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
(Our Daily Planet) A recent report published by a political scientist at Boston University, found that the Department of Defense is the worlds “single largest producer of greenhouse gases”. America’s military alone emits around 153 million metric tons of carbon pollution annually. In terms of emissions, this would make the U.S.
Opinions
June 24, 2019
Read Full Article
by Luke McGrath (Bloomberg/Houston Chronicle) Fossil fuel industry giants such as ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell are maintaining an outsized presence at global climate discussions, working to undermine scientific consensus and slow policy progress, according to findings released Wednesday by an environmental monitoring organization. The Climate Investigations Center (CIC) report claims that fossil fuel trade associations have
June 24, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jonathan J. Cooper (Associated Press) Arizona’s largest electric company installed massive batteries near neighborhoods with a large number of solar panels, hoping to capture some of the energy from the afternoon sun to use after dark. Arizona Public Service has been an early adopter of battery storage technology seen as
June 24, 2019
Read Full Article
(National Biodiesel Board) Demand destruction for biodiesel producers cannot be made up through E15 rule, NBB says — The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) today (June 21, 2019) sent a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, highlighting the economic damage to the biodiesel and renewable diesel industry from the agency’s retroactive small refinery
June 24, 2019
Read Full Article
(IEA Bioenergy) Several systems to define and monitor performance and progress towards sustainability of bioenergy have been developed for implementation at different scales, including operations, landscapes or jurisdictions. Some are formalised systems (e.g. GBEP 2011; RSB 2016; ISO 2015; ASTM 2016; SBP 2019) while others are inputs made through the scientific
June 24, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The University of Hawai’i is on top of the latest research on Hawaii’s tropical agriculture, its hot zone and tropical feedstocks for the bioeconomy. Peter Matlock, Strategic Advisor for Aviation Fuels and Special Projects for Joint BioEnergy Institute and who is developing the Institute for Tropical
June 24, 2019
Read Full Article
by Inés San Martín (Crux) … The June 13-14 meeting was focused on three points: A just transition; carbon pricing; and transparency in reporting climate risk. “Such a transition involves managing the social and employment impact of the move to a low-carbon society,” Francis said. “If managed well, this transition can generate
June 23, 2019
Read Full Article
by Ross Bentley (East Anglian Daily Times) OFTEC recommends thousands of homeowners in East Anglia who use heating oil to warm their homes should consider a new fuel made from food waste as a low carbon alternative. OFTEC, which stands for the Oil Firing Technical Association, represents the oil heating and
June 22, 2019
Read Full Article
by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) It is not just about the Earth’s rising temperatures. Many Democrats running for president see climate change as symptomatic of another problem: too much money in politics. One White House hopeful, Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.), on Thursday unveiled an anticorruption plan that is explicitly meant to make it easier for Congress
June 21, 2019
Read Full Article
by Bilal Abdi (Economic Times Energy World) Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the country’s largest fuel retailer, is planning to set up a biomass-based second generation ethanol production facility at its flagship Panipat refinery at a cost of over Rs 700 crore. IOC has selected Praj Industries as the licensor and consultant for
June 21, 2019
Read Full Article
(Scania/WebWire) Scania Interlink buses, powered by locally produced ethanol, connect the island of Ile de Ré with the nearby port city of La Rochelle. — In looking for alternatives apart from electric buses, the municipalities of the French island Ile de Ré found the solution to their needs quite literally around the
June 21, 2019
Read Full Article
(Maersk) A new carbon neutral product – the first of its kind in the industry – is being piloted with select Maersk customers who are highly engaged in sustainable solutions for their supply chain. H&M Group is the first company to trial it as part of the shift towards carbon-neutral transportation.
June 21, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Doug Rivers and others from LEC gave this illuminating presentation on due diligence in the bioeconomy, how it varies depending on the nature and stage of the project, how due diligence fits in throughout the technology lifecycle, how it helps identify future challenges and risks, and
June 21, 2019
Read Full Article
by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) Democratic contenders for president are trying to make climate change a top electoral issue. But one Trump appointee who recently left the Environmental Protection Agency wants to make sure it is a winning issue for her former boss instead. Since leaving the EPA in February, Mandy Gunasekara formed what
June 20, 2019
Read Full Article
by James Ellsmoor (Forbes) The fossil fuel lobby has actively worked in many countries to protect their subsidies and avoid the imposition of carbon taxes. Doing so protects their profits. US spent on these subsidies in 2015 is more than the country’s defense budget and 10 times the federal spending for education
June 20, 2019
Read Full Article
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Top EPA and Transportation Department officials will likely face intense grilling from Democrats today at a joint hearing of two House Energy and Commerce subcommittees on the Trump administration’s proposed rollback of auto emissions standards. Headlining are EPA air chief Bill Wehrum and National Highway
June 20, 2019
Read Full Article
by Virendra Singh Rawat (Business Standard) The state, along with Maharashtra, clocks 9-10% of blending due to higher cane availability — Uttar Pradesh, the country’s top sugarcane producer, has offered to partner the central government over its ambitious roadmap of augmenting ethanol blending in fuel. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who met union petroleum and
June 20, 2019
Read Full Article
(Jakarta Post) The River, Lake and Water Transportation Operators Association (Gapasdap) has expressed its disapproval of next year’s mandatory use of diesel mixed with 30 percent palm oil-based fuel, known as B30, after finding the poor performance of its ships after using the biofuel. Gapasdap secretary-general Aminuddin Rifai said that ships
June 20, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have created a tiered screening process that efficiently evaluates blendstocks and includes a comprehensive blendstock evaluation process. Dan Gaspar from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory offered this illuminating presentation on the Top 10 bioblendstocks to optimize spark
June 20, 2019
Read Full Article
(U.S. Department of Energy) In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the U.S. Department of Energy is soliciting nomination for candidates to fill vacancies on the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee (Committee). The nominee’s name, resume, biography, and any letters of support must be submitted via one of the
June 20, 2019
Read Full Article
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) A group of 15 companies sent a letter to Assistant EPA Administrator for Air and Radiation Bill Wehrum June 12 urging the agency to finalize provisions in the proposed renewable enhancement and growth support (REGS) rule to remove unnecessary regulatory barriers for the production of certain
June 20, 2019
Read Full Article
(EURACTIV) Europe’s demonstrated preference for ideology over science explains why Europe is both the most vocal climate proponent on the world stage and also the most wasteful and ineffective one, Eric Sievers, director of investments at Ethanol Europe, told EURACTIV.com in an interview. “That’s the danger of ideology, a situation in
June 19, 2019
Read Full Article
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) House Ways and Means Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee Chairman Mike Thompson (D-CA) has introduced legislation to extend expired tax incentives, including the biodiesel tax incentive, which is scheduled for mark up Thursday June 20. The proposal would provide U.S. biodiesel producers certainty through 2020 and incentivize investment
June 19, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) North American Climate Smart Agriculture (NACSAA) leaders are once again on the global stage, talking this week with representatives from nations around the world meeting in Bonn, Germany, promoting the role of farmers, ranchers and woodland owners in addressing climate change challenges. NACSAA Chairman Fred Yoder, Steering
June 19, 2019
Read Full Article
by M. Fikri/Eliswan Azly (AntaraNews.com) Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said the 100 percent biodiesel program (B-100), now being developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, will save up to Rp100 trillion in foreign exchange once it is widely used. “We can save foreign exchange, may be IDR 100 trillion or more,”
June 19, 2019
Read Full Article
(Boeing) Boeing today (June 17, 2019) announced a USD 1 million investment in Brazil’s efforts to establish a sustainable aviation fuel industry. The investment will focus on initiatives that maximize social, economic and environmental benefits to local communities engaged in the development of feedstock that can be used to produce sustainable
June 19, 2019
Read Full Article
by @AmyForAmerica (Medium.com) U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released a plan outlining the more than 100 concrete steps she will take in her first 100 days as President of the United States to take on the biggest challenges we face at home and abroad. … Through executive action, Senator Klobuchar will begin to
June 19, 2019
Read Full Article
(Office of Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)) Financing Our Energy Future Act would give clean energy projects access to a tax advantage currently available only to oil, gas, and coal projects — U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA-05) and Ron Estes (R-KS-04) re-introduced bipartisan legislation to level
June 19, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Specifically, in the past month, Gevo also executed an agreement with Praj to develop jet fuel and isooctane from rice straw and other feedstocks. Gruber noted that “we believe this second-generation technology combination has great potential to address India’s rice straw burning problem and related
June 19, 2019
Read Full Article
(Reuters) The Brazilian government will allow companies in the sugar and ethanol sector to raise capital for investments through the issuance of notes that are exempt from income tax, Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque said on Monday. Albuquerque and other government officials signed an order on Monday during the Ethanol Summit in
June 18, 2019
Read Full Article
(Axios) … International Energy Agency data shows that worldwide subsidies that lower consumer costs for fossil fuels grew to over $400 billion last year, their highest levels since 2014. Why it matters: The persistence of the payments, despite some progress in pricing reforms in recent years in several nations, are among the many
June 18, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jeff Barber (OPIS) The idea of revising the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to operate more like the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) appears to be getting a fresh look. The rise in prices for California’s LCFS credits may be a motivating factor. More about that in a minute…. Let’s first look back to
June 18, 2019
Read Full Article
(SkyNRG) SkyNRG and the Bernal Institute at University of Limerick has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the development of sustainable aviation fuel manufacturing in Ireland. The agreement between SkyNRG and Bernal was signed in the presence of Dutch Minister of Trade, Sigrid Kaag, during the Dutch Royal Visit
June 18, 2019
Read Full Article
(The Local) The use of biofuels for Sweden’s cars and trucks will need to more than double and the use of electricity increase ten-fold if the country is to meet its goal of zero transport emissions by 2045, according to a new study. This is how Sweden meets its climate goals
June 18, 2019
Read Full Article
by Meriana Johnsen (Newsie) KiwiRail is set to trial biodiesel on some trains and ferries, but it cannot source enough to switch completely anytime soon. A six-to-12-month trial on off-peak Wellington trains is due to begin midway through this year, according to a briefing to the Minister of the Environment, obtained
June 18, 2019
Read Full Article
(Daily Express/Bernama) Amid the uproar over the European Union’s (EU) discriminatory move against palm oil, one player in the Malaysian palm oil downstream sector seems unperturbed and is in fact expecting better demand for its products this year from European clients. Gamalux Oils Sdn Bhd, which makes feedstock materials for biodiesel
June 18, 2019
Read Full Article
(Office of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)) Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and 15 of their collegues reintroduced the Carbon Pollution Transparency Act (S. 1745), legislation to ensure the federal government implements a science-based process to account for the cost of carbon pollution in regulations through a standard metric. The bill was
June 17, 2019
Read Full Article
(Neste) … To examine what it takes to reduce CO2 emissions as fast as possible, Neste and its partners set to turn the island of Lidö in the Swedish archipelago into a climate neutral Zero Island in just twelve months. As a result of the project, the island’s emissions were brought
June 17, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) he Southern California Gas Company is the primary provider of natural gas to the region of Southern California and has a vision to become the cleanest natural gas utility in North America. As California works to achieve its climate change goals, SoCalGas is working on low
June 17, 2019
Read Full Article
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In the land of the rising sun, things are looking a whole lot brighter for All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest airline, and for LanzaTech and their sustainable aviation fuel. ANA and LanzaTech signed an offtake agreement for sustainable aviation fuel – a big step
June 17, 2019
Read Full Article
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Reps. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., and Ron Estes, R-Kan., reintroduced bipartisan legislation June 13 that aims to give investors in clean energy projects access to the use of master limited partnerships (MLPs). A MLP is a business
June 17, 2019
Read Full Article
(Advanced Biofuels Association) Today (June 12, 2019), member companies and organizations from the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA), the Coalition to Address Removal of Regulatory Impediments (CARRI), and others with interest in deploying sustainable fuels sent a letter to Assistant EPA Administrator Bill Wehrum to urge the Agency to finalize provisions in
June 17, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jarrett Renshaw and Richard Valdmanis (Reuters) Two Midwest senators said on Friday they have introduced a bill to reform the Environmental Protection Agency’s opaque biofuel waiver program, which the corn industry says helps oil companies at the expense of farmers here by threatening ethanol demand. The bill, introduced by Republican Deb Fischer of
June 17, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 39, with the help of the National Renewable Energy Lab and University of British Columbia, has been working facilitating the commercialization of conventional and advanced liquid biofuels from biomass drop-in biofuels for quite some time. They are looking at various technologies for drop-in
June 14, 2019
Read Full Article
by Makarand Gadgil (Mumbai Mirror) The state sugar commissioner has proposed that one-fourth of the state’s sugarcane be used to produce ethanol in a bid to reduce the glut in the sugar industry and help sugar factories pay farmers’ dues. Sugar Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad has also recommended that the state government create a separate
June 13, 2019
Read Full Article
(Hellenic Shipping News) Jan De Nul Group has revealed its commitment to reduce CO₂ emissions by 15% a year during maintenance dredging works at the Nieuwpoort coastal marina. It is the first dredging company in the world to aspire to such a reduction in a commercial application for a project. In
June 13, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … What we would like to train our focus on is two-fold, the advances in systems biology — elsewhere, you’ve heard it described as synthetic biology, but it’s really all a part of systems biology, which is to say that we are focusing on the biology
June 13, 2019
Read Full Article
by Bernadette Christina and Fransiska Nangoy (EuroNews/Reuters) Indonesia on Thursday began testing biodiesel with a bio-content of 30% in cars, its energy ministry said, as the Southeast Asian nation pushes to boost local markets for its vast palm oil crop. The world’s top palm oil exporter aims to make it mandatory for all
June 13, 2019
Read Full Article
by Emily Moon (Pacific Standard) It could be years before farmers see any gains from the rollback of E15 restrictions—or before oil interests and environmental groups see any losses. — … For ethanol’s biggest opponents, the deregulation could usher in a whole host of plagues, including environmental hazards and falling oil profits. While
June 13, 2019
Read Full Article
(North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) North America Climate Smart Agriculture (NACSAA) representatives will be at UN talks in Bonn, Germany, next week to push the message that agriculture is a major solution platform for achieving global climate stability and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Attending the talks will be NACSAA Chairman Fred Yoder,
June 13, 2019
Read Full Article
(ePURE) EU ethanol production and use resulted in more than 71% average savings over fossil fuels in 2018, according to the latest certified producer data; it’s the seventh straight year ethanol’s decarbonisation performance has improved — European renewable ethanol delivered an average of more than 71% greenhouse-gas savings compared to fossil fuels
June 13, 2019
Read Full Article
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy announced that drivers across the United States have reached a new milestone, logging 10 billion miles on the road using E15. The news comes on the heels of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval of year-round sales of E15 – a fuel approved for cars 2001 and newer
June 13, 2019
Read Full Article
by Laura Reiley (Washington Post) It sounds like an idea plucked from science fiction, but the reality is that trees and plants already do it. — … Boston-based Indigo AG, now wants to transform farming practices so that agriculture becomes quite the opposite of what it is today — a major source
June 13, 2019
Read Full Article
by Sharon Kelly (The Guardian) The Mobil Foundation funded universities and civic groups in the 90s, documents reveal, but largesse was not disinterested — … The Mobil Foundation also sought to use its tax-exempt grants to shape American laws and regulations on issues ranging from the climate crisis to toxic chemicals
June 13, 2019
Read Full Article
by Robinson Meyer (The Atlantic) New Consensus, the group charged with fleshing out the plan, doesn’t aim to publish policy specifics until early next year. — … New Consensus aims to be the policy quarterback for the Green New Deal. It wants to combine ideas from dozens of fields—including economics, sociology, ecology,
June 13, 2019
Read Full Article
(Diesel Technology Forum) New generations of advanced technology diesel engines, cleaner diesel fuel, and renewable biofuels pave the way for global prosperity and accelerate clean air progress — The Diesel Technology Forum issued the following statement on the occasion of United Nations World Environment Day: Makers and suppliers of diesel engines, equipment and fuels
June 12, 2019
Read Full Article
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA is inviting nominations of scientific experts to be considered for appointment to the agency’s Science Advisory Board and four SAB committees, including the SAB Agricultural Science Committee, which provides advice to the chartered SAB on matters that impact farming and agricultural related industries.
June 12, 2019
Read Full Article
by Erin Vogele (Biomass Magazine) A bipartisan group of 21 members of Congress, led by Reps. John Shimkus, R-Ill., and Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler June 4 urging the agency to take action on pending Renewable Fuel Standard fuel pathways. According to the representatives,
June 12, 2019
Read Full Article
by Anna-Lisa Laca (AgPro) “We request that you cease issuing any further small refinery exemptions, immediately reallocate the remaining gallons, and make public the information regarding any recipients of these exemptions,” they wrote. ( Farm Journal ) U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) on Tuesday, along with 10 other
June 12, 2019
Read Full Article
by Mario Parker and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Ethanol, the intoxicating alcohol found in beer, wine and liquor, has been powering automobiles in the U.S. since the era of the Model T more than a century ago. Since the 1970s, when oil became more expensive and subject to international disputes — and
June 12, 2019
Read Full Article
by Brittany De Lea (Fox Business) President Trump is in Iowa on Tuesday, just weeks after he lifted restrictions on ethanol – which could be a boon to both farmers and some drivers. At the end of May, the Trump administration announced it would allow for the year-round sale of gasoline with higher concentrations
June 12, 2019
Read Full Article
by Miranda Green (The Hill) President Trump gave rallygoers in Iowa on Tuesday a sign of what might come in 2020, speaking to them about ethanol while taking hard jabs at Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Speaking in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to celebrate his administration’s decision to allow 15 percent of ethanol to be mixed
June 12, 2019
Read Full Article
(Office of Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)) U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Rob Portman (R-OH) today reintroduced a bill to make it easier for power plants and industrial facilities to finance the purchase and installation of carbon capture, utilization, and storage equipment. “Reducing carbon pollution while creating good-paying jobs is something
June 12, 2019
Read Full Article
by Miranda Green (The Hill) The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) is recommending a review of the agency’s decision to roll back a prominent Obama-era policy on auto emissions. The independent group made up of researchers and scientists wrote in a May 18 memorandum first obtained by Bloomberg that the department’s justification for
June 12, 2019
Read Full Article
(British Bioethanol) Chair of the APPG for British Bioethanol Nic Dakin MP today launched the publication of the interim report into introduction of E10 in Westminster. … Interim recommendations: Green solution needed to address increasing petrol usage in UK Calls for DfT to host emergency summit on E10 before the summer The
June 12, 2019
Read Full Article
by Kelley Price (Teeside Live) Ensus at Wilton wants more of its biofuel to be added at the pumps as ‘trend’ for gas-guzzling SUVs grows — … Ensus wants more of its fuel to be added to the blend motorists buy at the pumps – otherwise the UK’s £1bn bioethanol industry is
June 12, 2019
Read Full Article
by Rahul Wadke (The Hindu Business Line) The Sugar Commissioner of Maharashtra has recommended to the State government that ₹500 crore be made available to cooperative sugar mills in the State for developing infrastructure and creating capacity for ethanol production. Sugar Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad told BusinessLine that due to excess sugarcane on the ground, the
June 12, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, a new report concludes that emissions from petroleum-based gasoline “are one of the biggest health threats facing the American public”. The report links a wide range of respiratory and even neurological diseases to toxic carcinogenic compounds refiners used to increase octane in gasoline. A
June 12, 2019
Read Full Article
by Kyle Saukas (Leaders in Energy) … On May 29th, Leaders in Energy (LE) members met to discuss how to better utilize the abundant fossil fuel resources we already have in order to move towards a cleaner future at the Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Fossil Energy: Searching for the Next Better Event.
June 11, 2019
Read Full Article
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Reps. Abby Finkenauer, D-Iowa, and Josh Harder, D-Calif., authored a letter June 3 urging the House Ways and Means Committee to extend, and retroactively apply, several expired biofuel tax credits. The letter was signed by 17 additional members of the House. The letter specifically addresses
June 11, 2019
Read Full Article
by Meghan Gordon (S&P Global Platts) EPA says on track to release final volumes on time; Trump to tour Iowa ethanol plant Tuesday; Warren criticizes small refinery waivers — The US Environmental Protection Agency is close to releasing its proposal for how much biofuel refiners must blend into the US transportation fuel supply next
June 11, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) Joe Biden may have an ethanol problem. The former U.S. vice president has pledged support for advanced biofuels as part of his bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. But Biden, who leads the crowded Democratic field in opinion polls in Iowa and nationally, faces lingering questions in the
June 11, 2019
Read Full Article
by Richard Valdmanis (Reuters) The main U.S. refining industry association said on Monday it sued to block the Trump administration’s effort to expand sales of higher ethanol blends of gasoline, arguing the move exceeded the administration’s authority. The legal challenge from the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) association escalated a
June 11, 2019
Read Full Article
by Shine Jacob and Dilasha Seth (Business Standard) The indirect tax department and oil marketing companies are locked in a battle over levy of excise duty on ethanol-blended motor spirit (EBMS), with the latter being issued notices over non-payment of dues, which they have strongly contested. The matter pertains to difference
June 11, 2019
Read Full Article
by Marta Gomez San Juan, Anne Bogdanski and Olivier Dubois (Food and Agricultural Organization) … )T)his report offers lessons from 26 case studies of sustainable bioeconomy interventions from around the world and from a range of different sectors. The overall aim of the report is to use these case studies to expand the general understanding of
June 11, 2019
Read Full Article
by Miro Korenha (Our Daily Planet) … Transportation took over last year as the biggest source of U.S. GHG emissions but if folks switch to EVs and our power plants are still running on fossil fuels then we’re failing to make progress. If you’re thinking of buying an EV but your utility is
June 11, 2019
Read Full Article
by Declan Foraise (Ecosystem Marketplace) Washington state Governor Jay Inslee has built his entire campaign on climate change, and today (May 16, 2019) he unveiled his “Evergreen Economy” proposal to redirect more than two dozen existing US programs towards the climate challenge. Details remain scarce, but here is what we know about
June 11, 2019
Read Full Article
by Femi Ibirogba (The Guardian) … Mr Rajavelu Rajasekar is a Director (Agro), Allied-Atlantic Distilleries, Agbara, Ogun State, where 250 metric tonnes of raw cassava roots are processed into ethanol. He revealed, in this interview with Head, Agro-Economy Desk, FEMI IBIROGBA, why cassava production fluctuates between scarcity and gluts; why more
June 10, 2019
Read Full Article
by John Siciliano and Josh Siegel (Washington Examiner) Democratic presidential hopeful Jay Inslee says there would be a place for corn ethanol in his plan to replace the nation’s renewable fuel program with one that has a record of making corn farmers wary. Inslee tells John that his plan focuses on more advanced second-generation
June 10, 2019
Read Full Article
by Dorothy Lozowski (Chemical Engineering) Every two years, Chemical Engineering honors an innovative technology that has been commercialized with the Kirkpatrick Chemical Engineering Achievement Award. This year, we have six finalists who will have the opportunity to present their technologies at the Chem Show in New York City (October 22–24), after which the
June 10, 2019
Read Full Article
by Rob Hogg, Amanda Ragan and Bill Couser (Des Moines Register/Biofuels Vision 2020) As presidential candidates visit Iowa ahead of the caucuses, Biofuels Vision 2020 – a coalition of biofuels supporters – is here to educate the candidates about how renewable, low-carbon biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel reduce the carbon footprint of
June 10, 2019
Read Full Article
by Marianne Lavelle (Inside Climate Today) The rule opened new ways for the fossil fuel industry to challenge science-based policy. One group is using it to try to shatter the foundation of climate policy. — … The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a conservative Washington, D.C., think tank and steadfast ally of the
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
by Josette Lewis and Jessica Rudnick (Frontiers Media) Climate smart agriculture (CSA) provides a framework for balancing multiple dimensions of agriculture and food systems in an era of climate change: addressing agricultural contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions, vulnerabilities to climate change impacts, and the relationship between agricultural productivity, incomes and
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
(The Hindu) … To promote use of biodiesel, the Navy said that plans were afoot to replace High Speed Diesel (HSD) (annual usage of 6,300 kL) with B5 blend of HSD. This would result in a direct savings of 5% of HSD, which translates to approximately 315 kL annual savings of
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, the center-right Liberal/National party coalition won the Federal election this week, and the center-left Labor Party finds itself without office, without a federal leader, and without much of a clue how the polls predicting Labor victory got it so wrong, and why their urgent
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
(Biofuels International) UK and Ireland liquid fuels distribution trade association the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) has unveiled its future vision for cutting carbon through the development of biofuels. With a focus on clean growth and decarbonisation, the new vision was announced during its annual exhibition FPS EXPO 2019, which took
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
(Neste) Neste, the leading renewable fuels producer, and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on its joint sustainable fuel initiative. The partners will be working together to facilitate the use of sustainable transportation fuels at Port Authority facilities and
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
by Chris Efird and Lou Soumas (The Chronicle) NEXT Renewable Fuels is building an advanced biofuel facility at Port Westward. Today we are in the planning and permitting stage. Beginning with this op-ed, we intend periodic updates on the project, so that Columbia County residents understand our plans, and know how
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Chris Grundler, the career official who heads the EPA office that oversees vehicle emissions and the Renewable Fuel Standard, will switch jobs with the head of another division that works on climate change as well as programs on acid rain and the ozone layer,
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
by Gareth Roberts (Fleet News) A Government campaign aims to help educate drivers about greener fuels, with filling stations clearly identifying biofuel content. New labels are being rolled out across the UK. Petrol, which contains up to 5% renewable ethanol, will be labelled ‘E5’, while diesel, which contains up to 7% biodiesel, will
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jeff Daniels (CNBC) -Former Vice President Joe Biden plans to return to Iowa next Tuesday, marking only his second trip to the key caucus state since formally declaring a run for the White House. – But Biden plans to skip an event Sunday in Iowa that will represent the largest
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
by John Bowden (The Hill) Many top-selling automakers around the world sent a letter to President Trump on Thursday urging the Trump administration to scrap plans to roll back fuel efficiency standards set during the Obama administration. In a letter signed by 17 major automakers including General Motors, Ford and Toyota, the companies wrote that
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) At long last, after years of appeals from biofuel interests, clean air advocates and rural Americans, EPA has lifted the summertime ban on the sale of 15-percent ethanol-blended gasoline (E15). The rule lifting the selective, if not scientifically questionable, prohibition is now in place, having become effective
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
by Robin Whitlock (Renewable Energy Magazine) Finland’s incoming government has today (June 4, 2019) introduced a government programme establishing ambitious climate targets and a goal for carbon neutral Finland in 2035. — … “This is a significant goal, enabling Finland to join the forerunners in reducing emissions in aviation” said Ilkka Räsänen, Director,
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
by Tal Axelrod (The Hill) Democratic presidential hopeful and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is rebuffing his repeated entreaties for a primary debate focused on climate change. “Today, my team received a call from the Democratic National Committee letting us know that they will not host
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
Marcela Ayres and Marcelo Teixeira (Reuters) The Brazilian government on Tuesday paved the way for ethanol makers to sell the fuel directly to gas stations, by passing a resolution to boost fuel industry competition, although additional legislation is required to bypass fuel distributors. The resolution by CNPE, the energy policy council,
June 6, 2019
Read Full Article
(U.S. Government Accountability Office) We reviewed the effects of the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires biofuels to be blended into U.S. transportation fuels in increasing volumes. The standard was associated with modest gas price increases in areas outside of the Midwest. Most corn ethanol—the most common U.S. biofuel—is produced in the Midwest,
June 6, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) One of Solution from the Land’s (SfL) primary missions over the past decade has been to help and inspire agricultural and forestry sector leaders to become powerful voices in the broader discussion of climate change, including adaptation and mitigation. Towards this end, SfL has been building state,
June 4, 2019
Read Full Article
by Amie Simpson (Brownfield Ag News) Southern Indiana Farmer Dave Gottbrath says many farmers would benefit from growth in the ethanol industry, but there is a lot of consumer confusion that must be addressed for that to happen. “It’s the public that doesn’t understand the difference in octane and there’s so
June 4, 2019
Read Full Article
by by Dayne Delahoussaye (Our Great Minds) … That’s why leaders of the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy [4] and the National Association of State Energy Officials [5] are among those encouraging state and provincial policymakers and local emergency preparedness directors to diversify their response plans to include petroleum
June 4, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) Solutions from the Land takes great pride in supporting the North American Climate Smart Action Alliance (NACSAA) as it continues its important work in putting farmers, ranchers and foresters in a central position to develop the steps needed to adapt to changing climate conditions, sequester carbon,
June 4, 2019
Read Full Article
by Beh Yuen Hui (The Star) Some 180 sanitary trucks will use biodiesel containing Malaysian palm oil in a pilot project to test its feasibility on Chinese vehicles. The programme will be carried out by Tsinghua University in collaboration with Beijing TUS-Deqing Bioenergy and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB). … (Primary Industries
June 4, 2019
Read Full Article
(International Air Transport Association) The International Air Transport Association (IATA) 75th Annual General Meeting (AGM) overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling on governments to continue important work for full implementation of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) agreed through the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). CORSIA is
June 4, 2019
Read Full Article
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Predicting how a legal case plays out can be dangerous territory, but an attorney representing ethanol interests in an expected petroleum industry challenge to EPA’s final E15 rule said the agency appears to be on solid ground with the rule. In a Renewable Fuels Association
June 4, 2019
Read Full Article
(IEA Bioenergy) This document contains the report of the IEA Bioenergy Executive Committee for 2018. This year, we have presented a special feature ‘ Measuring, governing and gaining support for sustainable bioenergy supply chains – lessons and messages from a three-year Inter-Task project’, the preparation of which was led by Task 40. … On 10 January 2018,
June 3, 2019
Read Full Article
Glaucia Mendes Souza, Rubens Maciel Filho, Luís Cassinelli, Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz and Renato D. Godinho (IEA Bioenergy Task 39) … Brazil has an energy matrix with substantial renewable content, with renewables (including hydropower) accounting for 42.9% of the total domestic energy supply (Brazilian Energy Balance 2018). … Even with an energy matrix
June 3, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest’s new “Stocks Worth Tracking” Multi-Slide Guide Series highlights hot companies that are making strides in the bioeconomy. Today’s “Stock Worth Tracking” is Green Plains. Green Plains corn milling platform has changed and improved the dry mill corn process, but their technologies are now going
June 3, 2019
Read Full Article
by RP Siegel (American Energy Society) … But when (Peter) Eisenberger talks about a sustainable economy, he’s talking about supplementing the work of trees by capturing the greenhouse gas from, say, the smokestack of a coal-fired power plant, or even directly from the air, and then burying it underground or using
June 3, 2019
Read Full Article
by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) The Green New Deal may be floundering in Washington. But it is alive and well in left-leaning states and cities across the country. From Maine to California, Democratic politicians have begun adopt the Green New Deal brand — a progressive movement to dramatically tackle climate change over the next decade
June 3, 2019
Read Full Article
by John Dagys (Sportscar 365) IMSA expands Green Racing initiatives amid ramped up electrification plans… IMSA has announced an expanded set of initiatives for its IMSA Green program, which extends its affiliation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and SAE International. According to the sanctioning body, the program will “aggressively pursue”
June 2, 2019
Read Full Article
by James Ellsmore (Forbes) The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has apparently started referring to fossil fuels as “molecules of freedom” and specifically natural gas as “freedom gas”; 72% of Americans saying that they consider climate change to be a moderate, serious, or imminent threat The United States Department of Energy
June 2, 2019
Read Full Article
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) EPA beat the clock in finalizing year-round E15 on Friday, one day ahead of the beginning of the summer driving season. The agency announced a final rule that also takes a much softer approach on reforms to the biofuel credits market than what was originally
June 2, 2019
Read Full Article
by William C. Schillaci (EHS Daily Advisor) The EPA’s implementation of the small refinery exemption is one of the more disputed aspects of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. The major question associated with the exemption appears to be how does the Agency make decisions to approve or deny applications for
June 2, 2019
Read Full Article
(GreenAir Online) The UK’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC), which advises the government on climate policy and action, has recommended that to be line with the goals of the Paris Agreement, the UK should set a 2050 net-zero target to cover all greenhouse gases and all sectors, including international aviation and
June 2, 2019
Read Full Article
(GreenAir Online) The British Airways project with renewable fuels company Velocys is “well advanced”, say the two partners, and production of waste-to-jet fuel is slated to start in 2024 from a new facility in north-east England. An 80-acre (32ha) brownfield site near Immingham on the Humber estuary, with a direct fuel
June 2, 2019
Read Full Article
(GreenAir Online) Addressing aviation’s impact on climate change and meeting the challenge was a key theme at the industry’s recent Global Sustainable Aviation Forum (GSAF) in Montreal. While attention remains focused on ICAO’s CORSIA offsetting scheme delivering carbon neutral growth from 2020, the industry’s long-term goal of halving net CO2 emissions by 2050
June 2, 2019
Read Full Article
by Christian Wallace (Texas Monthly) … I was riding shotgun with Josh Snow, an old friend who’s worked his way up the ranks at his father’s independent oil company. The two of us were driving the thirty-mile stretch from our hometown of Andrews to attend the Permian Basin International Oil Show,
May 31, 2019
Read Full Article
by Yash Upadhyaya (Bloomberg Quint) High-margin ethanol business aided India’s sugar makers’ earnings even as a record output in the domestic market pushed prices lower in the first half of the year. The distilleries business—that contributes 7-17 percent to the overall revenue of India’s three large sugar makers—accounted for around 50 percent
May 31, 2019
Read Full Article
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) … The latest planting progress report tells the story for worsening ethanol margins. An estimated 58% of U.S. corn was planted as of last Sunday, the slowest progress since at least 1980. Corn planting was up 9 percentage points from 49% the previous week, but was
May 31, 2019
Read Full Article
by Dave Keating (Euractiv) “ILUC has been solved,” declared Bernd Kuepker, a renewables policy officer at the European Commission’s energy department, at an event held in Brussels this week. He was, of course, not saying that the phenomenon of Indirect Land Use Change has been solved. He was instead making the point that after
May 31, 2019
Read Full Article
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) With few detailed proposals out there, presidential candidates’ calls for net zero carbon emissions in the transportation sector will likely lean on increasing the share of electric vehicles on the road, experts say. But, while electric vehicles have experienced rapid growth, it hasn’t come
May 31, 2019
Read Full Article
by Eric Pfeiffer (Hoosier Ag Today) The EPA announced Friday morning that they have met the deadline for the summer driving season to allow year-round sales of E15, a fuel blended with 15 percent ethanol. “Corn farmers have been long-time advocates of higher blends of ethanol such as E15, touting its benefits to
May 31, 2019
Read Full Article
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Belgium, 16 organizations teamed with the Bio-Based Industries Consortium and its members along with the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking’s the States Representatives Group and Scientific Committee to develop and publish their vision for a circular European bio-society by 2050 based on achieving global food security for all,
May 31, 2019
Read Full Article
(ePURE) EU ethanol production and use resulted in more than 71% average savings over fossil fuels in 2018, according to the latest certified producer data; it’s the seventh straight year ethanol’s decarbonisation performance has improved — European renewable ethanol delivered an average of more than 71% greenhouse-gas savings compared to fossil fuels
May 31, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest’s new “Stocks Worth Tracking” Multi-Slide Guide Series highlights hot companies that are making strides in the bioeconomy. Today’s “Stock Worth Tracking” is Pacific Ethanol. Pacific Ethanol was originally founded in 2003 as the first pure-play ethanol company and now has nine bio-refineries in the
May 31, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Earlier this month, Renewable Energy Group released its 2019 Q1 earnings and held its quarterly earnings conference call with analysts and media. The complete webcast of the event is available at regi.com. Participating in the call for REG were CEO Cynthia J. Warner, CFO Chad Stone, and
May 30, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … So, producers band together to limit production and raise prices in the short term and oil-field value in the long-term. Cartels generally do a much better job of limiting production than the free market does. The free market· generally raises production until it meets the
May 30, 2019
Read Full Article
(Center for Climate and Clean Energy Solutions) Climate change is among the most profound challenges of all time, confronting individuals, businesses, and governments across the globe. Meeting this challenge requires a sweeping, sustained effort over the coming decades. To successfully orient the global economy toward the goal of climate protection will
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) Solutions from the Land (SfL) Co-Chair A.G. Kawamura recently issued a challenge to a diverse group of California agricultural stakeholders, cautioning that in these often turbulent political times, those who work the land must come together and assert their role in combatting climate change and other threats
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
by Allen Schaeffer (Diesel Technology Forum) Report Ignores Basic Premise of Settlement, Wrongly Vilifies States that Diversify Spending and Chose Clean Air First — Statement from the desk of Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, in response to a report issued … by US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) and Environment
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) French multinational oil giant Total S.A. is just days away from a much-anticipated startup at its La Mède biorefinery in the south of France. A representative of Total told Biodiesel Magazine that the renewable diesel processing facility is on track to begin commercial production in late May or
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
(Feed & Grain/U.S. Grains Council) In 2018, U.S. ethanol exports totaled more than 6.5 billion liters — A recent analysis by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) shows non-beverage ethanol has been the fastest growing U.S. agricultural export over the past decade by a significant margin. In 2018, U.S. ethanol exports totaled more
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jon Cartwright (Physics World) Between 2008 and 2012 expansion of cropland in the US released carbon each year equivalent to the running of 36 coal-fired power plants, according to scientists in the US. “Folks can easily see and understand how tropical deforestation removes carbon from the landscape and emits it to the
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
by Julia Poska and the Civil Eats Editors (Civil Eats) We’ll be tracking policy positions and public statements so you don’t have to. –… Food and farming haven’t been high on the list of campaign priorities in recent decades, except maybe in Iowa. But this year, that appears to be shifting. With
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jennifer A Dlouhy and Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Agency initially planned to bar some traders and cap positions; Rush to propel high-ethanol fuel by June 1 complicated effort — The Environmental Protection Agency is poised to jettison proposed trading restrictions on a $5.2 billion market for biofuel compliance credits in a coming rule, casting aside
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
(The Sun Daily/Bernama) Poland is against the European Union’s (EU) proposed plan to ban the use of palm oil as a component of biofuels, and stressed that the republic does not intend to reduce the demand for Malaysian palm oil. Polish Ambassador to Malaysia Professor Krzysztof Debnicki said that Poland –
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
(NEXT Renewable Fuels) NEXT Renewable Fuels, Inc (NEXT) and BP Products North America Inc. (BP) have entered into a long‐term Feedstock Supply Agreement whereby NEXT will purchase approximately 2 million metric tons (13.2 million barrels) per year of renewable feedstocks for NEXT’s planned Port Westward, Oregon renewable diesel facility. Under the Agreement, BP will supply used cooking oils, animal
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
(BASF) Sustainability project in Lampung, Indonesia launched; Program to encompass 1,000 independent Indonesian smallholder farmers — BASF, The Estée Lauder Companies and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) are partnering with the civil society organization Solidaridad to promote sustainable palm oil and palm derivatives production in the district of Waykanan, Lampung, Indonesia.
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) How do you know a company is telling the truth about their sustainability claims? How do you know that biofuel X really achieves an 80% GHG emissions savings over fossil fuels? … Well, certifications are one way to help gauge transparency, honesty, verification. And there’s been some
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Belgium, in the absence of objections by European Parliament and Council on the proposed text within the given two-month scrutiny period, the European Commission has published in the Official Journal the Delegated Act on the determination of high indirect land-use change-risk feedstock and the certification of
May 28, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sustainable Energy for All was created to drive the energy transition, particularly in developing countries. below50 is a global campaign that brings together companies and organizations who commit to growing the global market for the world’s most sustainable fuels. They connect the entire value-chain for sustainable
May 28, 2019
Read Full Article
(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol could generate significant cost savings while boosting octane in fuel supplies in Indonesia. That’s the message the U.S. Grains Council and its partners are conveying to Indonesian importers and government agencies to promote increased ethanol use in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing gasoline
May 28, 2019
Read Full Article
by Michael Langford (The Hill/Utility Workers Union of America) … For example, carbon capture technology could broadly decarbonize power generation including both natural gas and coal-fired plants as well as heavy industries such as steel, cement and ethanol manufacturing to cite obvious examples. Indeed, the U.S. is at the forefront of
May 28, 2019
Read Full Article
Our Sponsors
FREE Subscription! Advanced Biofuels USA events calendar; policy and actions; education newsletters
From FEW: 45Q Represents Opportunity for Ethanol; Request for Comments DEADLINE: July 4, 2019
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Under new size specifications for the 45Q tax credit, almost all ethanol plants are eligible, said Jamey Cline, in business development for Christianson PLLP. With revenues trending downward since 2018 and falling below operating expenses, diversification of revenue streams is crucial, he added. Cline was