California – Advanced BioFuels USA

Biofuel Retailers Have What It Takes

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Mike Lewis co-founded Pearson Fuels in 2003 as an “alternative fuels” station in San Diego, California. Today, Pearson Fuels is the largest distributor of E85 in California, supplying over 140 locations and about 76% of the market. Receiving the Paul Dana Marketing Vision Award at the American Coalition

August 23, 2019 Read Full Article

Oh My Neste MY: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Neste’s Renewable Diesel

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Neste’s MY renewable diesel is the best part of ‘diesel molecules’ and diesel specs, according to Neste. Check out this presentation by Dirk Vaughn, Head of Renewable Diesel Sales North America for Neste given at ABLC 2019 in Washington, D.C.to get the details on how

August 21, 2019 Read Full Article

How Floating Solar Farms Could Make Fuel and Help Solve the Climate Crisis

by Denise Chow (NBC News) “Solar methanol islands” could curb our reliance on fossil fuels that belch harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. — Huge solar farms floating in the ocean could be used to convert carbon dioxide in seawater into methanol, a fuel that can power airplanes, trucks and other long-haul

August 16, 2019 Read Full Article

California Clears Final Hurdle for Underground Storage of Biodiesel Blends

(Biofuels International) The state of California in the US has approved the storage of biodiesel blends of up to 20% (B20) in underground storage tanks, removing the final barrier to ensuring the state has access to sufficient volumes of the biofuel. The campaign began over 10 years ago, with the

August 15, 2019 Read Full Article

How to Fix the Ethanol Industry

by Robert Rapier (Forbes) …In this model, the entities that control the model are the same as those that benefit from it: The Midwestern states that produce essentially all of the nation’s ethanol. The key goal here is to get the federal government out of the position of strongly impacting the market for

August 15, 2019 Read Full Article

SoCalGas and Electrochaea Announce Commissioning of New Biomethanation Reactor System Pilot Project

(Southern California Gas Co./PR Newswire) Innovative project with U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory converts renewable electricity into renewable methane for storage in existing natural gas pipelines — Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and Electrochaea today announced the commissioning of the nation’s first scalable biomethanation reactor system at the U.S. Department of

August 15, 2019 Read Full Article

No Carbon Left Behind: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaTech

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) LanzaTech has produced 5.5 million gallons of ethanol since start up and has compelling project economics to back it up. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech gave this ‘Carbon Smart’ overview of how LanzaTech is recycling carbon from industrial off gas biomass and MSW syngas and

August 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Aemetis Cuts Carbon Score of Keyes Ethanol Plant

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Aemetis Inc. released second quarter 2019 financial results Aug. 8. The company reported strong growth for its biodiesel business in India, outlined improvement projects underway at its corn ethanol plant, and discussed planned renewable natural gas (RNG) and cellulosic ethanol production. During an earnings call,

August 14, 2019 Read Full Article

33 Million Reasons Why Your Garbage Is Worth More than You Think: Breakthrough, Cox et al Investing, Accelerating Sierra Energy in Waste-to-X Race

(Hydrogen Digest) … In 2015, we reported that the Defense Logistics Agency awarded Sierra Energy a $100,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant $100,000 grant to further explore the production of hydrogen fuel from waste. Sierra Energy’s patented FastOx gasifier converts waste into an energy-dense gas with high hydrogen content. The system’s

August 14, 2019 Read Full Article

RNG Continues to Move Passengers on the Big Blue Bus, LAX

(Clean Energy Fuels Corp/Biomass Magazine) The demand for clean, cost-effective renewable natural gas (RNG) as a transportation fuel continues to rise. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. announced it has inked contracts to provide its Redeem renewable natural gas (RNG) to power fleets across multiple sectors that include transit, trucking, airports, solid waste and service

August 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Golden Grain Receives LCFS Certification for Cellulosic Ethanol Production

(Biofuels International) The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has approved Golden Grain Energy for cellulosic ethanol production from corn kernel fibre, according to biotechnology company Edeniq, which has supplied the technology for production. Golden Grain operates a corn ethanol plant in Mason City, Iowa, which has a capacity of 120

August 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Just Drop It in!: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Gevo’s Drop-in Hydrocarbons

by Jim Lane (Biofuhttp://radar.weather.gov/radar_lite.php?product=NCR&rid=LWX&loop=yesels Digest) Gevo produces and sells low-carbon, renewable, high-performance fuel products. From ethanol to isobutanol, jet fuel, isooctane, oxygenate blendstocks, and more, Gevo is on a mission to replace fossil based products and decarbonize products for large markets. Tim Cesarek, Executive VP and COO of Gevo gave this

August 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Managing LCFS Credits and Risk in Uncertain Times

by Michael Newman (Parhelion Underwriting Inc./Biofuels Digest) Trading in the climate finance market – the systems designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – sometimes create areas of uncertainty. The risk of invalidation of credits worry market participants – but insurance risk capital can be used to mitigate these concerns and in

August 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Trump Administration Moves to Finalize Weakening of Car Efficiency Standards: The White Houes’s Rule Would Cost the Economy $400 Billion by Midcentury, According to a New Analysis from Energy Innovation.

(GreenTechMedia) An analysis published Wednesday by clean energy advocacy group Energy Innovation found that if the administration does eliminate California’s waiver, costs from the rule change would total $400 billion in 2018 dollars by 2050. By 2035, Energy Innovation projects that transportation emissions will be at least 10 percent higher than

August 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Stanford Researchers Create Hydrogen Fuel from Seawater

by Erin I. Garcia de Jesus (Stanford University News Service) Splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen presents an alternative to fossil fuels, but purified water is a precious resource. A Stanford-led team has now developed a way to harness seawater – Earth’s most abundant source – for chemical energy. — Stanford researchers have

August 7, 2019 Read Full Article

8th Annual LCFS & Carbon Markets Workshop — December 4-6, 2019 — San Francisco, CA

Mark your calendar and plan to join us for the LCFS & Carbon Markets Workshop on December 4-6, 2019 in San Francisco. You’ll get the latest key insights and rulemaking updates surrounding the LCFS and cap-and-trade programs, including the West Coast. OPIS’s LCFS & Carbon Markets Workshop is the only

August 6, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA’s Final SAFE Vehicles Rule under OMB Review

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA submitted its final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks to the White House Office of Management and Budget on Aug. 2. OMB review marks a final stage before the public release of the

August 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Supercomputing Improves Biomass Fuel Conversion

by Holly Ober (Univesity of California Riverside News) Researchers combine supercomputing with nano-imaging to reveal how to efficiently break down plant biomass and transform it into transportation fuels — … In order to access the energy-rich sugars found in the plant cell walls, researchers have renewed focus on solvating lignin, a

August 5, 2019 Read Full Article

States Sue Trump Administration for Reduced Penalties on Fuel Efficiency

by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) Thirteen states filed suit against the Trump administration Friday, arguing it was breaking the law by cutting penalties for automakers that do not meet Obama-era fuel efficiency standards. The suit, led by California’s and New York’s attorneys general, goes after a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) rule that

August 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Advisory Committee Meeting and Public Workshop for the Clean Transportation Program — August 5, 2019 — various locations

The Presiding Member of the Clean Transportation Policy Committee and staff of the California Energy Commission will conduct a public meeting of the Advisory Committee for the Clean Transportation Program (also known as the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program). Staff will present an overview of proposed allocations

August 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Could Renewable Natural Gas Be the Next Big Thing in Green Energy?

by Jonathan Mingle (Yale Environment 360) For decades, small-scale biogas systems have collected methane from landfills, sewage plants, and farms. Now, in Europe and the U.S., the growth of this renewable form of natural gas is taking off as businesses capture large amounts of methane from manure, food waste, and other

July 31, 2019 Read Full Article

SoCalGas and Calgren Announce Completion of Dairy Renewable Natural Gas Facility, Expected to be Largest in U.S.

(Southern California Gas Company/CISION) Calgren’s dairy biogas operation–first of its kind in California-captures methane from animal waste to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide pipeline quality renewable natural gas — Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today joined Calgren Dairy Fuels, and state and local elected officials to announce the completion of Calgren’s dairy renewable

July 31, 2019 Read Full Article

Wisconsin Project Will Create Enough Bio-CNG to Travel 1,270,000 Miles

(Brightmark Energy/NGV Journal) Brightmark Energy, a San Francisco-based waste and energy development company, has purchased an anaerobic digester northwest of Madison, Wisconsin that will convert 90,000 gallons per day of dairy waste from three local farms into biogas and other useful products. After planned installation of gas upgrade equipment is completed,

July 29, 2019 Read Full Article

RFA Extends Ethanol Invite as EPA Head Visits Oil Refinery

(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association has invited U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler to visit an ethanol plant as a follow-up to his tour of a Pennsylvania oil refinery. Wheeler was scheduled to visit Monroe Energy’s plant in Trainer, Penn., today at the invitation of Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA),

July 29, 2019 Read Full Article

Bill from U.S. Sens. Toomey, Feinstein Would Abolish Ethanol Mandate

by J.D. Prose (The Times) U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey is working to repeal the ethanol mandate with California Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The Restore Environmental Sustainability to Our Renewable Energy (RESTORE) Act would abolish the corn ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “The ill-conceived RFS forces American motorists

July 29, 2019 Read Full Article

EgyptAir Fuels Newest Boeing Dreamliner with Sustainable Aviation Fuel

(Biofuels International) Egypt’s national airline EgyptAir has fuelled its newest Boeing 787 Dreamliner with biofuel on the post-delivery return flight. The 787 Dreamliner, which was delivered under a lease agreement with AerCap, was fuelled with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) under a new Boeing programme that offers operators the option to use

July 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Major Automakers Strike Climate Deal with California, Rebuffing Trump on Proposed Mileage Freeze

by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The agreement could have vehicles hit 50 miles per gallon on average by 2026 — Four automakers from three continents have struck a deal with California to produce fleets that are more fuel-efficient in coming years, undercutting one of the Trump administration’s most aggressive climate policy

July 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Scoop: Fed to Host Its First Conference Dedicated to Climate Change

by Courtenay Brown (Axios) On Nov. 8, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco — seated in a place that has seen its share of catastrophes linked to global warming — will host what is believed to be the central bank’s first research conference specifically on climate change. Why it matters: Climate

July 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Airgas Opens Liquid Carbon Dioxide and Dry Ice Facility in Stockton, California

(Airgas) Airgas, an Air Liquide company and a leading U.S. supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, and related products, announces the grand opening of its new liquid carbon dioxide and dry ice facility in Stockton, California. The facility, which was engineered to have minimal environmental impact, is a zero runoff/discharge

July 23, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. Public-Private Cooperation Funds Biogas Production & Upgrading

(Xebec/NGV Journal) Xebec Adsorption Inc. announced its inclusion in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) US$24 million commitment to a public-private collaboration funding 77 energy technology projects. One of these initiatives includes the collaboration of Xebec, Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) and a California treatment facility, and is being conducted through Lawrence

July 22, 2019 Read Full Article

Eco-Friendly Biofuels Made from Food Waste Could Cut ‘Flight Shame’ among Air Travelers

by Jeremy Deaton (NBC News) “Biofuels are what’s going to save us when it comes to aviation.” — … The airline industry has expressed concern that flight shame will put a dent in their bottom line, and they are taking steps to use less fuel — packing more passengers into fewer flights,

July 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Designer Proteins: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Arzeda

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Proteins are molecular machines that carry out the vast majority of functions within living things and Arzeda’s unique combination of computational protein design and state-of-the-art high-throughput screening is a radical change over what’s possible with traditional protein engineering. Alexandre Zanghellini, CEO, Arzeda gave this illuminating overview

July 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Public-Private Partnership Works on ‘Economical’ Biomethane Production

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Xebec Adsorption Inc. is working with federal research facility Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) and a California treatment facility on a research project to improve biomethane production. The project received $500,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which awarded a

July 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Diesel Technology Forum Responds to House Select Committee Hearing on the Climate Crisis, “Solving the Climate Crisis: Cleaning Up Heavy Duty Vehicles, Protecting Communities”

(Diesel Technology Forum) The new generation of diesel technology is helping ports, cities, communities and entire nations meet climate and clean air challenges of today and tomorrow, according to a statement submitted today by the Diesel Technology Forum, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of diesel engines, fuel and the

July 16, 2019 Read Full Article

San Joaquin County Biodiesel Firm Sentenced To Probation, Fines For Clean Water Act Violations

(U.S. Department of Justice) On July 8, 2019, United States District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller sentenced the corporation known as American Biodiesel, Inc. for violations of the Clean Water Act, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. American Biodiesel, Inc., registered in San Joaquin County as Community Fuels, manufactured biodiesel fuel

July 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Carbon-Negative Fuels Come Clearer, Closer with Oberon’s Leap to Demo Scale

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From California comes news that Oberon Fuels has been officially awarded a grant for $2,876,139 from the California Energy Commission (CEC) for a first-of-its-kind, multi-phase project to produce the first renewable dimethyl ether (rDME), with what could arguably be the most carbon-negative transport fuel ever produced

July 16, 2019 Read Full Article

A ‘Volcano’ of Oil Is Flowing in the Gulf – and This Ex-Fisherman Is Trying to Contain It

by Darrly Fears (Stars and Stripes) … A hole as wide as a basketball court had opened on the sea floor and thousands of gallons of Louisiana sweet crude gushed through. Amberjack, a popular sport fish, meandered through millions of toxic oil bubbles rising through the dark water. “We saw a

July 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Trump Administration Suspends Obama-Era Fuel Efficiency Penalties

by Jessica Campisi (The Hill) The Trump administration announced late Friday that it will formally suspend an Obama-era regulation that penalized automakers that didn’t meet fuel-efficiency requirements, Reuters reports. After Congress ordered federal agencies to adjust existing penalties in 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued rules that more than

July 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Stating Carbon Fuel Standards: BIO World Congress Eyes Taking Low-Carbon Fuel Standards Beyond California

by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) The uncertainty of the federal Renewable Fuels Standard and political fights with the petroleum industry are giving more weight to the need for major biofuel states to consider their own low-carbon fuel standards. After years of pushing for a federal low-carbon fuels standard, the

July 11, 2019 Read Full Article

Vertimass Completes First Technology License To Alliance BioEnergy Plus Inc.

(Vertimass/Oil&Gas 360) Vertimass’ ethanol to renewable chemicals and jet fuel offers ethanol producers new product capabilities — Vertimass completed its first technology license agreement with Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc. in West Palm Beach, Florida, to produce renewable jet fuel along with Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylenes (BTEX). Vertimass’ technology allows sustainable production of

July 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Greenbelt Resources and New Age Renewable Energy Team Up for Joint Project Sales Collaboration

(Greenbelt Resources/Globe Newswire) The dairy processing industry may have just gotten a boost to its bottom line from a collaboration between two small but accomplished innovators in cleantech. Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC: GRCO) (Greenbelt), the developer of an award winning sustainable ECOsystem model that transforms food, beverage and agricultural industry wastes into revenue

July 3, 2019 Read Full Article

SoCalGas Partners Develop RNG and Hydrogen Conversion Technology

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) … Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas), in collaboration with a number of partners, held a public exhibition of projects to help California achieve greenhouse-gas (GHG) emission reductions. The California utility held the event at the San Diego State University Center for Energy Sustainability in Brawley, Calif.

July 2, 2019 Read Full Article

How Low Can You Go with Carbon?: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Aemetis

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aemetis is an international renewable fuels and biochemicals company using patented industrial biotechnology for the construction and operation of advanced biorefineries. They own and operate a 60+ million gallon ethanol plant in California, a 50 million gallon capacity Biodiesel and Glycerin refinery in India, they are building

July 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Argus Biofuels & Carbon Markets Summit — October 21-23, 2019 — Napa Valley, CA

North America’s leading biofuels, carbon and LCFS event — Join senior market participants to get clarity on the path forward to zero emissions in the North American biofuels and carbon market. Now on its 7th year, the Argus Biofuels and Carbon Markets Summit is the must-attend industry event of the year,

June 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Renewable Gas 360 (formerly Rethink Methane) — January 22-23, 2020 — Sacramento, CA

High in Benefits, Low in Emissions. Join us for Renewable Gas 360 (formerly Rethink Methane), a leadership summit aimed at fostering a circular energy economy that enables California to immediately and cost effectively: Reduce Short Lived Climate Pollutants & Greenhouse Gases Manage Overburdened Landfills Mitigate the Leading Source of Urban Air

June 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Turning the Switch on Biofuels

by Anne M Stark (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Plant cell walls contain a renewable, nearly limitless supply of sugar that can be used in the production of chemicals and biofuels. However, retrieving these sugars isn’t all that easy. … Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists and collaborators at the Joint BioEnergy Institute have identified

June 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Trump Officials Face off on Car Rule: King, Nichols Headline Auto Rule Hearing

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

NACSAA Delegates to Global Climate Talks Stress Climate Smart Agriculture in Face of Severe Weather Events

(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

Senator Amy Klobuchar Releases Plan of More Than 100 Actions for Her First 100 Days as President

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

Could the RFS Move Toward a Low Carbon Program Like LCFS?

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

Amazing Algaculture: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to MicroBio Engineering

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) MicroBio Engineering works on facility designs, algae equipment, R&D, engineering consulting, techno-economic analyses, LCAs and wastewater treatment. Their focus on algaculture, specifically microalgae cultivation, is what the focus of this presentation is on. John Benemann, CEO and Tryg Lundquist, CTO, both of MicroBio Engineering, gave this

June 18, 2019 Read Full Article

California Project to Test Renewable Dimethyl Ether as Transportation Fuel

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Oberon Fuels, a California-based producer of dimethyl ether (DME), has been awarded a $2.88 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) for a multi-phase project to produce renewable DME as a low-carbon transportation fuel in the U.S. According to the company, the project unlocks the

June 18, 2019 Read Full Article

4 Key Bioenergy Technologies: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to SoCalGas

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

ANA and LanzaTech Sign Offtake Agreement for Sustainable Aviation Fuel

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

Biomanufacturing 2.0 Cell-Free: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Invizyne Technologies

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Invizyne Technologies is making chemicals the cell-free way using synthetic biology and metabolic engineering. By inputting sugar and using engineered microbes, they can result in useful compounds and commodity chemicals, biofuels, fuel additives, fragrances, and pharmaceuticals. James Bowie from UCLA/Invizyne Technologies offered this illuminating presentation on

June 13, 2019 Read Full Article

World Environment Day: Strong Economies Drive Clean Environments

(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

EPA’s Internal Advisory Board Recommends Investigating Science behind Auto Emission Rollback

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

All I Need Is the Air that I Breathe: The Search for Better Sources for Octane and Better Uses for Aromatics

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

Daily on Energy: Inslee Sees a Place for Corn in Plan to Scrap EPA’s Ethanol Mandate

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

Opinion: Presidential Candidates Need a Vision for Biofuels

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

The Policy Enabling Environment for Climate Smart Agriculture: A Case Study of California

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

Study Finds Ethanol Blends Reduce GDI Tailpipe PM

(Green Car Congress) A new study finds that ethanol blends reduce particulate matter (PM) coming out of the tailpipe, which in turn reduces overall toxic emissions. The study was conducted by the University of California Riverside and the University of Wisconsin, Madison and commissioned by the Urban Air Initiative. It was published in

June 7, 2019 Read Full Article

ANALYSIS: Will Others Follow United’s Embrace of Biofuels?

by Edward Russell (Flight Global) United Airlines wants to be the commercial aviation leader on sustainability, pushing forward on everything from regular use of biofuels to various onboard initiatives. — The Chicago-based carrier recently renewed a two-year biofuel supply contract with World Energy, while simultaneously working to reduce waste onboard aircraft including

June 7, 2019 Read Full Article

Top Automakers Warn Trump about Plan to Rollback Emissions Standards

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

United’s June 5 ‘Flight for the Planet’ Fueled with Biofuel Blend

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) United Airlines made history June 5 with the departure of the Flight for the Planet, the most eco-friendly commercial flight of its kind in the history of aviation. The flight was fueled with biofuel and featured zero carbon waste efforts, carbon offsetting and operational efficiencies. United

June 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Algal Genomics: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Joint Genome Institute

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Joint Genome Institute’s mission is to advance genomics in support of the U.S. Department of Energy missions related to clean energy generation and environmental characterization and cleanup. Supported by the DOE Office of Science, the JGI unites the expertise at Berkeley Lab, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,

June 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Of Impossibles and Whoppers: Notes from the Planet Synthetica

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s been a stream of good news and bad news on the “made in a lab” front in recent weeks. First, the amazing news that Impossible Foods raised a $300 million in its Series E round was led by existing investors Temasek and Horizons Ventures. The fifth

June 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Tesoro Fined $1.36 million for Low Carbon Fuel Standard Violations

(California Air Resources Board) Company misreported 1.9 billion gallons of fuel — The California Air Resources Board today (May 30, 2019) announced a $1.36 million settlement with Tesoro Refining & Marketing, LLC for violating the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The LCFS requires that regulated fuel producers report the carbon generated

June 3, 2019 Read Full Article

The Energy 202: Green New Deal Is Alive and Well in Liberal Cities and States

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

Strategy for Growth: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Pacific Ethanol

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

SfL’s Kawamura: Agriculture Key to Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

(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

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due…Certifications and the Bioeconomy

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

Aemetis Q1 Milestones Include Entry into Biomethane Business

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In California, Aemetis highlighted the strong growth going on at their India plant, increased profit margins from plant upgrades related to the Keyes biorefinery, funding for the Aemetis biogas dairy digester and pipeline project, and deployment of the patented Lanzatech cellulosic ethanol technology at the Riverbank

May 28, 2019 Read Full Article

EERE’s SBIR Selects Bioenergy Phase I Innovation Projects

(U.S. Department of Energy) American small businesses got nearly a $22 million boost from the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Small businesses are receiving Phase I Release 2 grants (from each EERE office) that demonstrate technical feasibility for innovations during

May 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Hemp Oil Processor Wants to Buy Former Biodiesel Plant

by Terrie Schmidt-Crosby (The Odessa Record) The Odessa Public Development Authority, at its public meeting held Monday evening in the hospital’s Guild Room, voted to accept a bid for the shuttered former biodiesel plant on Railroad Avenue in Odessa from an investment group with the name of Hemp Tech Consulting, Inc.

May 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Scientists Want to Limit Climate Change by Releasing More CO2 — Converting Methane to Carbon Dioxide Could Help.

by Ula Chrobak (Popular Science) … In a surprising and counterintuitive proposal published Monday in the journal Nature Sustainability, Stanford University scientists argue that we can limit warming by chemically converting methane to carbon dioxide. “Our paper is a call to view methane removal as an opportunity,” says Rob Jackson, the study’s lead author.

May 24, 2019 Read Full Article

US Market Report: Biofuels Driving Fats Demand while Proteins Go Abroad

by Kent Swisher (Render Magazine) … Despite domestic consumption of rendered products being steady over the last 5 years, increasing an average of 1 percent, consumption in 2018 was down 1.3 percent to almost 8.5 million metric tons. Last year, total animal fats use in the United States for biodiesel/renewable fuel production was 1.4

May 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Why Carbon Credits for Forest Preservation May Be Worse than Nothing–An (Even More) Inconvenient Truth

by Lisa Song, with additional reporting by Paula Moura (Pro Publica) … If the carbon in these trees could be quantified, then Acre could sell credits to polluters emitting clouds of CO₂. Whatever they release theoretically would be offset, or canceled out, by the rainforest. … The state (California) is the

May 23, 2019 Read Full Article

United Airlines Commits to More Biofuel

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) United Airlines has renewed a biofuel contract with Boston-based World Energy. Under the contract, the airline has agreed to purchase up to 10 million gallons of aviation biofuel over the next two years. The biofuel, which United currently uses to help sustainably power every flight departing its

May 23, 2019 Read Full Article

Biomethane Becoming the Hallmark Renewable Transportation Fuel

by Daniel Gage (ACT News/NGV America) In 2018, renewable natural gas (RNG) on-road fuel use reached an historic high. Of the 645 million gasoline gallon equivalent of natural gas used as a motor fuel last year, more than 204 million gasoline gallon equivalent was renewable—equating to 32%. [1] In states with a Low Carbon

May 23, 2019 Read Full Article

Pathways Await Priority:The U.S. EPA Hasn’t Issued a New Pathway Approval in over a Year, but Technology Providers for Corn Kernel Fiber-to-Cellulosic Ethanol Remain Optimistic.

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Pathway approvals by the U.S. EPA came to a screeching halt in 2018, putting the expansion of corn kernel fiber cellulosic ethanol in limbo. The EPA Part 80 Fuels Program List shows no new registrations for plants approved for D3 renewable identification number (RIN)

May 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Development of Novel Processes for the Aqueous Extraction of Natural Rubber from Taraxacum kok‐saghyz (TK)

by David A Ramirez‐Cadavid, Katrina Cornish, Upul Hathwaik, Robert Kozak, Colleen McMahan and Frederick C Michel Jr. (Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology) Taraxacum kok‐saghyz (TK) is a rubber‐producing plant being developed as a commercial alternative source of natural rubber (NR). The objective of this study was to investigate processes to extract

May 21, 2019 Read Full Article

CARB Touts Success of California’s Clean Fuels Rule

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) According to 2018 data from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), nearly 3.3 billion gallons of petroleum diesel have been displaced by clean, low-carbon alternatives in the state. CARB says its data underscores that the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) continues to drive the production of a growing

May 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Taxes and Bans: That Was the Threat California’s Top Air Regulator Leveled

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Taxes and Bans: That was the threat California’s top air regulator leveled Thursday in the ongoing war over the future of the state’s aggressive auto efficiency rules. The Trump administration is seeking to dramatically roll back Obama-era greenhouse gas standards for vehicles, but California

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

California Energy Commission Awards Nearly $11M to Support Biofuels, Renewable Gas and Microgrids

(Green Car Congress) The California Energy Commission approved nearly $11 million for clean energy demonstration projects, including biofuels, renewable gas, and microgrids. The Energy Commission approved a $2-million grant to Technology & Investment Solutions to demonstrate a more sustainable and cost-effective process of creating biomethane from food waste at an existing anaerobic

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Breakthrough Technique for Studying Gene Expression Takes Root in Plants

(U.S. Department of Energy/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/EurekAlert!) Berkeley Lab scientists adapt open-source genetic analysis method for use in plant cells for the first time — An open-source RNA analysis platform has been successfully used on plant cells for the first time – a breakthrough that could herald a new era of fundamental

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Keyes Celebrates Renewable Diesel Station

by Angelina Martin (Turlock Journal) The journey to cleaner emissions in the San Joaquin Valley reached a major milestone on Tuesday morning in Keyes, as the small community joined the growing number of roadside stops in California providing passing fleet drivers with the choice to fill up with renewable diesel fuel.