English
Afrikaans
Albanian
Amharic
Arabic
Armenian
Azerbaijani
Basque
Belarusian
Bengali
Bosnian
Bulgarian
Catalan
Cebuano
Chichewa
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Corsican
Croatian
Czech
Danish
Dutch
Esperanto
Estonian
Filipino
Finnish
French
Frisian
Galician
Georgian
German
Greek
Gujarati
Haitian Creole
Hausa
Hawaiian
Hebrew
Hindi
Hmong
Hungarian
Icelandic
Igbo
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Javanese
Kannada
Kazakh
Khmer
Korean
Kurdish (Kurmanji)
Kyrgyz
Lao
Latin
Latvian
Lithuanian
Luxembourgish
Macedonian
Malagasy
Malay
Malayalam
Maltese
Maori
Marathi
Mongolian
Myanmar (Burmese)
Nepali
Norwegian
Pashto
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Punjabi
Romanian
Russian
Samoan
Scottish Gaelic
Serbian
Sesotho
Shona
Sindhi
Sinhala
Slovak
Slovenian
Somali
Spanish
Sudanese
Swahili
Swedish
Tajik
Tamil
Telugu
Thai
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Uzbek
Vietnamese
Welsh
Xhosa
Yiddish
Yoruba
Zulu
(WNAX) This week, the Environmental Protection Agency published its rule making agenda for 2019 and in it said they’’ll start the rulemaking process for year-round use of E15 in February of next year. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper says they wanted to see the rulemaking start sooner than
Opinions
by Jack Laurenson (Kiyv Post) Biomass as a replacement for Russian gas in heating is one grassroots initiative that has become an emerging business, earning real profits for investors. For example, the biogas outlet in Velyky Krupil, Kyiv Oblast, provides electricity for a local milk farm. The European Bank for Reconstruction
October 22, 2018 Read Full Article
by DeLoss Jahnke (Farm Week Now) NCERC has contributed dozens of technologies being used by manufacturers across the country, and interest in continued collaboration keeps growing. In just 15 years, the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) has become a nationally recognized research facility and made a major impact on ethanol production throughout the
October 20, 2018 Read Full Article
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Historically, India and Brazil have been two major export destinations for ethanol produced in the United States. All the while, both India and Brazil are stepping up efforts to produce more ethanol. In India this week, stocks in sugarcane companies spiked in anticipation of
October 20, 2018 Read Full Article
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The owner of a biomass power plant in Colorado is the latest representative of the bioenergy industry to urge the U.S. EPA to take action to allow biomass power facilities to participate in the Renewable Fuel Standard program. On Oct. 11, Dean Rostrom, owner of
October 20, 2018 Read Full Article
(Office of Congressman Ruben Gallego D-AZ))… Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Danny Davis (D-IL) led a letter signed by 17 of their colleagues to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expressing concern over the Trump Administration’s widespread issuance of waivers to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). With transportation emissions representing the
October 20, 2018 Read Full Article
(National Biodiesel Board) New EPA dashboard confirms more than 300 million gallons of lost demand for biodiesel — National Biodiesel Board (NBB) delivered a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler asking that the agency fully account for small refinery exemptions in the annual Renewable Fuel Standard rules and “end
October 19, 2018 Read Full Article
(AFIQ AZIZ/The Malaysian Reserve) The visit is aimed to provide the EU delegations with a clearer and first-hand exposure to all issues concerned in RED — The European Commission will hold a consultation process with Malaysian palm oil industry stakeholders next week. The European Union (EU) Ambassador and head of delegation
October 19, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of October 17th — In today’s Digest, edible barcodes, DARPA’s modifying crops, insects, Pivit Bio raises $70M, rice straw ethanol, renewable concrete, automated indoor farming, biobased hairstyling,
October 19, 2018 Read Full Article
(Clarin Rural (Google translation)) This was announced by Miguel Gutiérrez, president of the company, at the opening of the Week of Bioenergy. — YPF president Miguel Gutiérrez announced that the company will start producing biofuels. “The company’s commitment is based on the integration of fuels and participation in the bioenergy sector, not
October 19, 2018 Read Full Article
by Meghan Gordon (S&P Global Platts) The US Environmental Protection Agency aims to adopt final rules for fuel economy standards by March and year-round sales of higher ethanol blends by May, according to a fall regulatory agenda released Wednesday by the Trump administration. The fuel economy rule is expected to increase
October 18, 2018 Read Full Article
by Tammy Klein, Douglas Faulkner and Gerard J. Ostheimer (Biofuels Digest) … After the Paris Agreement in 2015 the urgent challenge of mitigating climate change forced numerous people across the advocacy-to-action spectrum to look for practical options to de-carbonizing the entire economy. People who five years ago couldn’t be bothered to think
October 18, 2018 Read Full Article
By Umer Khayyam and Tehzeeb Bano (The Express Tribune) … Carbon dioxide/greenhouse gas emissions, generated from the burning of fossil fuels, are increasing in Third World societies like Pakistan. … To negate the negative atmospheric results of non-renewable energy sources, global and regional societies have to look for infinite and less
October 15, 2018 Read Full Article
(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ..Countries shared their experiences with implementing biofuels policy and discussed how best to support the development and implementation of ethanol policies with a role for trade. Recognized scientists and ethanol experts demonstrated how ethanol use in transportation fuels improves air quality, extends the current fuel
October 15, 2018 Read Full Article
(Renewable Fuels Association) On October 9, President Trump announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will soon begin a rulemaking process to allow year-round sales of E15 (gasoline containing 15% ethanol) in conventional gasoline markets, which account for nearly 70% of total U.S. gasoline consumption.[1] Much of the media coverage surrounding
October 15, 2018 Read Full Article
(Scania) A partnership between Scania, Lucketts Travel and Green Biofuels has conducted what is believed to be the UK’s first trial of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as a sustainable biofuel for scheduled intercity coach operations. The trial, which ran for three months, has provided like-for-like comparison data of seven National Express
October 15, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) … After Tuesday’s announcement, the oil industry and some environmental groups were quick to claim that increasing the volume of ethanol in the fuel supply would worsen air quality. However, the evidence suggests otherwise. An obscure piece of air quality regulation—Reid Vapor Pressure
October 15, 2018 Read Full Article
(Washington Post) For more than a decade, the United States has pursued the foolhardy energy policy known as the Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS. Thanks to legislation passed by a Democratic Congress and signed into law by a Republican president, George W. Bush, in 2007, the RFS illustrates the sad-but-true principle
October 15, 2018 Read Full Article
by Michael Rensing (British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources/Iea Bioenergy Task 39 Newsletter) Among provincial regulations, British Columbia’s (BC) low-carbon fuels program has proven to be a successful program1 to reduce the carbon intensity of the fuel transportation market in B.C. In 2010, B.C. enacted the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Renewable and Low
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
by Josh Lew (Mother Nature Network) As oil prices rise, airlines look to biofuels to protect their bottom lines. — … Today, airlines are bracing for a fuel price rise. For example, American Airlines cited rising fuel prices when it announced cutbacks on transpacific routes this year. As a result, even more airline companies
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
(GreenAir Online) Japan Airlines (JAL) has announced a strategic partnership to develop sustainable aviation fuels that will include a 900 million yen ($8 million) investment by the airline in waste-to-jet fuel US company Fulcrum BioEnergy. The other partners include the Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport & Urban Development (JOIN)
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
by Beth Walker (The Third Pole) Biofuels will dominate future growth in renewables and are essential for decarbonizing the most difficult sectors; China and India should lead the way, argues new EIA report — … Bioenergy from liquid biofuels and biogas will continue to lead growth in renewable energy consumption to 2023,
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
(GreenAir Online) With just three months to go before all airlines with international flights must start monitoring their carbon emissions, ICAO’s CORSIA carbon offsetting scheme was centre stage at this year’s Global Sustainable Aviation Summit (GSAS) in Geneva organised by the industry’s Air Transport Action Group (ATAG). Marking 10 years since
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
(Urban Air Initiative) It didn’t take long. Minutes after President Trump announced he wanted to see E15 sold year round, the anti ethanol messages started. As President Trump himself said“ethanol makes the air cleaner”, Big Oil was spreading lies that ethanol hurts our cars and the environment. This is simply not true.
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jon Harrison (Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association) ADBA Chief Executive Charlotte Morton has this week written to Robert Jenrick MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, outlining the economic and environmental benefits of AD. Highlighting the benefits it can bring in renewable heat and power (in the form of biogas), clean
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) All through this month, Digest subscribers have been voting on the 40 Hottest Transformative Technologies in the Advanced Bioeconomy. While the Hot 50 concentrates on organizations — this set of rankings could include a complete process, a component, subprocess, a metabolic pathway, a computational system, a
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
(The Jakarta Post) State-owned oil and gas holding company Pertamina has announced a price increase for several types of non-public service obligation (PSO) fuels, which will take effect at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. However, the firm has assured that it would maintain fuel prices in the disaster-stricken areas of West Nus
October 11, 2018 Read Full Article
(The Star) Once surreptitiously dumped down drains in the dead of night, Asia’s used cooking oil is fast becoming one of the most sought-after commodities in Europe – as a feedstock for biodiesel. Aggressive green energy targets in the European Union that were bolstered further this year are pushing fuel makers
October 11, 2018 Read Full Article
by Doug Durante and Doug Sombke (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/South Dakota Farmers Union/Biofuels Digest) … However, we may have a unique and perhaps unprecedented opportunity for a do-over with the proposed fuel economy rule. While we take no position on exactly what the mileage standards should be, whatever they are we can
October 11, 2018 Read Full Article
by Steven Mufson (Washington Post) The tax would boost prices of the oil giant’s fossil fuels to fight climate change — ExxonMobil will give $1 million over two years to a group promoting a plan that would tax the carbon content of fuels, including the oil giant’s products, and return the proceeds
October 11, 2018 Read Full Article
by Bill Keba* (Advanced Biofuels USA) October 2, 2018, Annapolis, Maryland. Inside the Doubletree Inn, it was as hectic as the traffic on Route 50. Eightyfive paid attendees were gathering, registering, networking, and hurriedly settling in for the 9:15 start of this workshop titled Opportunities and Challenges in Anaerobic Digestion:
October 11, 2018 Read Full Article
by James Burgess (OilPrice.com) … That’s vanadium—Element 23. The answer to our issue of scale. “It’s no longer a technological maybe,” says Matt Rhoades, president and CEO of United Battery Metals, a Colorado vanadium explorer sitting on one of the few known sources of the next big battery metal in the entire United
October 11, 2018 Read Full Article
by Sam Morgan (EurActiv) The world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger train service began operating in Germany on Sunday (16 September), while EU ministers debated the future potential of the clean fuel at an informal summit in Austria this week. Commuters will be able to get around the German region of Lower Saxony
October 10, 2018 Read Full Article
(Union of Concerned Scientists) Study Shows How to Reduce Pollution and Cut Consumer Costs in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic — … A new push for cleaner vehicles and fuels can reduce pollution from transportation by 35 percent by 2030 and deliver a broad range of benefits to communities across the Northeast and
October 10, 2018 Read Full Article
(Attis Industries/NewMediaWire/FuturesTradingCharts.com) … Jeff Cosman, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, explains, “The increased inclusion allowance plays a vital role in the expansion of renewable fuel production. The timing couldn’t be better for Attis as we plan to build our first of many biorefineries that will produce cellulosic ethanol and biobased materials. Without the
October 10, 2018 Read Full Article
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest) On September 30th, the 2018 Farm Bill officially expired. And while both chambers of Congress passed their respective bills, the final version of the legislation that supports the agricultural sector in the U.S. is still being negotiated between House and Senate leaders in conference
October 10, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sustainable intensification of agricultural systems in combination with biorefinery processing can produce more biomass for bioenergy without imposing iLUC. That’s the topic of this illuminating overview from Poul Erik Laerke and Uffe Jørgensen of Aarhus University Foulum, as presented at a recent IEA Bioenergy Task 43
October 10, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 43’s goal is to contribute to sound bioenergy development driven by well-informed decisions in the forestry, agriculture and energy sectors as well as in investment institutions and government agencies. The group addresses critical issues for deployment of sustainable biomass and bioenergy supply chains, including social,
October 10, 2018 Read Full Article
(Times of India) Referring to country’s high fuel import bill and rising oil prices, Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari said that Uttar Pradesh, being the largest producer of sugarcane and having a huge potential for manufacturing ethanol, should run all its public transport on biofuel. … Blaming the burning
October 9, 2018 Read Full Article
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In South Korea, AFP reports the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change has launched a new report saying time is running out to stop climate change but that significant investment in biofuels and associated carbon capture and storage could make a big difference. The report says it the Earth’s
October 9, 2018 Read Full Article
by Daniel A. Lane (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc./Biofuels Digest/Saille Consulting) At its most basic level, technoeconomic analysis or assessment (TEA) is a cost-benefit comparison tool used to evaluate the commercial viability of a process. While many companies are quite familiar with this tool, a number of startups often forgo TEAs of their
October 9, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Increasing global demand for energy, a push by governments and industry to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG), and a desire to increase energy independence are driving the demand for renewable alternatives to fossil fuels. As a source of renewable carbon that can be used in the existing
October 9, 2018 Read Full Article
by Chris Clayton and Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Leading into President Donald Trump’s trip to Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Tuesday, a senior White House official said Tuesday that the president has directed the Environmental Protection Agency to create a new rule allowing year-round sales of 15% ethanol blends. Monte
October 9, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … And that’s the story of the bioeconomy in some ways — the search for ways to use the things we have too much of, so that we can stop using the things that lead to imbalances — environmental, social or economic. … The story goes back
October 9, 2018 Read Full Article
(NGVA Europe/NGV Journal) In view of the European Parliament plenary vote, the European Biogas Association (EBA), EUROGAS, Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) and the Natural & bio Gas Vehicle Association (NGVA Europe) have jointly underlined the importance of natural and renewable gas as pragmatic solution to quickly start the decarbonization process and
October 8, 2018 Read Full Article
by Dan Odido (Daily Nation) Popularising the use of renewable energy has several benefits to the economy. It enhances energy independence; develops non-traditional industries, broadening the manufacturing base; and provides employment. The policy framework is, largely, in place and it is up to the innovators to take up the challenge
October 8, 2018 Read Full Article
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) RSB’s Executive Director Rolf Hogan attended a series of meetings in Addis Ababa to take forward the initiative to develop an aviation fuel roadmap for Ethiopia that was launched at the Aviation Biofuel Summit in March 2019. Shortly after the Summit Ethiopia transitioned to a new Prime
October 8, 2018 Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) Asserting that they are taking the state’s climate fight up a notch, members of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) last week adopted amendments to the state’s low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) that could enhance the role of E85 and the use of ethanol in high-octane, low-carbon (HOLC)
October 6, 2018 Read Full Article
by Bill Keba* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Mid-Atlantic Bioenergy Conference and Expo (MABEX) was held on September 12 and 13 at the Convene at CityView in Philadelphia, Pa. The Mid-Atlantic Bioenergy Council did well in selecting this terrific skyscraping venue. It provided a wonderful bird’s eye view of the city
October 6, 2018 Read Full Article
(UFOP (Google translation)) Deeply disappointed and deceived, the European Oilseed Alliance (EOA) sees itself confronted with the completely surprising decision by the European Commission not to introduce retroactive punitive tariffs against the biodiesel quantities imported from Argentina since September 2017 , Last year, the European Commission suddenly stopped collecting anti-dumping duties on
October 5, 2018 Read Full Article
by Tan Hwee Hwee (Business Times) The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has set aside S$5 million to co-fund the research and development (R&D) on cleaner marine fuel alternatives ahead of new emission standards being rolled out by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Unveiling the initiative at SIBCON 2018, Senior
October 5, 2018 Read Full Article
In analyzing the future of fueling air transportation in the wake of the Lanza Tech-fueled Virgin Air Florida-to-Gatwick flight, Biofuels Digest‘s Jim Lane suggested that we “bring consumer pressure to bear by distinguishing between sustainable flights and non-sustainable flights, the same way we distinguish between organic and non-organic foods, fair trade
October 5, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, Virgin Atlantic CEO Craig Kreeger, LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren, a cadre of Virgin Atlantic and LanzaTech team members, industry stakeholders and a group of pleasantly surprised transatlantic passengers have boarded a Boeing 747 for Virgin’s VS16 light to London Gatwick — in an historic
October 5, 2018 Read Full Article
(California Air Resources Board) This event is intended to communicate staff guidance as well as solicit stakeholder feedback related to fuel pathway applications under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Regulation involving facilities that co-process both petroleum-derived and non-petroleum-derived feedstocks in the same units. The meeting will be held at the
October 5, 2018 Read Full Article
(Biofuels International) Biofuel consumption for transport in the European Union increased by 9.2% between 2016 and 2017, according to new data in EurObserv’ER’s 2018 Biofuels Barometer. Between 2014 and 2016 biofuel usage remained relatively stable in the EU, something EurObserver’ER puts down to ‘a period of uncertainty’ surrounding the future of
October 5, 2018 Read Full Article
by Neil Lancefield (Perth Now) The first commercial flight powered partly by a new form of biofuel converted from alcohol has been completed. Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 747 aircraft landed at London Gatwick with a fuel blend containing 5.0 per cent biofuel made from industrial waste gases converted into ethanol. Sir Richard Branson, the
October 5, 2018 Read Full Article
by Don Onken (Lightning Performance Group/Lake Expo) I am responding to a September 21 piece that ran on the Lake Expo website taken from a BoatUS survey, Survey: Boaters Have Little Love for Ethanol, 83 Percent Would Choose E0 if Available. I have been involved in boating for over 40 years, and the
October 5, 2018 Read Full Article
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) A panel of D.C. Circuit appellate judges today will hear yet another iteration of arguments over the Renewable Fuel Standard. The court has allowed an hour and 40 minutes to delve into the issues at stake, and if ME’s experience is any guide, they
October 5, 2018 Read Full Article
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … USGC data shows the U.S. exported nearly 332.63 million gallons of ethanol to Canada during the 2016-’17 marketing year, up from 313 million gallons during the 2015-’16 marketing year. The U.S. also exported 27.6 million gallons of ethanol to Mexico during the 2016-’17 marketing
October 3, 2018 Read Full Article
(National Biodiesel Board) Forty-six bipartisan members of Congress ask House leaders for a multi-year extension — Today (September 27, 2018), the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) thanked the 46 Congressmembers – led by Rep. David Young (R-IA) and Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) – who voiced their strong support for a multi-year extension of
October 3, 2018 Read Full Article
by Joshua Pedrick (S&P Global Platts) The volume of ethanol blended with gasoline is at an all-time high in India thanks to the government allowing a new feedstock in the production process, but continues to lag goals, the US Department of Agriculture said Monday. … The country could reach an ethanol
October 3, 2018 Read Full Article
(WNAX) Sources says the Trump administration is considering limits on trading biofuel credits. The goal is to discourage speculation and reduce costs for oil refiners to comply with U.S. biofuels policy. Renewable Fuels Association Executive Vice President Geoff Cooper says at this point, that’s just speculation, but his group is monitoring
October 3, 2018 Read Full Article
by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) President Donald Trump on Monday hinted at a possible upcoming trip to Iowa to announce “something very important” while touting a new U.S. trade deal with Canada and Mexico. The comments came as Trump thanked Sen. Joni Ernst during a Rose Garden news conference announcing the $1.2 trillion
October 3, 2018 Read Full Article
(The Star) Indonesia’s biodiesel production could rise to 7 million tonnes in 2019, up 40 percent from an estimated 5 million tonnes this year, due to a new programme to boost local biodiesel consumption, said an Indonesian ministry official on Thursday. The world’s largest palm oil producer launched an initiative in
October 2, 2018 Read Full Article
(Money Control) The initiative at village Bohali with a proposed capacity of 100 kilolitres of ethanol per day will manage crop residue and prevent straw burning before the upcoming paddy season, an official release said. — The Haryana government on September 10 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to set
October 2, 2018 Read Full Article
by Wendell Roelf (Reuters) South Africa hopes to finalise its biofuels regulatory framework by March next year, the energy minister said on Monday, almost a decade after the policy to promote biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel was first approved. A net importer of crude, Africa’s most industrialised economy wants biofuels initially
October 2, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Why consider biogas to Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)? First, there’s the momentum nationally and internationally on RNG (aka, biomethane, R-gas, green gas, renewable gas). Plus, biomethane is a flexible renewable fuel; and can be used in vehicle fuel, electricity, thermal, CHP, bio-product feedstock. Moreover, we can use
October 2, 2018 Read Full Article
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) I was pleased and excited to be invited to speak on a “Future of Biofuels” panel at this fall’s Leadership Conference of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, whose purpose is “Developing the Next Generation of Latino Leaders®.” Sponsored by the American Fuel & Petrochemical
October 2, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … What this country — and every country — needs is a bigger vision so that the friends of energy security are not divided by their differences on technology or feedstock but are united toward a common purpose that provides opportunity — and sustainable energy —
October 2, 2018 Read Full Article
(Algae Biomass Organization) Following close on the heels of the U.S. Department of Energy’s latest round of algae funding awards, President Trump Friday (September 21, 2018) signed into law a Fiscal Year 2019 spending bill providing an additional $44 million in FY2019 for algae and carbon utilization research — the highest funding level for
October 1, 2018 Read Full Article
(Iran Daily) … According to UPI, John M. DeCicco, a research professor at the University of Michigan Energy Institute, and William H. Schlesinger, president emeritus of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, want to see more conservation of the planet’s natural resources. … “Current policies advancing bioenergy contribute to the pressure
October 1, 2018 Read Full Article
by Steve Scauzillo (San Gabriel Valley Tribune/The Sun) … But in about 190 stations in California, there exists an alternative: One lone, usually green-colored nozzle delivering E-85, an alcohol blend accepted in 1.3 million “flexible-fuel” vehicles on California roads today. At 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, E85 fuel packs
October 1, 2018 Read Full Article
As Cassidy Walter of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association points out in a recent Gazette op-ed, “In fact, not only has Big Oil enjoyed federal tax subsidies for the past 100 years, the federal government actually mandates all vehicle fuel be petroleum-based except for what is allowed by the RFS.
October 1, 2018 Read Full Article
by Cassidy Walter (The Gazette/Iowa Renewable Fuels Association) As an outspoken libertarian in favor of open markets, it is unfortunate that in a recent column, Adam Sullivan did not look closer at the history of U.S. energy policy before disregarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) while blindly repeating every discredited claim about biofuels
October 1, 2018 Read Full Article
by Greg Archer (Transport & Environment/EurActiv) While most of the political attention is – rightly – focused on the headline target for CO2 reduction, the discussion on car emissions has also much more to it, writes Greg Archer. … The main fight is over the target for 2030 where the Commission proposed a miserly 30% cut
October 1, 2018 Read Full Article
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, D.C., leaders of the United States and Japan, one of the largest U.S. grain customers and second largest buyer of U.S. corn after Mexico, announced that the two countries would pursue trade talks. The impact on agriculture is to be determined in the talks. The
October 1, 2018 Read Full Article
by Sybille de La Hamaide (Reuters) The European Commission has decided not to impose provisional import tariffs on a flood of low-priced Argentine biodiesel until it gathers more information, although it considers the fuel to be subsidized and a potential threat to local producers. The decision, detailed in a document seen by
October 1, 2018 Read Full Article
by Wayne Madsen (State Journal-Register) When federal environmental standards are under assault from an administration that appears bent on rolling back the clock to an era of smog and air pollution caused by the use of dirty fossil fuels, now is not the time to abandon national clean fuel mandates. …
September 29, 2018 Read Full Article
by Mike Lewis (Pearson Fuels/Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Sept. 21, California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed AB 558, a California bill authored by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva that was designed to better leverage California’s fleet of flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs). The measure would have required the California Air Resources Board to recommend non-fiscal policies to
September 29, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The White House is considering imposing restrictions on trading of biofuel credits, hoping to discourage speculation and reduce costs for oil refiners to comply with U.S. biofuels policy, according to three sources familiar with the discussions. … The move would be part of a widely anticipated deal to
September 29, 2018 Read Full Article
by Alena Mae S. Flores (Manila Standard) An umbrella organization of distillers and bioethanol producers asked the government to allow the importation of molasses as feedstock to enable the industry to meet the annual demand of 500 million liters of bioethanol. Center for Alcohol Research and Development chairman and Absolut Distillers
September 28, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Recent reports have underscored the enormity of the global plastic waste issue. There are 9.2 billion tons of plastic waste in the environment and an additional 500 tons of plastics are produced annually. Of this, 40 percent is considered single-use plastic, and only
September 28, 2018 Read Full Article
by Marianne Lavelle and Dan Gearino (Inside Climate News) Governors have the power to set the agenda on renewable energy or throw up roadblocks to its progress. It’s become an issue in several races this year. — Some of the most consequential elections for climate policy this fall could be the 36 governor’s
September 28, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 33 is a working group of international experts with the aim to promote the commercialization of efficient, economical and environmentally preferable thermal biomass gasification processes. Judit Sandquist gave this illuminating overview of the progress and promise of thermal gasification of biomass in
September 27, 2018 Read Full Article
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A new study by researchers at Iowa State University’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development has determined current trade disruptions are having a significant impact on the state’s economy, including its ethanol industry. The study examined different scenarios. Overall, the study shows losses to Iowa’s
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
by Mario Parker and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Gradual drop seen as refiners, farmers debate White House deal; Icahn owns 82% stake in independent oil refiner CVR Energy — The biofuel compliance credits used by refiners and criticized by billionaire Carl Icahn have tumbled to pennies from nearly a dollar when Donald Trump won
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
by Tom Krisher adn Sudhin Thanawala (Associated Press) Automakers sought flexibility while environmental groups blasted the Trump administration’s proposal to roll back fuel economy standards at a public hearing on the plan in the industry’s backyard. At the hearing Tuesday in Dearborn, Michigan, home to Ford Motor Co. and just miles
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
In recent Renewable Fuels Association testimony, Kelly Davis noted, “It was apparent that the previous administration disregarded comments from RFA and many other stakeholders—including the automakers—that encouraged EPA to evaluate engines and fuels as integrated systems when assessing the efficacy of model year 2022-2025 fuel economy and GHG standards. Indeed,
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
by John Downey (Charlotte Business Journal/Mid-Atlantic Bioenergy Council) Wilmington’s Optima BioEnergy operates North Carolina’s only swine-waste biogas plant and had plans for more. Then regulators three a wrench into those plans. Optima BioEnergy has cleared an important regulatory hurdle to building its second swine-waste plant in North Carolina. But it’s a
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
(ABS-CBN News) It’s not possible to bring down gasoline prices by allowing oil firms to import cheaper bioethanol because this is against the law, an official of the Department of Energy (DOE) said Monday. Energy Undersecretary Wimpy Fuentebella said the Biofuels Act states that oil firms have to use locally produced
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
by Parul Kulshrestha (Times of India) Rajasthan, which has to meet a target of 3,700 household Biogas plants in the state under the National Biogas and Management Programme (NBMMP), has announced to provide subsidies for same. The National Biogas Policy that came into force from May 30 is primarily for rural households where
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
by Amy Yee (WRAL/New York Times) The kitchen of Ecole Secondaire Kanombe Efotec, a boarding school here, is busy from dawn to dusk while the staff cooks meals for more than 1,000 hungry teenagers. At one time, the school went through about 330 pounds of firewood a day for the porridge and
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, we hear that Enerkem has tested and validated the production of fuel-grade bio-DME made from unrecoverable carbon-rich municipal solid waste. More than 1,000 hours of operations at its Innovation Centre in Westbury, Quebec have been completed.has successfully produced renewable bio-dimethyl ether (Bio-DME), a by-product
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
(Argus Media) President Donald Trump’s administration will within weeks renew efforts to allow the year-round sale of higher-ethanol gasoline blends, according to multiple sources in biofuels and refining industries. The administration will announce changes to allow the year-round sale of 15pc ethanol gasoline in October, according to sources familiar with the
September 25, 2018 Read Full Article
by Dayo Laniyan (Morning Star/Alliance News) Engineering and technology solutions provider China New Energy Ltd said it has seen continued success in the first half of 2018 due to changed policies in China, leading to increased production of ethanol and new contracts. … China New Energy said revenue growth was caused
September 25, 2018 Read Full Article
(UFOP/ECOFYS) To report the biofuel content (i.e. the renewable share) of the outputs when biogenic and fossil components are coprocessed, a robust, consistent and transparent methodology is needed. There are several processes for which such a methodology could be relevant. For example, facilities where biomass and fossil inputs are co-processed, or
September 25, 2018 Read Full Article
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Germany, UFOP published a position paper intended to appeal to decision-makers in politics, business and science on why biofuels can and should play a role in climate protection goals, especially with discussion about food vs. fuel and iLUC capping limits for conventional biofuels. “With regard to
September 25, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To measure the impact that advanced biofuels are having in India, consider that the World Biofuels Day program featured, on stage, Prime Minister Modi, the minister for agriculture, the minister for road transport & highways, shipping and river development; the minister of consumer affairs and food;
September 25, 2018 Read Full Article
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) On Thursday, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that requires state regulators to open a proceeding to consider funding biomethane interconnection infrastructure through a gas corporation’s utility rates. The bill, A.B.3187, was authored by Assemblymember Tim Grayson and sponsored by the Coalition for Renewable
September 25, 2018 Read Full Article
(Bloomberg) The processing plants peppering the agricultural heartland of Brazil attest to the country’s position as the world’s biggest sugar-cane producer and the undisputed king of ethanol made from the crop. But debt has crippled the industry, paving the way for another biofuel to flourish. … Brazil’s production of corn-based ethanol
September 24, 2018 Read Full Article
by Chad Moyer (KTIC Radio) Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) has been recognized as a 2018 High Octane Champion by Renewable Fuels Nebraska, the trade association for Nebraska’s ethanol industry. The award was developed by the RFN membership as a way to recognize public policy leaders that strongly support Nebraska’s $5 billion
September 24, 2018 Read Full Article
by David Shepardson (Reuters) California’s top air regulator urged the Trump administration on Sunday to abandon a plan to freeze fuel efficiency standards through 2026, as automakers urged state and federal regulators to reach agreement to extend nationwide rules. Mary Nichols, who chairs the state’s Air Resources Board, asked the U.S.
September 24, 2018 Read Full Article
(IVECO/NGV Journal) … In addition, natural gas offers the possibility for a seamless transition to biomethane and renewable energy, achieving zero emissions and opening the door to a circular economy approach that can go so far as achieving negative emissions and carbon sequestration.” … Through its display and workshops, IVECO is
September 24, 2018 Read Full Article
(Sahara Reporters) This was sequel to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Alvila Technologies Limited said to be owned by a close associate of the governor. — Cross River Governor Ben Ayade has directed the compulsory deduction of N55,456 from the salary of every civil and public servant in the
September 24, 2018 Read Full Article
by Emma Kettley, George Griffiths, Tamara Sleiman (S&P Global Platts) As the bunkering industry gears up for the International Maritime Organization’s tighter sulfur emission standards from 2020, some market participants have been promoting the blending of biofuels as one possible way of reducing emissions. … The latest revision to the International
September 24, 2018 Read Full Article
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … The battle continues between the European Union and its anti-palm oil stance due to deforestation and environmental issues, and Indonesia, the leading palm oil producing country whose farmers and businesses rely heavily on palm oil. With Indonesia fighting hard to keep palm oil shipments going
September 24, 2018 Read Full Article
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association) … When testifying recently before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the acting administrator was judicious in answering questions about EPA’s small refinery exemptions (SREs). He has publicly stated that there should be more transparency in the process for granting SREs, and that it would
September 21, 2018 Read Full Article
(Jakarta Post) Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan called on state-owned electricity firm PLN on Monday to covert energy plants powered by fossil diesel fuel to plants powered by crude palm oil-based biodiesel. “I expect that within two years from now PLN can convert its 2,000 MW power plants, especially
September 21, 2018 Read Full Article
(National Biodiesel Board) Allowing year-round use of E15 is a positive step for ethanol, but doesn’t support biodiesel — Today, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and the American Soybean Association (ASA) wrote President Donald Trump asking that he “provide additional help to the nation’s farmers and rural communities by supporting policies that
September 21, 2018 Read Full Article
by Chris Prentice, Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published new data detailing how it drastically expanded a biofuels waiver program for oil refiners since President Donald Trump’s administration took office, responding to pressure from the corn lobby to boost transparency over the opaque program. The details published on
September 21, 2018 Read Full Article
by Bob Bowman (Clinton Herald) The ethanol industry is critical to the Midwest, supporting thousands of jobs and adding billions of dollars to our economy. It also drives corn demand at a time when Iowa farm family income is at the lowest level in over a decade. However, the sale of
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
(GreenAir Online) Virgin Atlantic will undertake a passenger flight in October using for the first time low-carbon fuel produced through its partnership with LanzaTech. This follows a decision by members of the fuel standards body ASTM in April to include alcohol-to-jet synthetic paraffinic kerosene (ATJ-SPK) produced from ethanol as an approved blending
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
(GreenAir Online) International airline associations have written a joint open letter to the European Commission urging it to ensure the ICAO proposed rules governing the CORSIA carbon offsetting scheme are adopted uniformly and in their entirety throughout Europe. They also call for the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) requirements of the
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
(Washington Examiner) The military cost of defending oil trade routes makes a solid case for keeping in place strong fuel-economy standards, the group Securing America’s Future Energy said in a report released soon after Trump began tweeting about OPEC prices on Thursday. “Following President Trump’s OPEC tweet this morning, in which he
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
by Anna-Lisa Laca (AgWeb) Over the past year, farmers and ethanol advocates alike have pressed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be more transparent when it comes to Renewable Identification Number (RIN) waivers for small refineries. Today, EPA recognized that concern and created a handful of new sections on their website
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
(Euclid Infotech Ltd via COMTEX/Futures Trading Charts) At a conference on Propagation and Development of Biofuels held in the morning of September 13 in Ho Chi Minh City, US experts shared valuable information on environmental benefits, energy human and economic use of biofuels. The conference was jointly organized by the Department
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
(Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Earlier this week, Growth Energy, the U.S. Grains Council, and the Renewable Fuels Association jointly submitted comments to the United Kingdom’s Department of Transport as it considers implementing a nationwide E10 ethanol blend. The comments, submitted on Sept. 16, highlight the
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
by Susanna Twidale (Reuters) Carbon prices in major advanced economies are too low to cut greenhouse gas emissions and stave off the worst effects of climate change, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said on Tuesday. Carbon pricing, via taxes or emissions trading schemes, is used by many governments
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
by Orrie Swazye (Yankton Daily Press and Dakotan) Our gasoline market today is 90 percent gasoline and Brazil’s 75 percent gasoline but oil still supplies 99+ percent of transportation fuels worldwide. As we begin to net export oil, oil remains a mandated commodity nations will go to war to gain
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/My San Antonio) The Express-News Editorial Board recently missed the mark, claiming that the Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS, is bad policy. The RFS has boosted local economies, strengthened U.S. energy security and improved overall air quality. … The Editorial Board cites an outdated and scientifically
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
by Brian Scheid (SP Global/Platts) A federal appeals court on Friday upheld Oregon’s low-carbon fuel standards, dismissing a challenge brought by US refiners and truckers. The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, American Trucking Associations and the Consumer Energy Alliance challenged Oregon’s standards, known as the Clean Fuels Program, arguing it violates
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Minnesota, Reuters reports that Green Plains is mothballing its ethanol production plants in Superior, Iowa and Lakota, Iowa as well as running its Fairmont, Minnesota plant at half capacity as President Trump’s trade war takes a bite out of demand from China. Together, the three facilities produced
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant’s Group Biotechnology — responsible for the Technology Platform Biotechnology — develops tailor-made biotechnological processes for the economic and sustainable production of bio-based chemicals and biofuels. It focuses on bio-catalysis and bio-refining. Innovative technologies for the sustainable conversion of renewable feedstocks into biofuels and bio-based chemicals through energy-efficient
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Just a few blocks from the commotion and crowds at the Global Climate Action Summit, biofuel advocates gathered Thursday to champion more low-carbon fuel standards that could take the country’s biofuels industry in new directions. While the climate summit focused on all the various
September 17, 2018 Read Full Article
by Scott Irwin (FarmDocDaily) Small refinery exemptions (SREs) represent the latest controversy to engulf the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). When the U.S. Congress first created the RFS in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58) it included a temporary exemption for small refineries from the mandate through 2011. Under the
September 17, 2018 Read Full Article
by Scott Henry (Des Moines Register) … A study from Environmental Defense Fund and managerial accounting firm K·Coe Isom AgKnowledge finds that conservation can boost farm profitability. The analysis includes detailed financial case studies of three Midwestern corn, soy and wheat farmers — including my fourth-generation farm — as well as a
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
by John Mosheim (Clean Energy Business Network) … Currently, electricity generated from the combustion of cellulosic biogas under the RFS is an approved pathway for RIN generation.[1] In July 2014 EPA approved this pathway for RIN generation from electricity derived from biogas feedstock from a variety of anaerobic digesters. In
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … “They have to realize that for all these years we’ve been making fuel ethanol with ASTM grade, and that’s it. Now, we’re going to add two, or even five, new product codes. We’re going to have additional testing, education and training on new pieces
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
by Tim Albrecht (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … The LCFS is administered by the California Air Resources Board and uses a market-based cap-and-trade approach to ultimately lower GHG emissions, says Jessica Buckley, senior environmental scientist for RTP Environmental Associates Inc. “California essentially created this program to create a market for low-carbon fuels and
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
(Times of India) Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Friday said tribals were being encouraged to accumulate non-edibile seeds for producing biofuel as the government looks to reduce dependence on crude oil imports. As India incurred a huge Rs 8 lakh crore bill on crude imports, tribals are being urged to accumulate non-edibile
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
by Adrian Schofield (Aviation Daily/Aviation Week) Virgin Australia has just completed a major biofuel trial at Australia’s Brisbane Airport, and the carrier is planning further tests in the near future. Along with its partner organizations, Virgin arranged to have a biofuel blend supplied through Brisbane Airport’s aircraft refueling infrastructure. The carrier
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
(Viet Nam News) Consumption of bio-fuel E5 RON 92 topped 1.78 million cubic metres in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 31 per cent and accounting for over 40 per cent of total petrol consumption, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Speaking at a conference
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jesse McCurry (Wichita Eagle/Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission & Producers Association) … Our grains reach markets around the world and feed production at a dozen Kansas ethanol plants that produce nearly 500 million gallons of clean, renewable biofuel each year. Ethanol production alone supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
by Kellie Gregorich (Telegraph Herald) Ethanol is a high octane gasoline that is used throughout the world to keep our vehicles running at an affordable price. The only question is, is it around to stay? … With the current trade war situation with China, farmers are feeling the impacts, but it could
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
by Scott Patterson and Alexandra Wexler (Wall Street Journal) Apple Inc., Volkswagen AG and about 20 other global manufacturers found themselves on the defense when Amnesty International reported two years ago that the cobalt in some of their batteries was dug up by Congolese miners and children under inhumane conditions. Many of
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
by Francine McKenna (Market Watch) The Climate Risk Disclosure Act directs the SEC to issue rules that require every public company to disclose more on climate change exposure — Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is spearheading an effort by Democratic senators to bring a bill that would require public companies to disclose more
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
by Justin Bachman (Bloomberg) For years, airlines have experimented with biofuels, aiming to reduce both carbon emissions and their reliance on fossil fuels. It’s been a turbulent journey buffeted by inconsistent investment and the periodic lure of cheap oil. But several major carriers are planning larger-scale usage of biofuel in 2019 and 2020, including JetBlue Airways Corp. and
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
by Sai Ishwarbharath (Bloomberg Quint) Shree Renuka Sugars Ltd. plans to capitalise on the Union Cabinet’s approval to hike the procurement price of ethanol. “We currently manufacture 12 crore litres of ethanol. We intend to increase the capacity by 25-30 percent in the next six to eight months,” said Atul Chaturvedi, executive
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
(Alaska Airlines/Travel PR News) As part of Alaska Airlines’ ongoing efforts to fly greener and expand use of sustainable aviation fuels, Neste and Alaska have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). In addition to Alaska’s efforts to increase fuel-efficiency and adopt innovative flight technology, the agreement will allow Neste and Alaska to more closely work together to
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
(Urban Air Initiative) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has refused to acknowledge it used faulty science and blending practices to paint an inaccurate picture of ethanol emissions in a long-awaited response to the Urban Air Initiative (UAI). In January 2017, UAI, the states of Nebraska and Kansas, and the
September 13, 2018 Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Annually, commercial aviation helps drive nearly $1.5 trillion in U.S. economic activity and more than 10 million U.S. jobs. Airlines for America (A4A) vigorously advocates on behalf of the American airline industry as a model of safety, customer service and environmental responsibility and as the
September 13, 2018 Read Full Article
by Bryan Sherbacow (World Energy) … To understand a low carbon fuel standard, it’s best to look at California as an example. California is one of two states (neighboring state, Oregon, is the other) to enact a low carbon fuel standard. Typically, these state policies set a limit to the amount of
September 13, 2018 Read Full Article
by Steve White (Nebraska TV) … Aurora Cooperative celebrated the grand opening of new ethanol pumps in St. Paul on Friday. … The farmer-owned company is a partner in an ethanol plant, and also sells ethanol to consumers. The CEO says he’d like 20 percent of the fuel used in Nebraska
September 10, 2018 Read Full Article
by Tammy Duckworth (Quad City Times) … Time and again, he’s (Judge Brett Kavanaugh) chosen Big Oil over everyday Americans, serving as the lone dissenter in decisions that have pitted the fossil fuel industry against our farmers. In a recent case, Grocery Manufacturers Assoc. v. Environmental Protection Agency, he proved
September 10, 2018 Read Full Article
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) While EPA remains in an impasse on requests to reallocate biofuels gallons lost to small refinery waivers of the Renewable Fuel Standard, a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would require the agency to reallocate those gallons. The EPA granted a
September 10, 2018 Read Full Article
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The carbon tax plan pushed by Republicans like James Baker, George Schultz and Christine Todd Whitman would exceed the 26-28 percent pollution reductions promised by the Obama administration under the Paris agreement. The proposal, first released by the Climate Leadership Council in February 2017,
September 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Our Sponsors
FREE Subscription! Advanced Biofuels USA events calendar; policy and actions; education newsletters
RFA Testifies in Support of High Octane Low Carbon Fuels at EPA/NHTSA Hearing
by Rachel Gantz (Renewable Fuels Association) A high-octane, low-carbon fuel containing 20-40% ethanol used in optimized engines would be the lowest cost means of achieving compliance with fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards for model year 2021-2026 and beyond, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Kelly Davis will testify today