) 2021 quotas will jump to make up for oil refinery exemptions; Move could alienate Rust Belt refinery workers in Pennsylvania — President Donald Trump, seeking to tamp down political fallout in U.S. farm states essential to his re-election, has ordered federal agencies
August 26, 2019
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by Humeyra Pamuk and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) President Donald Trump, faced with mounting anger in the farm belt over policies that allowed oil refineries to use less corn-based ethanol, is set to meet with cabinet members on Thursday to discuss ways to boost biofuel demand, four sources familiar with the matter said.
August 22, 2019
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by Brian Dabbs (National Journal) Democratic presidential candidates are exploiting a controversial White House ethanol policy to try to generate support among President Trump’s staunchest backers. The Environmental Protection Agency waived ethanol blending requirements for more than 30 petroleum refiners earlier this month, in a move that continues to infuriate
August 22, 2019
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by Alex Guillén (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Trump administration is considering reallocating the volumes of ethanol that were reduced when it allowed dozens of refineries to waive their Renewable Fuel Standard requirements to blend the biofuel with gasoline, four industry sources with knowledge of the discussions told Pro’s Eric Wolff.
August 22, 2019
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by Michael McGrady (Inside Sources) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing a legal challenge from a coalition of biofuel and agriculture industry groups regarding the agency’s proposal for reduced renewable fuel volumes. According to a press release from the coalition, the organizations filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
August 21, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Governors representing Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska and North Dakota recently sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler urging the agency to clarify biogenic CO2 is not a pollutant subject to regulation under the Clean Air Act. “We respectively request that you prioritize regulatory reform
August 21, 2019
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by Alex Guillén (Politico’s Morning Energy) EPA’s internal watchdog is being asked to determine how the agency decided to grant the vast majority of exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard that oil refiners have requested. EPA approved 31 petitions for waivers from the 2018 requirements, while rejecting just six, and
August 21, 2019
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by Robert Rapier (Forbes) … My proposed solution is for the Midwestern states to band together to provide sufficient state incentives to develop a major Midwest corridor where E85 — a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline — is the primary fuel of choice for consumers. There is enough
August 19, 2019
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by By Todd Neeley and Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) …The president sided with oil refiners over ethanol producers and corn farmers, just two months after reiterating his support for ethanol at a rally held at Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to celebrate the approval of year-round
August 19, 2019
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by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) A phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump last week ended a nearly two-month-long review of the nation’s biofuels program, three sources familiar with the matter said, with the White House siding in favor of oil refiners over corn growers. Trump gave Andrew Wheeler, head of the U.S.
August 16, 2019
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by Robert Rapier (Forbes) …In this model, the entities that control the model are the same as those that benefit from it: The Midwestern states that produce essentially all of the nation’s ethanol. The key goal here is to get the federal government out of the position of strongly impacting the market for
August 15, 2019
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by Anna-Lisa Laca (Farm Journal’s Ag Pro) For the past two years the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been issuing small refinery hardship waivers, which allow the awarded refiners to forgo blending ethanol with their fuels. Is EPA breaking the law by issuing such waivers? It depends on who you
August 15, 2019
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by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) For retailers who are still looking to add E15 to their product mix, Growth Energy’s vice president of market development, Mike O’Brien believes there’s no better place to learn about and ask questions than the Prime the Pump program. Retailers who have already made the
August 14, 2019
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by Allen Schaeffer (Construction Executive/Diesel Technology Forum) … Achieving the U.S. EPA Tier 4 emissions requirements means near-zero particulate matter (PM 2.5) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. This performance is accomplished through a combination of strategies, ranging from selective catalytic reduction and diesel particulate filters to advanced catalysts. No matter
August 14, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Innovation is great but without implementation, the story ends there. Not so for ICM, a Kanasas-based company that took its small business roots in a farming community and an idea and turned it into 1/3 of the world’s ethanol produced every year by ICM technologies. With
August 14, 2019
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(City of Longmont/NGV Journal) Steel rising on a site at the northwest corner of the city of Longmont’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is a sign of the future. The steel provides the frame for an approximately 23,000-square-foot building for Longmont’s Biogas Treatment and Renewable Natural Gas Fueling Station Project, which will
August 12, 2019
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(Urban Air Initiative) In a joint petition filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals, a broad alliance of ethanol, agriculture, and clean fuel organizations requested judicial review of a recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rulemaking that would limit ethanol blending and restrict the use of blender pumps. The Urban Air Initiative
August 12, 2019
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Whose Side Is Trump on? The Fight Continues…Corn Country and Oil Country Still Battling It out in Washington, DC
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … It’s a back and forth game of Trump’s promises to help farmers and agriculture and support ethanol and biofuels, EPA giving small refinery waivers to big oil companies, …. … (T)he latest responses from Midwest Senators, the American Coalition for Ethanol, how both