by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The American Fuel & Petrochemicals Manufacturers on Nov. 1 petitioned the U.S. EPA to waive a portion of the compliance year 2024 Renewable Fuel Standard renewable volume obligation (RVO) for cellulosic biofuel. In its petition, AFPM
cellulosic waiver credit
Back TO HOMEFeature: US RINs Complex under Pressure while Renewable Diesel Helps RVO Mandates
by Phillip Herring and Melvin Lee (S&P Global) D4 RINs drop 53.4% in 2023; D4 biomass-based biodiesel production surpasses RVO mandate; BOHO near 2023 lows -- US D4 Renewable Identification Numbers have plummeted 53.4% in 2023 while helping to meet the renewable volume obligation
November 21, 2023 Read Full Article
Overview of the RIN Compliance System and Pricing of RINs for the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard
Maria Gerveni and Scott Irwin (University of Illinois) and Todd Hubbs (U.S. Department of Agriculture) ... A RIN represents biofuel that has been produced and blended into transportation fuel. RINs are tradeable, and the market price of RINs plays
May 25, 2023 Read Full Article
Design of the Renewable Fuel Standard Implicated in Leading to the Ethanol Blend Wall
(Agricultural and Applied Economics Association/CISION) The nested design of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is limiting incentives for blenders to sell higher blends of ethanol (E85) and has instead resulted in increasing blending of biodiesel to comply with the RFS. The
September 20, 2022 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Waiver Credits under the Renewable Fuel Standard Program
(Environmental Protection Agency) For any calendar year for which the projected volume of cellulosic biofuel production is less than the applicable volume of cellulosic biofuel set forth in Clean Air Act (CAA) section 211(o)(2)(B)(III), EPA must reduce the required volume of
August 23, 2022 Read Full Article
Will the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard Be a Victim of Its Own Success?
by Roxby Hartley (EcoEngineers) California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (CA-LCFS) continues to be the largest regional carbon credit market. It’s been successful in driving carbon reduction across the state. CA-LCFS credit prices hovered around $200 per metric ton (MT) of CO2e
March 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: American Petroleum Institute Pushes EPA to Cut Renewable Fuel Standard Volumes
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) As the ethanol industry waits for volume proposals for 2021 and 2022 in the Renewable Fuel Standard expected in the coming weeks, petroleum interests have been pressing EPA to reduce volumes from their 2020 levels. A
July 09, 2021 Read Full Article
Life is a Highway
by John Eichberger (Fuels Institute) ... Fuels Institute recently published “The Impact of Transportation-related Environmental Initiatives” which provides an objective assessment of 37 global efforts and a deep dive into 14 of the most prominent initiatives affecting transportation. As we embark upon
February 08, 2021 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Protected From Oil’s Crash
by Brentan Alexander (Forbes) ... But for advanced biofuels, which qualify for a broad set of renewable credits, their unique diversification of revenue streams is providing protection against the price destruction occurring in the fuels marketplace. ... Potential feedstocks for advanced biofuel
April 14, 2020 Read Full Article
US EPA Sets 2020 Cellulosic Waiver Credit at $1.80, in Line with Platts Expectations
by Josh Pedrick (S&P Global Platts) The US Environmental Protection Agency has set the 2020 cellulosic waiver credit (CWC) at $1.80, in line with S&P Global Platts expectations, the agency said on its website. Parties obligated under the Renewable Fuel
January 13, 2020 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
May 21, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Sets 2019 Cellulosic Waiver Credit Price at $1.77
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has published a notice on its website setting the cellulosic waiver credit (CWC) price for 2019 at $1.77. The price is slightly lower than the CWC price for 2018, which was set
December 18, 2018 Read Full Article
US Cellulosic Waiver Credit Likely to Be $1.77 in 2019: Platts Analytics
by Joshua Pedrick (S&P Global/Platts) The US Environmental Protection Agency is likely to set the 2019 cellulosic waiver credit (CWC) at $1.77 for each credit, down from $1.96 in 2018, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics. "The most important variable in the
September 03, 2018 Read Full Article
2019 Proposed RFS Volumes: The Deep-Dive Analysis
by Antoine Schellinger (Biofuels Digest) In what has now become the final RFS2 issued policy under Scott Pruitt, there is no change from the policy established in the proposed and final 2018 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO). The use of cellulosic waiver
August 24, 2018 Read Full Article
NBB Files Opening Brief Challenging 2018 Renewable Fuel Standards
(National Biodiesel Board) NBB brief is the first to challenge EPA’s accounting for small refinery “hardship” exemptions in the annual RFS volumes -- On Friday July 27, 2018, the National Biodiesel Board filed an opening brief in its lawsuit objecting to EPA’s
August 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard: Current Status and Future Prospects
(U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment) ... A number of exogenous policies have greatly impacted advanced biofuels markets and RFS (Renewable Fuel Standards) compliance. These include trade restrictions and duties now imposed on certain imported
June 22, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Sets 2018 Cellulosic Waiver Credit Price at $1.96
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA has published a notice on its website setting the cellulosic waiver credit (CWC) price for 2018 at $1.96. The price is slightly lower than the CWC price for 2017, which was set at $2.00
December 13, 2017 Read Full Article
From Conventional to Advantaged: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Aemetis
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aemetis owns and operates 110 million gallons per year of ethanol and biodiesel facilities in the US and India, and is upgrading the plants using patented technology to produce lower carbon, higher value advanced biofuels and
November 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Standard Program: Standards for 2018 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2019; Availability of Supplemental Information and Request for Further Comment (Deadline October 19, 2017)
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) This document provides additional data and an opportunity to comment on that data and potential options for reductions in the 2018 biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel volumes, and/or the 2019 biomass-based diesel volume
October 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuels and Biogas Unite in Call for Cellulosic Targets
(Biofuels International) Leading US advocates for advanced liquid and gasified biofuels have united to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to stand behind President Trump’s commitment to driving investment in the next generation of ‘homegrown’ fuels under the Renewable Fuel
August 24, 2017 Read Full Article
RNG, Cellulosic Fuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard
by Susan Olson (BioCycle Magazine) Because of an all-time high waiver credit value paired with strong advanced RIN prices, renewable natural gas could fetch $35/MMBtu in 2017. Since 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has mandated the blending of renewable fuels
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
AFPM Petitions EPA to Waive Portion of 2016 Cellulosic RVO
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Dec. 28, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers filed a petition with the U.S. EPA asking the agency to waive the 2016 renewable fuel standard (RFS) cellulosic volume obligation, citing a shortfall in
January 09, 2017 Read Full Article
What’s Next in Cellulosic Biofuels?: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Iogen and the Cellulosic Sector
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Iogen says it has has “one of the world’s largest and most experienced teams in developing, designing, de-bugging, scaling-up and deploying cellulosic biofuel technology. We’re using innovative thinking and disciplined engineering to transform cellulosic biofuels
December 12, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Sets Cellulosic Waiver Credit Price for 2017 at $2.00
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA recently published a notice to its website setting the cellulosic waiver credit (CWC) price for 2017 at $2.00. The CWC price for 2016 was set in at $1.33 in November 2015. Within
December 06, 2016 Read Full Article
The RINferno, as It Burns up America’s Venture into Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... There’s a separate category of RINs for advanced biofuels. These are fuels that have at least a 50% reduction in fossil fuels compared to 2005 baseline gasoline. Overall, to qualify under the RFS, you need
August 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Nearly 42,500 Comments Filed on 2017 RFS Proposal
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The comment period on the U.S. EPA’s proposed rule to set 2017 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the renewable fuel standard (RFS), along with 2018 RVOs for biomass-based diesel, has officially closed. According to information
July 18, 2016 Read Full Article
ACE Submits Comments to EPA on 2017 RFS
(Fuel Marketer News) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the proposed blending volumes for 2017 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). ACE’s full comments can be read on the ACE website.
July 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Will Get Back Up
(RPA News) Our top story this month is a blunt reminder of how deeply U.S. policy uncertainty cut down and yanked back the progress of commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol over the past few years. The U.S. EPA’s epic indecision and sometimes indifference
March 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Bringing up the Throttle on Cellulosic Ethanol
by Holly Jessen and Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Although there are challenges facing the second generation ethanol industry, progress is being made -- U.S. EPA data shows 2.18 million cellulosic ethanol D3 RINs (renewable identification numbers) were generated in 2015.
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Following-up on RFS Questions
by Jonathan Coppess (Farm Doc Daily) The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has been a hot topic of late given the release of the final rule and its rather prominent feature leading up to the recent Iowa caucuses. The RFS discussions have
February 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Questioning The Final RFS Rule, Part 2: The Meaning Of The Word 'Supply'
by Jonathan Coppess (Farms.com/Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois) This article looks specifically at EPA's interpretation of the word 'supply' in the waiver provision 'inadequate domestic supply' and what Congress intended it to mean. ... The waiver authority includes when
January 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Top 10 Bioeconomy and Biofuels Predictions for 2016
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we reach the end of 2015? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and peer into tomorrowland. As the sunset of 2015 gives way
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
The Petrified Forest, or Who Moved my $80 Oil?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Are high prices good for renewable fuels? The hard data actually goes the other way. The Digest investigates. ... What we can see from the following chart is confirmation that fracking and other enhanced oil
December 07, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Issues Cellulosic Waiver Credit Price at $1.33
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Environmental Protection Agency has issued Cellulosic Waiver Credit Price Calculation for 2016 as laid out by EPA must reduce the required volume of cellulosic biofuel for that year to the projected volume,
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Is the Third Time the Charm?
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) ... As many of you know, the RFS was created to “reduce dependence on foreign sources of petroleum, increase domestic sources of energy, and help transition to alternatives to petroleum in the transportation sector”
August 28, 2015 Read Full Article
EESI Asks EPA to Focus on Steps to Increase Volumes of Advanced and Cellulosic Fuels
(Energy and Environmental Study Institute) ... In comments to EPA, EESI points out that when Congress was debating the Renewable Fuel Standard, the meaning of “adequate domestic supply” was defined as qualifying fuel – not infrastructure constraints. For the first time,
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Industry’s Withering Critique of EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard Proposals for 2014, 2015, 2016: The Digested Version
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Heard dire comments like “POET expects to stop all future U.S. cellulosic investments if EPA’s proposed base renewable fuel requirements are not strengthened.” Want to understand the substantive concerns on the Renewable Fuel Standard, but
July 31, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Makers Say EPA Waivers Siphon Away Their Buyers
by Mark Drajem (Bloomberg Business) Companies that make fuel from corn stalks or landfill gas say a federal program designed to help them has a loophole that is discouraging buyers. ... In addition, producers have been pushing the Environmental Protection Agency to close
May 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Refiners Hamstrung by Chaos in RFS-Credit Market
Amanda Peterka (E&E Publishing) ... Refiners aren't buying cellulosic fuel credits through the renewable fuel standard program for what the company produces. And so Quad County has received as much as $600,000 less than expected for its wares -- a shortfall
May 12, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Opens Comment Period on Cellulosic Waiver Credit Rules
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On April 3, the U.S. EPA published its direct final rule and parallel proposed rule on cellulosic waiver credits (CWCs) in the Federal Register, officially opening a 30-day comment period. The agency released prepublication
April 07, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Issues 2014 and 2015 Cellulosic Waiver Credit prices
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the EPA announced 2014 and 2015 Cellulosic Waiver Credit prices, and “a Clarification of the Data Sources Used in the Cellulosic Waiver Credit Price Calculation”. ... The good news here? The waiver credits have been
March 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Say It Ain’t So, Joe
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) ... As an industry, we simply cannot afford for the administration to stall for another year to announce the RVO for 2014, 2015 and 2016. However, as I look at the White House
March 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Tell Them Willie and Ike Are Here
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Brooke Coleman, executive director of the Advanced Ethanol Council, turned attention to free market principles and market access, after the New York Timesran astory on cellulosic biofuels mandates, titled “A Fine for Not Using a Biofuel
January 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Federal Policy for Reducing Uncertainty for Advanced Biofuels Producers
by Brent Erickson (BIO/Biofuels Digest) As any number of economic analysts have noted, continued policy uncertainty is holding businesses back from the hiring and investment needed to get the economy moving again. The advanced biofuel industry has been trying to