by Erin Schilling (Bloomberg Tax) The IRS needs more authority to properly evaluate—and deny, if necessary—biofuel tax credit claims, an agency watchdog said in a new report. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration evaluated biofuel tax claims and found 42 of the
biofuel tax credit
Back TO HOMEOpinion: Ethanol Tax Credits Could Ease Pain at the Pump and Help Climate, Too
by Lindsay Keiser (Detroit News) With prices at the pump almost $1 per gallon higher than they were around this time last year, it’s good to see the Michigan Senate has an opportunity to consider green and often cheaper alternatives: biofuels. Sen. Kevin Daley, R-Lum, chair
February 28, 2022 Read Full Article
MO House Ag Committee Hears Favorable Testimonies for Biofuel Tax Credits
by Will Robinson (Brownfield Ag News) Several Missouri ag groups spoke in favor of reinstating Missouri Agriculture and Small Business Development Authority tax credits at the recent Missouri House Ag Committee hearing, citing benefits to biofuels. MASBDA’s sponsor, Representative Brad Pollitt, testified
January 13, 2022 Read Full Article
Sustainable Jet Fuel Incentives Make Wish List for Spending Bill
by Lillianna Byington (Bloomberg Government) Lawmakers and industry are pushing for incentives to make flying greener as part of a $3.5 trillion tax and spending bill. Democrats, who are prioritizing environmental projects in budget negotiations, say they see support for provisions such
September 06, 2021 Read Full Article
Klobuchar, Colleagues Urge Schumer, Pelosi to Support Homegrown Renewable Fuels in Reconciliation Package
(Office of Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)) U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representatives Cindy Axne (D-IA), Angie Craig (D-MN), Cheri Bustos (D-IL), and Mark Pocan (D-WI) sent a letter
September 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Rep. Axne Proposes Bipartisan Tax Credit to Expand Use of Low-Carbon Renewable Fuels, Incentivize Higher Blends of Biofuel
(Office of Rep. Cindy Axne (R-IA-03) The Low Carbon Biofuel Credit Act was introduced today with Rep. Adrian Smith, Senators Klobuchar and Thune -- Today, Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to expand the use of low-carbon renewable
July 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Biofuel Groups Urge Congress to Extend Tax Biofuel Credits
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Advanced Biofuels Business Council, Algae Biomass Organization, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Growth Energy, National Biodiesel Board and Renewable Fuels Association sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee on June 19 expressing support
June 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Lawmakers Discuss Bill to Encourage Investment in Bio-Based Manufacturing
by Paul Dwyer (WABI TV) Lawmakers discussed a bill Wednesday aimed at encouraging investment in bio-biased manufacturing to create jobs, bring more business into Maine, and help fight climate change. The bill, sponsored by Assistant House Majority Leader Ryan Fecteau, (D) Biddeford,
May 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Tax Reform Losers from Biofuels to Coal to Get Second Chance
by Ari Natter (Bloomberg) Billions in breaks for energy sought in ‘tax extenders’ bill; Lobbyists are seeking new credits for coal, nuclear plants -- Energy lobbyists, who failed to get a range of expired breaks for biofuels to coal-fired power plants into the
December 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Sundstop Fuel Retail Station in Clarence, IA Offers City's First E15 Site
(Biofuels Journal) When E10 first hit the market, Clarence, Iowa was one of five towns to introduce the new fuel at a local gas station. Nearly 40 years later, that same town is getting its first E15 refueling site. Sundstop, located at
April 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Judge and Grassley Face off in Iowa U.S. Senate Debate
by Shelby Shepherd (KWQC) An hour before Trump and Clinton battled it out in Las Vegas, Iowa’s U.S. senate candidates battled it out in the western part the state they are fighting for. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley has held his
October 21, 2016 Read Full Article
Tenacity Required to Secure Advanced Biofuels Future
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) Addressing climate continues to be one of the major reasons to support and develop advanced and cellulosic biofuels. -- Once again, we enter spring awaiting the U.S. EPA’s proposal for the renewable volumes obligations
April 21, 2016 Read Full Article
RFA Issues One-Pager to Correct Anti-Ethanol Rhetoric on the Presidential Campaign Trail
(Renewable Fuel Association) In response to the anti-ethanol rhetoric that has been dominating the presidential campaign in the run-up to the Iowa caucuses, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) sent a one-pager to media outlets to correct the misconceptions regarding ethanol
January 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Support, Opposition Grow Over Proposed Changes to Biodiesel Tax Credit
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On October 21, the Advanced Biofuels Association, along with the Petroleum Marketers Association and other retail fuel groups, expressed opposition to changing the biodiesel and renewable diesel blenders' tax credit. In July, the Senate Finance
October 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Producers Oppose Grassley Tax Credit Change: Amendment Could Hurt Consumers
(Advanced Biofuels Association) During the Senate Finance Committee’s July markup, Senator Charles Grassley offered an amendment, co-sponsored by Senator Maria Cantwell, which would extend the biodiesel and renewable diesel tax credit for two years. However, starting in 2016 it would
October 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Hawaii Gov. David Ige Plans to Veto Ethanol Tax Credit Bill
by Duane Shimogawa (Pacific Business News) Hawaii Gov. David Ige said that he intends to veto a bill passed by the State Legislature that would repeal the ethanol facility tax credit and establish a renewable fuels production tax credit. ... Ige reasoned
June 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Canola Growers Want Province to Push Biodiesel
by Jennifer Blair (Alberta Farmer Express) Effort would create more demand and help with reductions in greenhouse gases -- The new provincial government needs to walk the walk — not just talk the talk — on climate change, starting with better
April 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Answers for Your Questions about Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals, Bioproducts and Sustainable Agriculture.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Amazing questions get asked at ABLC — and except for attendees, you generally don’t hear them, or the answers. Let’s change that. With great sessions at conferences, delegates are usually keen to get a hold of
April 09, 2015 Read Full Article
U.S. Senate Passes Bill Temporarily Renewing Tax Breaks
by Kevin Drawbaugh (Reuters) Dozens of temporary tax breaks, including big ones for business research, wind power and foreign profits, were renewed by the U.S. Senate late on Tuesday, putting to rest worries that further delays in dealing with the
December 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Time Has Come Today
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The synergies between co-located ethanol and biodiesel production have been discussed for a decade. The existing infrastructure to share process essentials, an in-house feedstock in distillers corn oil (DCO), and use of ethanol rather than methanol for
June 17, 2014 Read Full Article
US Senate Finance Committee Advances Four Key Biofuels Tax Provisions
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Ron Wyden, released his “Chairman’s Mark” of the “Expiring Provisions Improvement Reform and Efficiency Act of 2014″ (EXPIRE Act). The Chairman’s Mark extends all expired advanced biofuels tax provisions 2 years
April 02, 2014 Read Full Article
House Tax Proposal Would Alter Biofuel, Bioenergy Tax Credits
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Feb. 26, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman David Camp, R-Mich., released draft legislation to reform federal tax code. The draft, titled the “Tax Reform Act of 2014,” would alter, and in some
February 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Bills to Extend Tax Credits Benefiting Biofuels Introduced
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Dec. 12, Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., introduced two bills that would benefit the biofuels industry. One, H.R., 3758, aims to extend the second generation biofuel producer credit and the special allowance for second
December 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Sen. Baucus Launches Major Senate Energy Tax Reform
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A new, technology-neutral tax credit for the domestic production of clean transportation fuel? Read on. In Washington, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) unveiled the latest package in a series of proposals to overhaul America’s
December 20, 2013 Read Full Article
$50B a Year in Budget ‘Savings’ Will Come from Expired Tax Breaks
By Jacqueline Klimas (The Washington Times) ... More than 50 tax incentives will expire on New Year's Eve — ranging from breaks on energy-efficient appliances to biofuel production to investments in businesses that serve low-income communities. Chuck Marr, director of federal tax policy at the Center on
December 16, 2013 Read Full Article
Stakeholders Urge Congress to Extend Biofuel Tax Policies
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) Tax provisions critical to the biofuel and biopower industries are set to expire at the end of the month—including the federal renewable energy production tax credit and cellulosic biofuel producer , biodiesel and renewable diesel
December 10, 2013 Read Full Article
Highlights from 2013 ABLC-Next; Hot Slides, Hot Perspectives, Parts I, II, III, IV and V
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As ABLC-Next concludes, here is the first installment in a review of the hottest slides, stories, intrigue and perspective from the Big Conversation amongst the bioeconomy’s elite. ... (see these slides and others here, here, here, here and here.) Kef Kasdin, CEO, Proterro Kasdin
October 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Congressional Efforts Needed to Secure Future
by Brian Kuehl (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Two tax provisions are critical to continued development of the U.S. cellulosic industry. First, the tax code currently provides a Second Generation Production Tax Credit that gives ethanol plants a tax credit of
September 25, 2013 Read Full Article
$100M Biodiesel Fraud in Indiana? E-Biofuels Ring Nabbed by Feds
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Indiana, federal officials are saying that a group of biodiesel operators associated with E-Biofuels stole nearly $100 million in a fraud scheme, and seven have been arrested in what has been described as the
September 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Freeze It - A Proposal for Implementing RFS2 through 2015
by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (FarmDocDaily) ...Here, we present a proposal for implementing the RFS2 through 2015 that recognizes the constraints implied by the E10 blend wall and will avert the impact of the issues identified in the previous
April 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Not Ready for Slime Time: Algae Present Challenges as Fuel Source
by Emily Pickrell (FuelFix) On Jan. 1, Congress made algae-based fuel production eligible for a $1.01-per-gallon cellulosic biofuel production federal tax credit. Cellulosic biofuels typically are made from woody, non-food material such as grasses or wood chips, in contrast to ethanol, which
April 08, 2013 Read Full Article
SE Asian Palm Oil Producers Target U.S. Biofuel Market
(The Star/Reuters) A blending tax credit for alternative fuels has helped re-open the way for shipments of palm biodiesel to the United States, giving top producers Indonesia and Malaysia an outlet for palm oil stocks at near-record levels. ...That overhang has
March 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Fuel Tax Credit Extensions Frequently Asked Questions
(Internal Revenue Service) The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-240) retroactively extends certain fuel tax credits that expired on Dec. 31, 2011. The retroactively extended fuel tax credits are the biodiesel mixture credit, biodiesel credit, alternative fuel
February 25, 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
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
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
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
A Busy Year for Alt Fuels, Thanks to Congress
by Anya Litvak (Pittsburgh Business Times) Rick Price is gearing up for a busy year, thanks, in part, to Congressional compromise. As executive director of Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities, a group that works to promote alternative transportation fuels, Price’s job was made a notch
January 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Tax Credits Are a Valuable Tool in the Biofuels Policy Toolbox
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/Biofuels Digest) It is not often I disagree or take issue withBiofuels Digest; however, the recent article and analysis on cellulosic tax credits left out some key points. There are a number of policy tools to help
January 07, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Tax Breaks to Help Later than Sooner
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) The extension of a $1.01 per gallon tax credit for cellulosic ethanol will help the fledgling industry later this year or in 2014 when plants now under construction in Iowa come on line, the
January 04, 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
US Congress Passes “Fiscal Cliff” Deal
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Four tax provisions were in the bill that directly impact biofuels. Cellulosic biofuels producer tax credit. ... The provision would extend this production tax credit for one additional year, for cellulosic biofuel produced through 2013. The proposal
January 02, 2013 Read Full Article
NAFA Urges Action To Restore Federal Tax Credits For Biodiesel And Alternative Fuels
(NAFA Fleet Management Association/Free-Press-Release-Center) Uncertainty surrounding a pair of alternative fuel incentives is impacting vehicle purchase decisions and fuel planning by many fleets. While the country is focused on the so-called "fiscal cliff", lost in the negotiations is an important extension
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
6 Treacherous Biofuels Crevasses, 6 Guides to Steer You
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Those momentum killers. Company wreckers. The investor flight-inducing crevasses along the route to the top – that take away a level playing field, remove your access to markets, delay a counted-on early-stage customer, or frighten
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Report: Large Energy Cuts Can Help Avoid Sequestration
by Zack Coleman (The Hill E2Wire) A spending watchdog group said Monday that Congress could cut $123.2 billion from energy programs over 10 years in an effort to avoid automatic budget cuts, known as sequestration. Taxpayers for Common Sense identified the
October 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Tax Extenders Package; Algae Wins Tax Credit Parity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee marked up the Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012, which included key energy efficiency and biofuels tax credit provisions. Included in the bill: the Cellulosic Biofuels
August 08, 2012 Read Full Article
US Senate Tax Bill Would Extend Biodiesel, Cellulosic Tax Credits
(Platts) The $1.01/gal federal tax credit for cellulosic fuel production, as well as the $1/gal biodiesel tax credit, would each be extended under a proposal released Wednesday by the Senate Finance Committee. The cellulosic credit would also be expanded to include
August 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Data on Biodiesel Production Shows Harmful Impact of Stop-and-Go, Short-Term Policies
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On May 4, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released monthly data on biodiesel production in the United States since 2009. Biodiesel production fell dramatically during 2010 when Congress decided not to renew production tax credits,
June 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Wants Its Tax Break Back
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) Thursday asked Congress to reinstate the $1 per gallon biodiesel tax incentive “to avoid further disruption to an emerging American industry that is creating jobs across the country while
May 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Amendment Would Extend Domestic Energy Tax Credits
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced an amendment to the Transportation Bill (S.1813) Thursday that would extend tax incentives for domestically produced energy sources, including biodiesel, ethanol, cellulosic biofuels, electric vehicles, wind energy and solar. The measure would re-instate and
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Northwest Producers Unite, Tell Congress to Reinstate Tax Credit
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Last week as the National Biodiesel Conference took place in Orlando, a group of biodiesel producers and stakeholders in the Northwest U.S. came together in a joint statement to support the reinstatement of the $1
February 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuel Subsidies Need Reform
by Nathanael Green (Energy Now/Natural Resources Defense Council) ...Our dependence on oil hurts our economy, helps our adversaries and puts our security at risk. Each day we send over $1 billion overseas for oil, often to hostile nations like Iran,
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Loss of Federal Incentives Could Hurt Cellulosic Ethanol Development
by Robert Pore (The Independent) ...Nebraska's ethanol industry could be adversely impacted if Congress doesn't extend key tax incentives, especially those for cellulosic ethanol, a Nebraska Ethanol Board official said. The incentives that the Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) and other groups
December 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Our View: On VEETC, We Won
by Garry Niemeyer (National Corn Growers Association) Back in August, the Green Scissors Project identified ways the federal government could shave $380 billion from the federal budget over five years. But their $380 billion in proposed cuts included a major
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Local Lawmakers Unveil Plan for Attracting, Keeping Jobs in Illinois
by Will Buss (News-Democrat) Two state lawmakers believe they have a solution to Illinois' high unemployment rate. Rep. Dwight Kay, R-Glen Carbon, and Rep. Paul Evans, R-O'Fallon, have a blueprint that they believe will attract and keep jobs in the state.
October 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Coalition for E85 Urges Retention of Ethanol Tax Credit
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.org) A coalition of retailers, producers, equipment manufacturers have formed the Coalition for E85with the stated purpose of protecting consumer access to 85% ethanol blends. According to the coalition, if the current tax credit for ethanol expires at the end
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Keystone BioFuels Paves Way for Evolving Fuel industry
Monica Von Dobeneck (The Patriot-News /PennLive.c0m) Ben Wooten is doubling his workforce, quadrupling his space and increasing his production tenfold at his Keystone BioFuels in Lower Allen Twp. Not bad in a stagnant economy, he said. Wooten said government
September 12, 2011 Read Full Article
US Biodiesel Industry Producing Record Volumes
(Farm Business) US biodiesel production reached a new monthly high of 81 million gallons in June, according to the latest EPA statistics, marking a third consecutive month of record volumes and continuing a remarkable turnaround in which biodiesel production in
August 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Washington Plant Restarts Biodiesel Production, Canola Crushing
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) After sitting idle for a year, Inland Empire Oilseeds LLC managed to restart production at its 8 MMgy canola-based biodiesel facility, including an adjacent canola crushing plant, in Odessa, Wash. ...Edmonds added that he expects the
August 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Grassley Q&A: Looking Forward with Biodiesel
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) (Biodiesel Magazine) Q. Why do you support the production of biodiesel? A. Too much of America’s energy comes from fossil fuels imported from countries that don’t like us. We can reduce dependence on foreign oil, and be
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Study: Ethanol Subsidies Boost Output, Corn Cost
by Jacob Barker (The Columbia Daily Tribune) Policies fueled the boom in industry. Federal subsidies for ethanol push up ethanol production and the price of corn, according to a report released today (June 27, 2011) from the University of Missouri’s Food
June 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Study Finds Biodiesel is Bright Spot In Job Creation
(National Biodiesel Board) America’s Advanced Biofuel Supporting Thousands of New Jobs While Generating Billions in Household Income, Tax Revenues The U.S. biodiesel industry will grow to support more than 74,000 jobs throughout the economy by 2015 while creating some $4 billion in
June 15, 2011 Read Full Article
US Senate Defeats Coburn Amendment: Industry Reaction
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, on a cloture vote in the Senate to proceed to an amendment that would end the current ethanol tax incentive immediately, Senator Coburn’s amendment lost 40-59, falling 20 votes short of the sixty votes needed to
June 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Senate Vote to Repeal Ethanol Tax Credit Fails, But Some in GOP Break Ranks
by Lori Montgomery (The Washington Post) A majority of Senate Republicans appeared to break Tuesday with two decades of GOP orthodoxy against higher taxes, voting to advance a plan to abruptly cancel billions of dollars in annual tax credits for
June 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Thune/Klobuchar Bill Endorsed by Ethanol Industry
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) along with a bipartisan group of nine other Senate colleagues have introduced the Ethanol Reform and Deficit Reduction Act. The bill is designed to modify the current Volumetric
June 14, 2011 Read Full Article
The Politics of Tax-and-Blend
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Instead of simply not collecting a portion of the fuel tax, the consumer is charged the whole amount, which is collected by the gas station and paid to the government. The government analyzes all this.
June 02, 2011 Read Full Article
“The $1.01 a Gallon Tax Credit Will Help, but We Could Live without It”: Genencor
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Genencor CEO Tjerk de Ruiter says, “As long as they create a mandate, the $1.01 a gallon cellulosic tax credit will help, but could live without it.” Last week, Genencor released a foundational survey on consumer
May 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Paper Industry Pushed Further into the Black by ‘Black Liquor’ Tax Credits
by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) ...The paper industry — which in 2009 raked in billions of dollars in federal subsidiesoriginally intended to promote alternative highway fuels — is now using a different biofuel tax credit to cut its tax bills
April 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Proposal: VEETC Phased Out, Replaced with Variable Tax Credit
(OPIS) ...According to sources familiar with the proposal, the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, the American Coalition for Ethanol and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) have agreed to phase down the current 45 cts/gal ethanol tax credit over three
March 22, 2011 Read Full Article
U.S. Sen. Grassley: Ethanol and Energy
(IowaPolitics.com) Floor Speech of Sen. Chuck Grassley Ethanol and Energy Independence Delivered Monday, March 07, 2011 ...We must look to alternative and renewable resources so we can improve our energy and national security. This includes supporting energy from wind, biomass, hydroelectric, solar,
March 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Corn Growers To Explore Payment Shift
(Wallaces Farmer) ...NCGA (National Corn Growers Association) delegates attending the meeting in Tampa, Fla., adopted ethanol policy that states "NCGA supports reforming existing ethanol tax policy. Ideas to replace existing tax law, in the following priority order, should be a variable
March 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Growth Energy, Pacific Ethanol Speak Out on Ethanol Tax Credit
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Tom Buis, CEO, Growth Energy: “Anyone who blames ethanol for pain at the pump simply hasn’t looked at the market, where ethanol is historically cheaper than gasoline. In fact, ethanol is the cheapest motor fuel
March 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Blender Pumps Fuel Ethanol Growth
by Candace Krebs (AgJournal.com) Since Stratton Equity Co-op installed Colorado’s first “blender pump” offering a range of ethanol based fuels last April, interest has slowly been rising, right on track with national ethanol usage overall. “We’ve had a gradual increase in
February 21, 2011 Read Full Article
A Million Dollars a Month
by Antonio Acost (Faribault County Register) It pays to conserve energy. Especially, if you are producing ethanol. Corn Plus officials in Winnebago will soon receive a check in the mail for $12 million. “It’s going to keep us financially viable for some
January 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Industry Primed to Flourish
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) Boom times are ahead for a biodiesel industry that struggled just to stay alive in 2010. The industry could produce as much as a billion gallons in 2011, nearly triple this year's production, said Gary
January 04, 2011 Read Full Article
John Block: Encouraging Ethanol:Good for Rural America
(State Journal-Register) ...As a former secretary of agriculture, I know that continuing to encourage the ethanol industry is good for rural America and the entire nation. Ethanol generates jobs, preserves the environment, and protects our energy security. With some 17 percent
December 30, 2010 Read Full Article
U.S. Ethanol Industry Faces Subsidy Battle Next Year
by Charles Abbott and Timothy Gardner (Reuters) U.S. ethanol makers face a battle over reforming subsidies next year after current incentives are rolled over in the tax package signed into law by President Barack Obama on Friday. The new law extends the
December 20, 2010 Read Full Article
House Votes to Extend Ethanol, Biodiesel, Renewable Diesel Tax Credits; Senate Drops Biofuels-Slashing Omnibus Bill
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US House of Representatives voted by a 277 to 148 margin to approve the Obama tax deal, which extends the ethanol tax credit through 2011, and retroactively extends the biodiesel tax incentive and the renewable
December 17, 2010 Read Full Article
Bi-Partisan Support for Biofuels Can Help to Achieve Energy, National Security Objectives
by Steve Maddox (The Hill) ...Although conventional, corn-based ethanol is not the darling of the environmental movement, it does have certain national security benefits that cannot be overlooked. And the next generation of biofuels being developed across the country offer
December 13, 2010 Read Full Article
Algae Fuel Inches Toward Price Parity with Oil
by Stacy Feldman ( SolveClimate/Reuters) With over 100 start-ups hard at work, industry predicts it can deliver success in under a decade if granted production tax credits ...The head of the 170-member Algal Biomass Organization (ABO), Mary Rosenthal, predicts the fledgling fuel
November 23, 2010 Read Full Article
The Thin Line Between Academics and Advocacy
by Matt Hartwig (Renewable Fuels Association) Earlier this week, Iowa State University Professor Bruce Babcock released a policy brief entitled “Impact of Ethanol, Corn, and Livestock from Imminent U.S. Policy Decisions.” Much of this analysis is predicated on anticipated fears
November 22, 2010 Read Full Article
Erie's HeroBX Launches New National Biodiesel Lobbying Group
Global Biofuels Alliance, Inc. (GBA), established in 2010, is a new nonprofit trade association representing small to midsize biofuels producers, traders, marketers, distributors, and other interested biofuels parties. The GBA’s formation was prompted by the need for a voice for
November 03, 2010 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Gasoline Prices
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Ethanol prices have strengthened over the past several months in response to higher corn prices and growing ethanol demand. Some have attempted to single out the escalation in ethanol prices as a primary driver of
October 27, 2010 Read Full Article
Senator Nelson Wants Tax Break for Algae Biofuel Companies
by Eric Staats (NaplesNews.com) ...Today, growing algae to turn into biofuel is serious business, and (US Senator Bill) Nelson wants to give the fledgling industry a tax break. Nelson, D-Fla., toured the headquarters and research labs of Algenol Biofuels off Alico Road
October 26, 2010 Read Full Article
Oil Receives More Taxpayer Dollars: DTN Finds Oil Industry Subsidized Much Higher Than Ethanol
by Todd Neeley (Progressive Farmer) In the eternal mudslinging between supporters and opponents of biofuels, "subsidies" are one of the opponents' biggest and most painful mud balls. "If ethanol is such a good idea, why does it need government help?" the
October 13, 2010 Read Full Article
Hostile Takeover: What Happens to Biofuels if Republicans Take Congress?
Interview of BIO's Brent Erickson by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...BE: I have been a little bit disappointed in the Obama administration. When he was in the Senate he as very pro-biofuels. He had to choose his priorities, and that
September 22, 2010 Read Full Article
KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation Qualifies for Biofuel Tax Credit
(GlobalPaperMoney) KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation (NYSE: KS) announced that the company was notified that its registration as a producer of cellulosic biofuel for the tax year 2009 has been approved. With this registration, KapStone may apply for a nonrefundable income
September 09, 2010 Read Full Article
New NRDC Fact Sheet Shows How Moving beyond Corn Ethanol Means More Investment and More Jobs in More States
by Sasha Lyutse (Natural Resources Defense Council) ... As a result, the VEETC has not only concentrated the ethanol industry in just a handful of states, but siphoned scarce resources away from more competitive biofuel technologies that create far less pollution
August 26, 2010 Read Full Article
Variable Subsidy for Ethanol Better for Producers and Government
by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today) A variable subsidy for ethanol producers could cost the government less and provide more security for producers than current fixed rates, according to a Purdue University study. A variable subsidy rate would insulate producers
August 25, 2010 Read Full Article
Ethanol: Now is the Time — for Truth
by Darrin Ihnen (The Hill/National Corn Growers Association) ...Unfortunately, many of the articles we’re seeing don’t get the facts quite right. The New York Times, for example, asserts that the Renewable Fuel Standard mandates the U.S. production of up to
August 09, 2010 Read Full Article
The New Imperium: A Major Player in Biodiesel 1.5 Aims for Biofuels 2.0
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Back in 2008 the death watch began on Imperium Renewables. Though its 100 Mgy multi-feedstock plant in Grays Harbor was, at the time, the largest and most modern biodiesel facility in the US, the company lost its
August 03, 2010 Read Full Article
New York Times Misses the Mark on America’s Fuel
(Growth Energy) The New York Times’ July 29th Editorial “Energy Subsidies – Good and Bad,” mischaracterizes Growth Energy’s proposal to open the American transportation fuels market and fails to acknowledge the technological advancements that have made ethanol production cleaner and more
July 30, 2010 Read Full Article
It's a Critical Time for Ethanol
by Joe Ruff (Omaha World Herald) It's time for the federal government to move beyond offering tax credits to companies that combine ethanol with gasoline, said the CEO of the fourth-largest ethanol producer in the country. Instead, he said, government incentives are
July 30, 2010 Read Full Article
The Economics of U.S. Ethanol Policy: A Rebuttal
by John M. Urbanchuk (ENTRIX/The Hill) In his July 27 blog posting “The economics of U.S. ethanol policy” Professor Bruce Babcock of Iowa State University reports the results of new research suggesting that allowing the current 45-cent-per-gallon ethanol blender’s tax credit
July 28, 2010 Read Full Article
Reducing Ethanol Protections Won't Hurt Industry, Report Finds
by Jay Heflin (The Hill) A new study by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development shows a reduction in the ethanol tax credit proposed by the House Ways and Means Committee and removing tariffs on the fuel will have a
July 24, 2010 Read Full Article
2010 Green Scissors Campaign Seeks to Cut Federal Budget for Biofuels, Agriculture, and Other Areas
(Grainnet) The Green Scissors campaign, a diverse coalition of taxpayer, environmental and consumer groups, released July 22 Green Scissors 2010, a report highlighting government programs and subsidies that are wasteful to taxpayers, harmful to the environment and bad for consumers. Green Scissors
July 23, 2010 Read Full Article
The Ethanol Mud-Rasslers Reach for the Manure
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Two new data points have been introduced. A Congressional Budget Office report on the ethanol tax credit, and a report from Bruce Babcock et al at Iowa State, funded by UNICA, suggesting that elimination of
July 21, 2010 Read Full Article
The Mad Scramble over the Ethanol Tax Credit
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association, the Environmental Working Group, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the American Meat Institute, and several members of congress are among the main players in a
July 20, 2010 Read Full Article
Using Biofuel Tax Credits to Achieve Energy and Environmental Policy Goals
(Congressional Budget Office) The federal government supports the use of biofuels—transportation fuel produced usually from renewable plant matter, such as corn—in the pursuit of national energy, environmental, and agricultural policy goals. Tax credits encourage the production and sale of biofuels
July 19, 2010 Read Full Article
Advocating Advanced Biofuels
by Anna Austin (Biomass Magazine) With their extreme versatility and often complicated nature, it isn’t easy for most people to wrap their brain around advanced biofuels, and the definitions in the renewable fuels standard 2 (RFS2) aren’t much help. ...Generally, there
June 29, 2010 Read Full Article
Smart Bioenergy: Guiding Sustainable Bio-Based Energy and Fuels Development
(Union of Concerned Scientists) The Billion Gallon Challenge: Advanced Biofuels from diverse sources such as grasses and agricultural waste hold the promise of sustainably reducing U.S. oil dependence and global warming emissions. Unfortunately the advanced biofuels industry not been able to
June 17, 2010 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Counters Environmental Stall Tactics
(Renewable Fuels Association) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), Growth Energy, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) today countered the tired claims of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) that American ethanol is not a
June 17, 2010 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Association Launches New Online Series Spotlighting Top Industry News in Washington
(Advanced Biofuels Association) The Advanced Biofuels Association launched a new online video series today. The Clean Fuels Forecast spotlights the top public policy issues and maneuvering in Washington affecting the advanced biofuels industry. In its first episode, now posted on the ABFA
June 01, 2010 Read Full Article
Advanced BioFuels Association Applauds U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson's Leadership as Biofuels Tax Incentives Bill Is Introduced
(PR Newswire) The Advanced BioFuels Association applauded the leadership of U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) as he recently introduced a biofuels tax incentive bill that extends the Investment Tax Credit to advanced biofuels. The Nelson bill, S. 3338, would make available the
May 14, 2010 Read Full Article
Vilsack Tours Pennsylvania Biodiesel Plant
(Biodiesel Magazine) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack toured Middletown Biofuels in central Pennsylvania on May 7, where he highlighted biodiesel production as a critical component in America’s strategy to create jobs and revitalize the rural economy. But the hope of Congress
May 12, 2010 Read Full Article
Sandlin to Propose Biofuel Development Tax Credit
(AP, Bloomberg Businessweek) U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin says she will propose a tax credit aimed at encouraging investment in development of the next generation of renewable fuels. ...She says her bill would create a tax credit for those who
May 11, 2010 Read Full Article
Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Advance American Biofuels
U.S. Reps. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Mark Schauer (D-MI) and Brian Bilbray (R-CA) introduced bipartisan legislation yesterday that will encourage the next generation of biofuels or fuels made from living things such as plants and algae. The GREEN JOB (Grow Renewable Energy
May 03, 2010 Read Full Article
US Farm State Senators Offer Bill to Extend Ethanol Tax Credit
Nick Snow (Oil and Gas Journal) US senators from agricultural states introduced legislation on Apr. 20 that would extend the federal ethanol tax credit through 2015. Failure to do so would cost 112,000 jobs nationwide and reduce domestic fuel ethanol
April 22, 2010 Read Full Article
Implications Of The U.S. Ethanol Tariff
by Robert Rapier (Forbes) ...In order to better understand the intricacies of the issues involved, I have been engaged in dialogue with a number of industry groups and economists. Here I will try to shed some light on the tariff
April 19, 2010 Read Full Article
Circling the Wagons, the Firing Squads and the Arguments: Ethanol Wars Explode in Print, TV
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The ethanol cold war developed into a hot one this week when television and print advertising campaigns debuted both from Brazil’s UNICA and the US-based Growth Energy. ...The Growth Energy campaign is featuring six television spots
April 14, 2010 Read Full Article
Economists Duke It Out Over Ethanol’s Benefits, Impact of Loss of Ethanol Tax Credits
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New York, a battle royal has been joined on the comments page of the Natural Resources Defense League (sic) following posts on the economic and greenhouse gas benefits (or lack thereof, according to NRDC’s Nathanael
April 13, 2010 Read Full Article
Ethanol Fumes
by Patrick Westhoff (Washington Times letter to editor) The editorial "Stop 'Big Corn' " (Opinion, Monday) did not accurately describe the analysis of ethanol policy conducted by our institute. The editorial says we at the University of Missouri's Food and Agricultural
April 09, 2010 Read Full Article
Closing Down $24 Billion Biofuels Tax Credit Loophole: a Good Idea (Here’s Why)
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Health Care Bill passed the US House of Representatives and included - as part of a 42-page "manager's amendment", a provision striking a biofuel tax credit used by pulp and paper firms
November 10, 2009 Read Full Article
Van Hollen Introduces Second Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credit Act
Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) issued the following statement on the Second Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credit Act of 2009. Congressman Van Hollen introduced the legislation yesterday to improve and enhance the existing cellulosic biofuel credit. "The Second Generation Biofuel