Canada, Renewables and the Courtroom Wallah
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Take some process heat and steam and CO2 from an ethanol plant — add a greenhouse, then stir and bake — what do you get? A whole bunch of healthy food, and fuel, and
Opinions
Back TO HOMEIs Fracking a ‘Bridge’ to a Clean-Energy Future? Ernest Moniz Thinks So.
by Brad Plumer (The Washington Post) When it comes to energy, Ernest Moniz seems to be an “all of the above” guy. President Obama’s new nominee for the Energy Department has heaped praise on everything from solar panels and efficiency to nuclear
March 04, 2013 Read Full Article
Ernest Moniz, MIT Physicist, Nominated as Energy Secretary
by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) ...At MIT, he has directed the school’s Energy Initiative, where he oversaw reports on almost every aspect of energy. And he has been a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Moniz, who
March 04, 2013 Read Full Article
Big Oil’s Big Smear?
by Brad Krohn (Biofuels Digest/United States EnviroFuels, LLC) Big Oil’s best kept secret from the American consumer is Brazil’s fuel ethanol mandate, which started during the 1970s as a result of the OPEC oil embargoes. In Brazil, where ethanol
March 04, 2013 Read Full Article
Is the U.S. Military Fighting Straw Men?
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/Biofuels Digest) Are supporters of the oil industry grasping at straws to keep the U.S. military addicted to oil? ...Our reliance on foreign oil has already impacted military readiness, as spiraling oil prices forced the
March 04, 2013 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Standard Is Working as Intended
by Ed Ulch (The Gazette) ... World Grain stated in its February issue that “Grain-based food companies had record stock performance in 2012.” Big oil companies are touting high food prices to stir the public and create resistance to renewable fuels
March 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Encouraging Advanced Biofuels Development in a Low Carbon Economy
by Jeff Kessler (The Energy Collective) ...Unlike the current consumer technology industry, where new products can offer novel or superior services, transportation fuel options compete primarily on price and availability with limited room for product differentiation. Without substantial government support
March 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Defending Clean Energy Goals and Policies
(25 x '25) Renewable energy stakeholders were reminded again in recent weeks that misguided criticism and outright misinformation launched against the nation’s pursuit of a clean energy future must be turned back. ...An example of the latter is the recent publication
March 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Inside the Military's Clean-Energy Revolution
by Julia Whitty (The Atlantic/Mother Jones) ...To get to the Nimitz, 100 miles off Honolulu, our turboprop is flying a 50-50 blend of biofuel and standard JP-5 shipboard aviation fuel. The biofuel is made from algae plus waste cooking oil. This
February 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Can the US Still Meet Its 2022 Biofuels Targets?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As cellulosic biofuels technologies start to deploy — critics and friends ask, 36 billion gallons by 2022, can it still be done? Yep, there’s a pathway. In Washington, the US Energy Information Administration released a map
February 28, 2013 Read Full Article
New Shell Scenarios Sharpen Focus on Future for Society, Energy
(HeraldOnline/Royal Dutch Shell) Shell today released new scenarios that explore two possible ways the 21st century could unfold, with dramatically different implications for society and the world's energy system. One scenario sees cleaner-burning natural gas becoming the most important energy source
February 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Hot Route! New Bioenergy Financing Pathway via Risk Transfer Guaranty Bonds
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) One of the most interesting and compelling solutions to the problem of financing commercial-scale biofuels was unveiled this week at the Avalon Air Show by Westar CEO Cindy Thyfault. Dubbed the Risk Transfer Guaranty Bond –
February 27, 2013 Read Full Article
NACS: Liquid Fuels Will Continue to Dominate in 2040
(Convenience Store News) Liquid fuels will continue to be the top fueling option for drivers for the next two-plus decades. However, the composition of these fuels will undergo significant change. According to the "Future of Fuels 2013" report released today by NACS,
February 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Can E15 Save Ethanol?
(1011Now.com) ...Nebraska ethanol and ag leaders believe E15 is key in getting idle ethanol plants back to producing. Robert White, the director of market development for the Renewable Fuels Association, tells fuel retailers that gasoline demand dropped 6 percent last year as more
February 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Witnesses Bash E15 During One-Sided House Committee Hearing
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A Feb. 26 hearing featured testimony of three E15 critics, including a representative of the Coordinating Research Council, which has authored research reports concluding E15 could damage engine valves and fuel system components. Absent
February 27, 2013 Read Full Article
EIA: Cellulosic Biofuels Will Likely Remain Well below EISA Targets
(Green Car Congress) US Commercial-scale production of cellulosic biofuels reached about 20,000 gallons in late 2012, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). EIA estimates this output could grow to more than 5 million gallons this year, as operations ramp up
February 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Small Farmers Risk Exclusion from Biofuels Certification Schemes
(UN Food and Agriculture Organization) The way certification schemes for biofuels are structured makes it difficult for smallholder producers and many developing countries to participate in export markets, according to a new report from FAO. The report, Biofuels and the Sustainability Challenge,
February 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Flying the Aussie BioSkies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In the world of biofuels there is no sector as active as military and aviation biofuels in terms of willing customers. At the Low Carbon Fuel Conference, held over two days in conjunction with
February 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Minnesota Legislature: Bill Would Broaden Biofuels Additives in State
by Leslie Brooks Suzukamo (TwinCities.com) Minnesota legislators will get a chance Wednesday, Feb. 27, to look at a bill that would allow a different kind of corn-based biofuel besides ethanol to be mixed with gasoline. The bill also would set an
February 27, 2013 Read Full Article
The Battle to Counter Big Oil's Campaign
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Fuels America is redoubling its efforts to point the finger at the real beneficiaries should the RFS be weakened and E15 smeared and it's not consumers or the environment. Fuels America had a little fun
February 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Historical Studies Confirm the Existence of Indirect Emissions from Biofuels
(EurActiv.com) Biofuels made from food crops indirectly generate net emissions of greenhouse gases in the future, confirm the preliminary results of two studies on the history of the change in land use. If the peer does not affect the conclusions of
February 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Australia at the Crossroads – Import or Export Aviation Biofuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As journalists, at the Digest our job is to ask the 7 Questions. Who, What, Where, When, How Much, How and Why. In aviation biofuels the task is made easier because we can say with
February 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Lux: Alternative Fuel Companies Reach for Real Revenue in 2013
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A 32-page report by Lux Research picks winners and losers in 2012 among alternative fuel developers. The state of the market report, which is provided only to clients, also predicts that many companies will
February 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Responds to Witness List for E15 Hearing
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology’s Subcommittee on Environment is scheduled to hold a hearing on mid-level ethanol blends on Feb. 26. The hearing will feature three witnesses: Robert
February 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Team Up for Energy Victory
by Col. Bill Holmberg (ret.) (American Council On Renewable Energy) “Up with octane, down with aromatics, and embrace the needs of people and nature,” says ACORE’s legendary biomass guru. But less freak-out, more reach-out is needed, he cautions. ...However, certain forces
February 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Could Algae Biofuel Doom The Keystone XL Pipeline?
by Tina Casey (Clean Technica) As pressure on the Obama Administration to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline ramps up, algae biofuel is emerging as yet another domestic energy source that undercuts every argument for the project, which is designed to
February 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Hard Reality – Biofuels Are a Loser, Despite All the Hope and Hype
by Rod Adams (Atomic Insights) I’ve been spending the past hour or so reading an excellent paper written by a US Naval aviator titled Twenty-First Century Snake Oil: Why the United States Should Reject Biofuels as Part of a Rational National
February 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Industry Groups Appeal High-Ethanol Fuel Case to Supreme Court
by Ben Goad (The Hill Reg Watch) A coalition of industry groups asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to reconsider a lower court’s finding in favor of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2011 decision to allow sales of the high-ethanol
February 22, 2013 Read Full Article
EU Should Phase Out Support for Land-Based Biofuels, Lobbies Say
by Ewa Krukowska (Bloomberg) The European Union should phase out support for land-based biofuels that displace food production and indirectly boost emissions, eight lobbies said in a letter to the bloc’s energy ministers. The groups, including Transport and Environment, Greenpeace and Oxfam,
February 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Corporations, Investors 'Grabbing' Land and Water Overseas
by By Brian Bienkowsk (Environmental Health News) As a growing population stresses the world's food and water supplies, corporations and investors in wealthy countries are buying up foreign farmland and the freshwater perks that come with it. From Sudan to Indonesia,
February 19, 2013 Read Full Article
AEC Responds to The Wall Street Journal Coverage
(Advanced Ethanol Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Wall Street Journal editorial board has once again demonstrated that it either does not understand why Congress decided to require oil companies to use cellulosic biofuels five years ago or it is not willing to tell the truth
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Weighing Obama's SOTUS Proposal: More Oil Drilling to Fund Clean Energy?
by Jim Snyder (Bloomberg/Renewable Energy World) President Barack Obama's proposal to fund clean-energy research with fees paid by oil and gas producers is renewing a debate over whether the promise of innovation tomorrow is worth expanding drilling today. Obama's "Energy Security Trust"
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Urban Air Initiative Worried About Stocks, Not Ethanol
by John Davis and Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Ethanol is good for taking harmful particles out of automobile emissions, but a group committed to cleaner air is worried that gasoline makers might just end up putting more particulates in the blendstock. “The
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
The Ethanol Blend Wall, Biodiesel Production Capacity, and the RFS...Something Has to Give
by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (FarmDocDaily/University of Illinois) ...Our focus is on the increasing difficulty of meeting the RFS for both renewable biofuel (domestically produced ethanol) and advanced biofuels in the next 12 to 18 months. ...Our expectation is that
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Stop Them, If You've Heard This One Before
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...U.S. ethanol production proved to be the remedy to our imported oil addiction, driving America’s dependence down from 60 percent in 2005 to 41 percent last year. Incredibly, even that tired canard
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
EU Biofuels Policy Still Driving the Second Scramble for Africa
(ActionAid) At a seminar on biofuels in Dublin yesterday, David Barissa, a leading expert on food security and land rights from ActionAid Kenya spoke of the litany of broken promises, rights violations and destruction which have faced poor communities in
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Fracking Success Hits Biofuels Investment
by Jason Krupp (EIN News) Petrol retailer Z Energy says world oil prices could plunge by almost half in the next five years, as United States oil and gas production booms because of "fracking". Fracking is the hydraulic fracturing of underground
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
That Darn Devil, Them Dang Details: What’s Really Driving Food Prices?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the new USDA long-term forecasts, rising global meat consumption stands out as a driver of rising food prices, exports. ...But you might ask yourself — in a world where you can find hyperbole linking hunger
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
NRDC Post-State of the Union Poll: 60 Percent of Americans Support Presidential Action to Fight Ravages of Climate Change
(Natural Resources Defense Council) NRDC's polling immediately after the State of the Union made clear that Americans consider climate change a serious problem and want the President to take action. Sixty-five percent of Americans think that climate change is a serious
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Big Steps in Biofuels: ACORE’s Renewable Energy Policy Forum ‘13
By Joshua Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) Thinking about the back and forth on EPA’s cellulosic fuel mandates in the last month, the press on the harmful effects of diverting food crops for fuel processing in certain cases, and the general
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
New Policy Can Put the EU on Track to Reach 100% Renewable Energy
(World Wildlife Fund) Today WWF launched a new report – Putting the EU on Track for 100% Renewable Energy [1] – which shows where Europe needs to be by 2030 in order to reach a fully renewable energy system by 2050. It
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Sustainable Bioenergy and Grasslands on the Edge
(Bioenergy Crops) There is an increasing interest worldwide on developing sustainable bioenergy alternatives for low competitive lands where food production profitability is scarce or where soils and climates are not suited for traditional activities or have no market access and
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
White House Wants $2 billion to Give Cleaner Transport a Boost
by Patrick Rucker (Reuters) President Barack Obama wants Congress to create a $2 billion clean-energy transportation fund using fees paid by oil and gas producers on federal lands, the White House said Wednesday, expanding a plan announced in Obama's State of the
February 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Fuels America Sends Snarky Valentine to Big Oil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) So goes the new theme from Fuels America, who debuted their We Love Oil!campaign this afternoon. It’s all on (hilarious) video, well worth a share — starring snarky polar bears, oil-slicked birds admiring their sheen, dumbfounded Americans
February 13, 2013 Read Full Article
How to Play Cheap Natural Gas
by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest) All you have to say is “natural gas” and a lot of people in the biobased world turn pale, tremble, and scamper into corners. The cause for anxiety? It seems to be a toxic combination from
February 13, 2013 Read Full Article
“The Number-One Objective Is to Combat Climate Change”
by Marie-Martine Buckens (Europolitics) Interview with MEP Corinne Lepage (ALDE, France) French MEP Corinne Lepage (ALDE) was named rapporteur, in late 2012, on the controversial issue of biofuels. She prefers to call them agrofuels, in reference to the so-called ‘first-generation’ fuels made
February 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Doing More with Less: Biofuels and Rural Economic Development
by Mary Solecki (California Progress Report) ...And I think that is what's at the heart of the biofuels movement: doing more with less. How can we deliver our energy needs from domestic sources and still deliver the food we all need?
February 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Soybeans Could Be Next Chapter of Biofuels Boom
by Tom Doran (AgNews) ...Under the current Renewable Fuels Standards, continued growth in corn-based ethanol use is uncertain do to several factors, including the 10 percent blend wall, slow implementation of higher blend, declining total gasoline demand and ethanol imports
February 12, 2013 Read Full Article
4 Big Reasons to Increase Ethanol Blends
by Maxx Chatsko (The Motley Fool) ...Here are four reasons action is desperately needed. 1. Economic catalyst When the RFS became law in 2005, it was easy for critics to muffle the optimism for a future ethanol industry. Some critics viewed government involvement in
February 12, 2013 Read Full Article
The Electric Car Mistake
by Charles Lane (The Washington Post) The Obama administration’s electric-car fantasy finally may have died on the road between Newark, Del., and Milford, Conn. The New York Times’s John M. Broder reported Friday that the Tesla Model S electric car he was test-driving repeatedly
February 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Murkowski Energy Plan Would Gut the RFS
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Feb. 4, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, released an energy blueprint that calls for a wide variety of changes to U.S. energy policy,
February 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Why Canada Oil-Sands Industry Wants CO2 Tax Harper Hates: Energy
by Jeremy van Loon & Andrew Mayeda (Bloomberg) Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has vilified political opponents who support a tax on carbon-dioxide emissions. The oil-sands industry, Canada’s fastest growing CO2 polluter, says he’s out of step. The contradiction of an industry seeking a
February 11, 2013 Read Full Article
The Renewable Fuel Standard Works
by Jeremy Martin and Jim Collins (Politico) The fuels of the future are here today, and we can thank Congress for enacting the Renewable Fuel Standard. This bedrock policy has brought us to the point where the first commercial facilities producing
February 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Explore Alternatives to Consumption Crops
by Tracy Dang (ICIS.com) Exploring a future in advanced biofuels can be one way the US ethanol industry address the “food vs. fuel” debate, a consultant said on Thursday. “Even though it is a misconception that first-generation ethanol compromises the food supply,
February 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Glencore Director Says Corn Use in Biofuel Questionable
by David Brough (Reuters) A director of commodity trading giant Glencore on Sunday questioned the conversion of corn into ethanol biofuel, saying it can contribute to higher prices. Critics of using foodstuffs to make fuel say the process can drive up food
February 10, 2013 Read Full Article
Blue Skies: 7 Steps to Making Money in Aviation Biofuels
by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest) ... With aviation demand at 60 billion gallons worldwide, and 50 percent biofuels blends now approved (for HEFA fuels) — there’s no reason to suppose that there’s not 30 billion gallons of fuel demand up for
February 08, 2013 Read Full Article
The Compression Spread
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) You’ve heard about the crack spread, and the crush spread — as means to value oil refining and crop refining. Let’s think about biomass densification and compression, and in that context, a little about KiOR. ... What
February 08, 2013 Read Full Article
New Poll Shows Strong Support for Renewable Fuels Agenda
(Renewable Fuels Association) For the second year in a row, national polling presented today at the National Ethanol Conference proved Americans, by an overwhelming majority, support the key federal policy driving renewable fuel innovation in America today — the Renewable
February 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Biomass for Biofuels, Biochemicals Will More than Triple to 3.7 Billion Tons in 2030
(Lux Research) Growing demand will place stress on feedstocks, requiring new innovations if more bio-based products are to replace petroleum-based ones, says Lux Research Driven by aggressive biofuel mandates, rapid growth will cause great strain on biomass by 2030, according to Lux Research. Using today’s
February 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Importance of Ethanol Messaging
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) In a poll commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and conducted by American Viewpoint, 64 percent of adults polled said they supported the RFS, while just 25 percent are opposed. ...DiVall came up with four positive message components for
February 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Live from #NEC13: Views on the Future of Ethanol
by Bryan McBournie (SmartBlog) ... Shell Oil Products’ Downstream Policy and Advocacy Manager John Reese said his company is a big supporter of biofuels, but the RFS needs to be adjusted to avoid problems down the road. He said ethanol blends
February 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Lawmakers Pitch Plan to Tweak Renewable Mandate
(FuelFix) Lawmakers have unveiled the first major proposal to rewrite a mandate forcing refiners to blend biofuels into gasoline, amid a growing outcry against the eight-year-old requirement. Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., and Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, introduced the legislation in the
February 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Automakers Do Not See Big US Demand for Flex-Fuel Vehicles
(Platts) US consumer demand for flex-fuel vehicles, which can run on high levels of ethanol, is not strong enough for automakers to market them in the country, representatives of several major automakers said Thursday. "Somebody has to demonstrate some interest" in
February 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Never a Waste; No Longer a Residue—Soy Oil for Biodiesel until Something Better Comes Along
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) “Why,” I asked an expert audience at the National Biodiesel Conference in Las Vegas this week, “if you have to take the oil out of soybeans to make your main product, soy meal for
February 07, 2013 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Goes High-Stake with Ten Year Vision
(National Biodiesel Board) It's Vegas, and the winning bet is on growth for biodiesel, America's advanced biofuel. American jobs and clean air stand to benefit as the industry pushes towards its new 10-year vision: 10 percent of the on-road diesel
February 07, 2013 Read Full Article
Industry Leaders to Support “Second Generation” Biofuels in All EU Transport Sectors
(Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels) Involvement of policy makers and other industries, R&D programmes, financing, communications programmes for a cost-competitive and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels The Chief Executive Officers of seven Leading European biofuel producers and European airlines launched today in
February 07, 2013 Read Full Article
Battle for the Barrel: Ethanol Strikes Back as Industry Is “Under Siege but Fighting Back.”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In a fiery address at the National Ethanol Conference, RFA chief Bob Dinneen rallies his troops. ...He derided industry opponents as “the angry birds at the National Chicken Council, the mad cows at the American Meat
February 07, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Fuel Targeted by Legislators, Administration
by Brett Whitmarsh (WLBZ) The Maine legislature will decide whether to restrict or even eliminate the use of ethanol in gasoline in the state. A legislator from Turner and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection are both submitting ethanol bills. ...Timberlake says
February 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Analysis: Advanced Biofuel Companies Now In More Than Half Of U.S. States; Clean Fuel Standards Fueling Growth In Top States
(PR NewsWire/Yahoo! News) Top 5 States For Advanced Biofuel Companies: Calif., Ill., Colo., Texas and Iowa; New Web Site at www.FuelingGrowth.org Documents Impact of Growing Industry California is home to nearly 30 advanced biofuel companies, but dozens of other states from coast to
February 06, 2013 Read Full Article
A Path Not Yet Trod
by Douglas L. Faulkner (“The Cleantech Conservative”/BiofuelsDigest) ... That is, the cost of renewed tax breaks for the biofuels industry came at a great cost relative to the benefits gained. Being lumped in with Hollywood filmmakers, rum distillers, NASCAR track owners, Goldman
February 02, 2013 Read Full Article
FAME Is Not (necessarily) the Answer
by Pamela Serino (Defense Logistics Agency Energy/Biofuels Digest) ...A mandate in all countries to go to ULSD marine fuel would be my first step to cleaner fuels and lower emissions as many nations still burn very high sulfur fuels (1000-5000
February 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Brave New Bio Wor(l)d
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Three dissident voices offer challenges to cherished orthodoxies. ...Though they offer tough love, they are written by friends of the movement. They don’t wish to cast you down to the devil, but to rescue you therefrom. I
February 02, 2013 Read Full Article
2013 a Pivotal Year for the Renewable Fuel Standard
by Paul Winter (Biotechnology Industry Organization) Less than a decade ago, the nation’s energy experts projected imports of oil to continue to grow throughout the first third of the century. Both Congress and the President recognized that this was a
February 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Growing Palm Oil Trees For Biofuels Could Accelerate Climate Change, Study Finds
by Nina Chestney (Reuters/Huffington Post) Growing palm oil trees to make biofuels could be accelerating the effects of climate change, new research showed on Wednesday, adding further weight to claims the crop is not environmentally sustainable. In a paper published in the
February 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Pentagon Nominee Hagel Endorses Ban on High-Carbon Defense Fuels
by Ben Geman (The Hill E2Wire) Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), President Obama’s nominee for Defense secretary, is backing a controversial ban on military purchase of alternative fuels that have higher greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil-based fuels. Hagel, in a written
February 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuel Producers Waiting for Pentagon to Show Them the Money
by Sandra I. Erwin (National Defense Magazine) The biofuels industry is seeing promising signs from Washington. President Obama in his inauguration speech tied green energy to economic growth. Congress agreed to allow the Pentagon to continue to buy alternative fuels.
February 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Can Fossil-Fuel Tax Benefits Boost the Renewable Energy Industry?
by Dan Haugen (Midwest Energy News) By organizing as a type of partnership instead of a corporation, companies that extract, process or transport “depletable” natural resources have been exempt from corporate income taxes. That word — “depletable” — specifically excludes renewable
February 02, 2013 Read Full Article
RFA Condems UN Biofuels & Food Security Study
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Earlier this month, the U.N. Committee on World Food Security (CFS) has released a draft study on biofuels and food security with a public comment period until January 30, 2013. Yesterday, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) submitted comments about the
February 02, 2013 Read Full Article
2012 Food Price Increases Were Second-Lowest in 20 Years
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Food prices rose just 1.8% in 2012, the second-lowest annual rate in the last 20 years, according to recently released consumer price index (CPI) data. The new data demonstrates the absurdity of the alarmist
February 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Stakeholders Must Be Ready to Challenge Attacks on the RFS
(25 x '25) ... A federal court decision last week that set aside EPA’s volumetric requirement for cellulosic biofuel under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was excessively characterized this week by the oil industry and others – including many in
February 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Doing Corn Better and Doing Better than Corn for Biofuels: Recent Developments in the Field
by Ned Stowe (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Like it or not, corn and corn ethanol production are large, established industries in the U.S. While they provide significant economic, energy, and environmental benefits for our society, they also come with
February 01, 2013 Read Full Article
The 2013 Renewable Fuel Standard: Biofuels Digest’s 10-Minute Guide
by Jim Lane ( Biofuels Digest) ...In Washington, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its proposed 2013 Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS2). The proposal will be open for a 45-day public comment period and EPA will consider feedback from a range
February 01, 2013 Read Full Article
“Good Bye to All That” Secretary Chu Leaves Department of Energy (With Apologies to Robert Graves)
by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) Secretary of the Department of Energy Steven Chu announced his resignation today (February 1st) in a 3,700 word “Dear Colleague” address. While this is the time usually reserved for valedictory addresses or sentimental remembrances,
February 01, 2013 Read Full Article
White House Targets Oil-and-Gas Tax Breaks as Part of Plan to Replace Sequester
by Zack Coleman (The Hill E2Wire) The White House took jabs at oil-and-gas subsidies Wednesday, calling for an end to the incentives as part of a deal to avoid automatic spending cuts from sequestration. “The idea that you need to subsidize
January 30, 2013 Read Full Article
EU Releases Proposal on Deploying Alternative Fuel Infrastructure
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A recently released European Commission proposal on deploying alternative fuels infrastructure recognizes the importance of biofuels but does not go far enough, said ePURE, the European Renewable Ethanol Association. On Jan. 24 the European Commission
January 30, 2013 Read Full Article
The First Lady of E15
by Tim Portz (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Kristy Moore recalls her beginnings in the ethanol industry, her fondness for American agriculture and the long road to bringing E15 to market. The story of the approval of E15 for use in model year 2001
January 30, 2013 Read Full Article
New Evidence of E15 Fuel Damage Confirms Case Against Renewable Fuel Standard
(PR NewsWire/American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers) New research released by the Coordinating Research Council (CRC) today found that E15, gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol, would damage millions of post-2001 model year vehicles. The CRC study concluded that E15 would
January 29, 2013 Read Full Article
Professor Flunks Ethanol 101
by Bob Dineen (Renewable Fuels Association) Flint, Mich., is known throughout the world as the birthplace of General Motors. When an economist from Flint gets the facts about motor fuels all wrong, it’s time to assign him some remedial homework. In
January 29, 2013 Read Full Article
Is Reduction of Our Dependence on Foreign Oil Just Talk?
(National Algae Association) Is the government’s commitment to alternative fuels being stymied by the American Petroleum Institute, or is the Department of Energy stymying the commitment all by itself? The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia recently canceled
January 29, 2013 Read Full Article
DNV: Biofuels Are Key to Meeting Marine Emissions Targets
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Volatile costs for fossil fuels and rising concerns over emissions. “A doubling of present CO2 emissions by 2050 if we do nothing.” A share of “for at least 10% of global emissions in 2050, as
January 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Fuel Efficiency Is Bad News For State Governments
(EconMatters/Business Insider) ... But it looks like what may be good for the environment, is actually bad news for the government. You see, for each gallon of gasoline or diesel we gas up in our cars, there’s a portion of tax
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Sneller: Increased Domestic Oil Production Could Limit Growth of Renewable Fuels
by Robert Pore (The Independent) ...According to another speaker at the Agriculture Outlook Conference 2013, David Hightower, president of Hightower Report, ethanol has increased corn demand and added value to corn that wasn't there prior to the Renewable Fuels Standard, when
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Bills Seek to Reduce or Remove Ethanol from Maine Gas
by Scott Thistle (Maine Sun Journal) A pair of bills introduced Thursday by state Rep. Jeff Timberlake, R-Turner, could have a significant impact on what goes into the gas tank of your car, lawnmower or snowblower. One of Timberlake's bills would cut
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Transforming Transportation 2013
By Josh Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Transforming Transportation ’13 conference, held at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC, proved to be an exciting event for sustainable industry everywhere. During one of the primary plenary sessions it was announced
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Court Strikes Down Cellulosic Biofuel Mandate - Finds EPA Exceeded Statutory Authority
(American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers/PR NewsWire/Yahoo!) In a decision that questions the motivation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit today vacated EPA's 2012 cellulosic biofuel mandate, concluding that its biased forecast was in 'excess of the agency's statutory authority.' "The
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Novozymes New CEO Says Biofuels May Supply 90% of Revenue
by Stephan Nielsen (Bloomberg) Novozymes A/S (NZYMB), the world’s biggest maker of enzymes used in laundry soap, may get 90 percent of its revenue from biofuel makers by 2030 if more governments start promoting renewable energy, the company’s next CEO said. The
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
You Can't Change the Climate from Inside Washington
by Theda Skocpol (Foreign Policy) If Obama wants to make good on his inaugural promise, he’ll need to remember the lessons he learned as a community organizer. ...The inside game has failed in part because climate reformers have not invested in
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
The Capex-Opex Fallacy, Electric Cars, and Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Earlier this week, a new study from researchers at UC Santa Barbara determined photovoltaics to be much more efficient than biomass at turning sunlight into energy to fuel a car. “Even the most land-use efficient biomass-based pathway,” the
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
"For Sandy, the Scientists of NOAA Were Our First Responders, Our Scientific Heroes."
Editor's note: I think you will agree that this open letter to the people at NOAA from Peter Saundry, Executive Director of the National Council for Science and the Environment, is worth publishing. At Advanced Biofuels USA, we add our
January 24, 2013 Read Full Article
Iowa Groups Announce Formation of Iowa RFS Coalition, Thank President Obama for Unwavering RFS Support
(Iowas Renewable Fuels Association) A group of Iowa businesses and organizations today congratulated President Obama on his Inauguration and announced the formation of the Iowa RFS Coalition. In a letter to the President, also copied to both Iowa Senators and
January 24, 2013 Read Full Article
RFA Urges CARB to Revise Carbon Intensity Values under the LCFS
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Renewable Fuels Association is urging the California Air Resources Board to revise indirect land use change (ILUC) penalties assigned to certain biofuels under the state’s low carbon fuel standard (LCFS). In a letter RFA President
January 24, 2013 Read Full Article
Knocking $40 Per Ton out of Biomass Costs, the Green Way
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In Maryland, The Wildlife Society released a Technical Review, “Effects of Bioenergy Production on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat,” to provide answers to questions on bioenergy development and wildlife so that site managers might better predict
January 24, 2013 Read Full Article
Coalition Urges New Farm Bill for Energy
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The Agriculture Energy Coalition (AgEC) today urged Congress to begin work on a new five-year Farm Bill with strong mandatory funding for energy programs. The coalition notes that programs included in the farm bill Energy Title including
January 23, 2013 Read Full Article
American Farm Bureau Supports RFS
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Delegates for the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) last week voted overwhelmingly to support continuation of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), despite the fact that membership in the organization includes a substantial percentage of livestock producers. “The
January 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Europe Needs Stable Legal Framework for Biofuels to Prosper: Neste
by Sean Bartlett (Platts) Europe needs a stable legal framework if biofuels research and development is to prosper, Neste Oil's Executive Vice President, Oil Products, Matti Lehmus, said at a conference Monday. A proposal in October by the European Commission to cap
January 23, 2013 Read Full Article
In Inaugural Address, Obama Makes a Moral Case for Action on Climate Change
by Juliet Eilperin (The Washington Post) ...But in his remarks Monday after taking the oath of office, Obama chose to make a moral case — rather than an economic or national security one — for taking action. “We will respond to the
January 23, 2013 Read Full Article
LS9: Hail and Farewell
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) One of biofuels’ most-celebrated technologies falters; the struggle to raise capital claims a high-profile victim. ...The company had been known for its awesomely promising technology, leisurely pace towards commercialization compared to synth-bio companies like Amyris, brutal
January 23, 2013 Read Full Article
The Oilcane Boom
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Though building capacity globally, Solazyme’s operations in Brazil are getting traction fast – and raised $235M last week. How much oil could be produced in Brazil via sugar-munching microalgae? Today, the Digest looks at
January 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Powering the Future
by Tom Buis (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...As automakers look forward to meet the increasing fuel efficiency standards, one thing is for sure—cars will be very different from the ones that I grew up with. We have already seen many
January 18, 2013 Read Full Article
End All Trade Barriers
by Bob Dinneen (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Renewable Fuels Association) ...While the U.S. ethanol industry historically only exported a small amount of its product every year, that all changed in 2009 when improving industry economics led to the U.S. ethanol industry becoming
January 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Optimistic Bearing: Staying Bullish on Ethanol Even in the Trough of Negative Margins.
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol might experience strong headwinds in 2013 but four marketers still see good things ahead. ...(Josh) Bailey (vice president of marketing and trading for Eco-Energy Inc.) is also bullish on the future for the global ethanol
January 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Domestic Biodiesel versus Brazilian Ethanol Revisited
by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (University of Illinois/Farm Doc Daily) In a post on January 10, 2013 we examined the relative profitability of meeting the RFS for advanced biofuels with domestically produced biodiesel and imported Brazilian ethanol. We concluded that even
January 18, 2013 Read Full Article
If You Have the Stones: The Ethanol Blend Wall, Revisited
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Ah, that was a time when leaders had the stones to set difficult targets and stick to them, preferring to bet on American know-how than organize the sounding of the retreat. “We choose to go
January 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Choice at the Pump E15 Is Currently Cleared for Sale in a Handful of States, with Work Ongoing to Bring It to the Rest of the U.S.
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Scott Zaremba, owner of Zarco 66 convenience stores, didn’t just open the first E15 retail pump in the nation. Not long after offering 15 percent ethanol at the first station in Lawrence, Kan., he expanded
January 17, 2013 Read Full Article
Breaking the Oil Monopoly With Renewable Fuel
(AOL Energy/Fuels America Coalition) The oil industry has taken aim at the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in a self-interested bid to retain dominance over America's transportation fuel sector. Our dependence on oil is stifling consumer choice and jeopardizing our national
January 16, 2013 Read Full Article
American Petroleum Institute: Clean Fuels Standard “Unworkable”; RFA Chief Says “Nuts”.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) During a media conference call today, the American Petroleum Institute (API) called the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) “unworkable” and stated that they would “like to see complete repeal of the RFS.” Bob Dinneen, President and CEO
January 16, 2013 Read Full Article
Clean, Green Options Lacking as Airlines Seek Alternatives to Petroleum
by Amanda Peterka (Environment and Energy Daily/Greenwire) ...It takes a lot of petroleum to get an airplane going, and electrifying the fleet is not an option. So airlines are scrambling for cleaner, greener and cheaper fuels. "We would be fools not to
January 16, 2013 Read Full Article
Vilsack Ties Farm Bill to Biofuels, Will Serve Again as Ag Secretary
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says the future success of biofuels in this country is also tied to successfully getting a new five-year farm bill passed. Speaking to delegates of the American Farm Bureau Federation at
January 16, 2013 Read Full Article
Court Rules against Big Oil in Dispute over Ethanol Blend
(FuelFix) Despite protests from the oil industry, a federal appeals court on Tuesday refused to allow a challenge to an Environmental Protection Agency decision encouraging more ethanol to be blended into gasoline. The American Petroleum Institute, AAA and food producers, including
January 16, 2013 Read Full Article
A.I.M. Releases 2012 Year in Review
(Algae Industry Magazine) The year 2012 will go down in history as a turning point for the algae industry. It was the year that algae biofuel became a heated part of the political arena, from President Obama’s touting of algae’s
January 16, 2013 Read Full Article
Letter to the Editor — RFA Responds to “Ethanol Scam Driving Up Food Prices”
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) ... In his column, “Ethanol Scam Driving Up Food Prices,” (Tulsa World, January 11), Andrew P. Morriss presents his own opinions and his own facts. Contrary to Mr. Morriss, ethanol production doesn’t “drive up food
January 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Give Ethanol Critics "the Finger".... Join ACE's Grassroots Letter Writing Campaign
(American Coalition for Ethanol) Want to help fight the misinformation campaign against E15 blends that is being put out there by the American Automobile Association (AAA)? Do you want to help let people know how E15 blends can benefit consumers and
January 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuels: Between a Rock and a Green Place
by Kylie Schultz (The International) With the possibility of an oil crisis on the horizon, a scramble for renewable and sustainable energy sources is underway. In recent years, plant-based fuels known as biofuels have emerged as possible replacements for the non-renewable
January 15, 2013 Read Full Article
New Fuel Blend Creates Stir in Industry, Yakima Valley
by Phil Ferolito (Yakima Herald-Republic) A newly approved gasoline blend that contains more ethanol is causing a stir among automakers and fuel retailers, who say the industry isn’t ready for the change. They fear the new fuel will become an industry
January 14, 2013 Read Full Article
ACE Compares AAA's E15, Low-Octane Fuel Responses
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The American Coalition for Ethanol has reacted to the American Automobile Association’s criticism of E15 by comparing and contrasting the organization’s response to E15 with that of its response to the sale of 85 octane
January 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Bill Would Get Rid of Florida's Ethanol Mandate
by Troy Kinsey (BayNews9.com) ...Republican representative Matt Gaetz is filing a bill to do away with Florida’s ethanol mandate. ...“It's not the final solution to our energy needs, but it certainly can supplement our energy needs. If a choice is between
January 14, 2013 Read Full Article
The Market and Mother Nature
by Thomas Friedman (New York Times) Whenever I hear the word “cliff,” I am reminded of something that President Obama’s science adviser, John Holdren, used to say about how we need to respond to climate change because no one can
January 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Environmentalists Urge Obama to Block Keystone XL and Act on Climate Change
by Suzanne Goldenberg (The Guardian) After a strategy of 'climate silence' during president's first term, activist groups signal intent to be more vocal in next four years More than 70 environmental groups called on Barack Obama to take the lead on climate change on Monday,
January 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Pennsylvanians Angry about Plans to Ship Gas Overseas
by Alexandra Duszak (PublicIntegrity.org) When Pennsylvanians agreed to a massive increase in natural gas drilling in the state, they were told that the economic benefit would outweigh any potential risk to the environment. The drilling employs a controversial technology known as
January 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Colonialism and the Green Economy: Villagers Defy Pressure to Forfeit Farms for Carbon-Offset
by Daniel C Marotta and Jennifer Coute-Marotta (Truthout) All names are fictitious as sources requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Anonymity and people's requests that no pictures be taken were prerequisites for attaining interviews. No one wanted to go
January 14, 2013 Read Full Article
China Set for Renewable Energy Boom
(Eco-Business.com) ...In its study entitled, “China Renewable Energy” released this week, it said that there are three key drivers behind the continued interest in renewable energy in China: its increasing demand for electricity; reduction in use of coal for energy
January 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Legislation Crib Sheet
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ... Legislation can be hard to digest and so the law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy created a “crib” sheet, or alert, giving a brief overview of how the Act will impact current and future projects
January 12, 2013 Read Full Article
D.C.’s Clean-Energy Conundrum
by Paul Dickerson and Thomas Burton (Reuters/Mintz Levin) ...Clean technologies are likely to be the next great industry and economic success story. Whether that happens in the United States or not is up to us. ...Yet there is a clear role for
January 12, 2013 Read Full Article
The Political Implications of America's Oil & Gas Boom - James Kwak Interview
by James Stafford (OilPrice.com) ... To help us look at these issues and more we managed to speak with the well known economist James Kwak. James is an associate professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law. ...In the interview James
January 12, 2013 Read Full Article
U.S. Biodiesel Producers Gain from Tax Reinstatement , RIN Integrity Programs
by Janet McGurty (Biofuels Digest) ...Larger producers of biodiesel like Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland get a higher price for their RINs than the producers with smaller balance sheets. For producers outside of the largest, integrated tier, RINs can fetch
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
The Biggest Biofuels Myths, DeMythtefied
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) When headlines run dire, ask yourself: are they real? In today’s Digest, we give you a guide to managing the myth minefield — and the roaring trade in disinformation about biofuels, feedstocks, and social
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Don’t Believe Everything You Read. Fact check on NYT’s Guatemala Corn/Ethanol Story
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Here is a fact check of the January 6th New York Times article “As Biofuel Demand Grows, So Do Guatemala’s Hunger Pangs” by Elisabeth Rosenthal: NYT: In the tiny tortillerias of this city, people complain ceaselessly
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Tax Credit Not Expected to Spread Alternative Fuels in Region
by Tom MacDonald (NewsWorks.org) ... Norm Woolley of Woolley Fuel Company in the North Jersey suburb of Maplewood has been pumping the alternative fuel for four years. He says most of the diesel he pumps now contains a mixture of 30
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
The Cellulosic Biofuels Tipping Point
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As cellulosic biofuels reach commercial-scale, is the tipping point for wide deployment near – and will it be based on breakthroughs in capex, opex or yield? Actually, it may be feedstock costs, in the end. ...What
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
How The Fiscal Cliff Bill Might Void Your Car's Warranty
by Pete Bigelow (AOL Autos) Legislation could widen use of E15 fuel blend, which automakers say can corrode your engine Thanks to the fiscal cliff bill signed into law last week, a blend of fuel that contains more ethanol could soon
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Maine DEP Working on Plan to Ban Gas Blends with More than 10 Percent Ethanol
by Matthew Stone (Bangor Daily News) The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is preparing to wade into a national debate surrounding gasoline blends made up of more than 10 percent ethanol. The state agency is at work on a bill
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Does the Biodiesel Tax Credit Change the Advanced Biofuels Landscape?
(FarmDocDaily) ...The RFS for 2013 is expected to require a minimum blending of 1.28 billion gallons of biodiesel and 2.75 billion gallons of all advanced biofuels. The difference between the minimum biodiesel requirement and the minimum total requirement is referred
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Sustainability Trends to Watch for in 2013
by Pat Lorentz (Shelton Group) It’s a new year! So after you’ve headed to the gym, put down your smokes, taken up a new hobby and willed yourself to stick to your resolutions for a few days, take a look
January 04, 2013 Read Full Article
5 Biofuels Trends for 2013
by Mackinnon Lawrence (Biofuels Digest/Pike Research) ...The Retreat of Oil Majors ... Trend: Oil Majors double down on “Golden Age of Gas” while narrowing investments across the advanced biofuel space. ... Mind the Gap ... Trend: Although installed biorefinery production capacity is expected
January 04, 2013 Read Full Article
Study Shows Policy, Not Economy, Drives Future Carbon Reductions
(Center for Climate Strategies) Existing Local, State, and Federal Policies — Not Cheap Natural Gas or Economic Downturn — Identified As Largest Driver Behind Declining Carbon Emissions Projections 20 New Federal, State, and Local Actions Also Identified to Advance Jobs, Energy,
January 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Driving Algae Sustainability
by Mary Rosenthal (Biomass Magazine) Just a few weeks ago, the National Research Council released its report on the sustainability of biofuels derived from algae, affirming the potential of our industry to meet global fuel challenges in a sustainable manner. The
January 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels USA Volunteer Posts Fossil Fuel Subsidies Petition --- Add Your Voice
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Bradley Frieze, a student at Hood College in Frederick, MD and Advanced Biofuels USA volunteer has posted a petition to stop funding of oil subsidies. The petition is on MoveOn's SignOn web site. At Advanced
January 03, 2013 Read Full Article
The Force: The Cellulosic Biofuels Tax Credit Is Back, but Is It Really Needed?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Finding it hard to explain to taxpayers why the PTC is needed, for the jump to cellulosic biofuels lightspeed, or to ward off predatory fossil-fuel evildoers? ...So, although the “fiscal cliff” tax rate deal didn’t directly
January 03, 2013 Read Full Article
API Mounts Another Attack on RFS, Ethanol Industry Fights Back
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Less than two weeks after the U.S. EPA denied the request to waive the renewable fuel standard (RFS), the American Petroleum Institute is calling on Congress to repeal it. During a press call Nov. 27, Bob Greco, API
January 02, 2013 Read Full Article
G20 Fails as Fossil Fuel Subsidies Exceed Half a Trillion Dollars
(Global Renewable Fuels Alliance/Biodiesel Magazine) ...Global Renewable Fuels Alliance criticized G20 leaders for failing to hold up their commitment to phase out the costly fossil fuel subsidies that hurt developing economies and slow the development of alternative fuels. According to
January 02, 2013 Read Full Article
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