by David Shepardson, Rachael Levy and Chris Kirkham (Reuters) Effort would be similar to Trump policy during first administration; Move aims to satisfy campaign promise to end EV mandate; Automakers find Biden regulations too onerous, source says - President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration plans to target federal
Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards
Back TO HOMEEPA Virtually Mandates Electric Vehicles: Heavy- and Light- Duty EPA Carbon Standards Face Fierce Push Back.
by Keith Reid (Fuels Market News) ... If reducing carbon is truly the goal, meeting that goal should focus on the required end results and not mandating the specific approach to get to that point. However, the EPA emissions standards, announced
August 16, 2024 Read Full Article
Automakers Oppose CARB Plan For ICE-Only Fleet Average In GHG Rules
(Inside EPA) Auto industry groups and individual auto manufacturers are opposing the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) plan to strengthen light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas standards by creating an internal combustion engine (ICE)-only fleet average starting in model year 2030, while urging
August 02, 2024 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producers, Farmers Sue EPA over Tailpipe Rule
by David Murray (High Plains Journal) The Renewable Fuels Association and National Farmers Union filed a lawsuit June 17 in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s recently finalized light- and medium-duty vehicle emissions standards. RFA and NFU
July 08, 2024 Read Full Article
Overreliance on EV’s Generate Power Grid Concerns
by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) There are concerns a reliance on electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector could compromise the U.S. power grid. Scott Richman with the Renewable Fuels Association says grids are already struggling and
July 03, 2024 Read Full Article
Fossil Fuel Groups Ask SCOTUS to Overturn California’s Clean Car Waiver
by Lesley Clark (Politico Pro Climatewire) EPA allows California to set tougher emissions standards, which 17 other states have also adopted. -- Fossil fuel interests want the Supreme Court to review California's authority to set stricter emissions standards for cars and trucks
July 02, 2024 Read Full Article
Supreme Court Curbs Federal Agency Power, Overturning Chevron Precedent
by Ann E. Marimow (Washington Post) The Supreme Court on Friday curtailed the power of federal government agencies to regulate vast swaths of American life, overturning a 40-year-old legal precedent long targeted by conservatives who say the government gives unaccountable bureaucrats too
June 28, 2024 Read Full Article
Liquid Fuels, Enviros File First Lawsuits over Fuel Economy Rule
by Alex Guillen (Politico Pro) Leading oil and biofuel groups and a litany of auto dealers have challenged the Transportation Department’s new fuel economy rule in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. That sets up a lottery to determine
June 27, 2024 Read Full Article
New Studies: Low Carbon Fuels, FFVs More Effective at Reducing GHG Emissions than De Facto EV Mandates
(Renewable Fuels Association) Increased use of lower-carbon liquid fuels in light-duty vehicles would lead to larger and faster reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than EPA’s recently finalized EV-forcing tailpipe emissions standards, according to a new study commissioned by the RFA and executed
June 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Electric Vehicles Emerge as Flashpoint in 2024 Election
by Liz Goodwin (Washington Post) But now, facing a tough reelection climate in November, some Senate Democrats who are fighting for their political lives in red states are distancing themselves from aspects of President Biden’s EV policies as Republicans go on
June 17, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden’s Ill-Conceived EV Mandate Will Harm Drivers, Cause Blackouts
by Congressman Dan Musser (R-PA 9th) (The Hill) ... Unfortunately, the Biden Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent announcement of an effective ban on new gas cars for half the driving population does not strike the appropriate balance of both protecting our environment and
June 14, 2024 Read Full Article
Largest US Oil Trade Group Sues to Block Biden's EV Push
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The nation's largest oil trade group, which includes Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and Chevron (CVX.N), filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday seeking to block the Biden administration's efforts to reduce planet-warming emissions from cars and light trucks and encourage electric vehicle manufacturing,
June 13, 2024 Read Full Article
Did Gasoline Win the European Election?
by Arianna Skibell (Politico's Power Switch) The stunning results from the European election hammered home one reality for leaders on both sides of the Atlantic: People don’t like you messing with their cars. The EU’s plan to ban the sale of internal-combustion-engine vehicles by
June 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Barrasso, Senate Republicans Introduce Bill to Remedy DOE’s Flawed Efficiency Calculations for Electric Cars
(U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources) U.S. Senator John Barrasso, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), and U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mike Lee (R-UT), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Bill
June 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Calls New CAFE Standards A Missed Opportunity
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on June 7 issued a final rule setting new corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. Growth Energy said the agency has again missed the opportunity
June 11, 2024 Read Full Article
Commodity Groups Appeal Fuel Test Rule
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Commodity Groups: Ethanol Threatened by Fuel-Test Rule Buried in EV Mandate -- New fuel economy test procedures contained in the Biden administration's final pollution standards for passenger vehicles penalize ethanol and should be declared unlawful, three
May 03, 2024 Read Full Article
Republicans Intensify Fight against EPA Tailpipe Rules
by Kelsey Brugger (Politico Pro/E&E Daily) House and Senate lawmakers will introduce resolutions Wednesday to overturn the rulemaking. -- Republicans on Capitol Hill have a new favorite punching bag: President Joe Biden’s electric vehicle “de facto mandate.” On Wednesday, four GOP lawmakers are
May 01, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden’s EPA Can Justify His New EV Rules Only by Cooking the Books
Benjamin Zycher (American Enterprise Institute/The Hill) Before federal regulations are implemented, they must be justified with an extensive analysis of costs and effects. The new Environmental Protection Agency rule forcing a massive shift toward electric vehicles is no exception. Weighing in at 1,181
April 03, 2024 Read Full Article
‘This Will Be Something that People See and Feel’: What to Expect from Biden’s Clean Car Push
by Mike Lee and Jean Chemnick (Politico) The Biden administration is launching its most aggressive regulation to stem tailpipe pollution. -- The transportation rules come as President Joe Biden tries to shed historically low approval ratings as he plunges into a reelection race
March 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Strongest-Ever Pollution Standards for Cars that Position U.S. Companies and Workers to Lead the Clean Vehicle Future, Protect Public Health, Address the Climate Crisis, Save Drivers Money
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Final standards will expand consumer choice in clean vehicles and build on historic progress in U.S. auto manufacturing under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda -- Today, March 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced final national pollution
March 20, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden Eases EV Rule but Keeps Heat on Automakers
by Mike Lee (E&E News) The Biden administration released one of several coming car regulations Tuesday, a clean vehicle formula designed to push automakers to build more fuel-efficient or electric vehicles. The Department of Energy softened its “petroleum equivalency factor” after complaints
March 20, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden Set to Crack Down on Auto Emissions to Accelerate EV Sales
by Jennifer A. Doulhy (Bloomberg) EPA expected to finalize tailpipe emission limits within days; Formula for calculating electric vehicle fuel use also coming -- The Biden administration is preparing to roll out the toughest-ever limits on pollution from the nation’s cars and
March 18, 2024 Read Full Article
RFA’s Cooper: 2024 Will Be “Pivotal and Consequential Year” for U.S. Ethanol Industry
(Renewable Fuels Association) At the National Ethanol Conference today (February 20, 2024) in San Diego, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper told nearly 1,000 attendees that 2024 will be “one of the most pivotal and consequential years the ethanol
February 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Don’t Believe the EV Hype—For Ethanol, Stay the Course
by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/South Dakota Farmers Union) Among the issues that have put a scare into the ethanol industry over the past few years, the threat of electric vehicles has received considerable attention. While threats to the RFS,
February 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden Administration Weighs Slowing the Shift to Electric Vehicles
by Maxine Joselow (Washington Post) The Environmental Protection Agency is considering relaxing one of its most significant climate change rules — tailpipe emissions limits for cars and trucks — by giving automakers more time to boost sales of electric vehicles, according
February 19, 2024 Read Full Article
What’s behind the Republican Hatred of EVs?
by Kelsey Brugger, Rebekah Alvey (E&E Daily) ... At a recent auto show, Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas), the Small Business Committee chair, confidently predicted: “EVs won’t exist in a few years.” Hybrids were more viable, argued Williams, the owner of a car
February 14, 2024 Read Full Article
AFPM Launches Campaign on EV Rules
by Tanya Snyder (Politico's Weekly Transportation) ... The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers is launching a $7 million campaign today in key battleground states bashing the Biden administration’s efforts to push electric vehicle adoption. AFPM plans to run the ads in Michigan, Wisconsin,
February 12, 2024 Read Full Article
GM’s ‘All-in’ Electric Future Now Includes Gasoline
by David Ferris (Politico Pro Energywire) The company's latest hybrid plan illustrates how tough it is for traditional automakers to navigate a transition to electric vehicles. -- General Motors introduced the plug-in hybrid car to America. Then the automaker killed it and
January 31, 2024 Read Full Article
Auto Dealers Up Campaign Urging Biden Administration to Halt EPA Tailpipe Emission Limits Regulation
by Alexa St. John (Associated Press) More than 4,700 auto dealerships across the United States urged President Joe Biden in a letter Thursday to halt the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to enforce stricter vehicle-pollution standards. The missive comes just weeks before the
January 26, 2024 Read Full Article
EPA Sends Vehicle Emissions Reduction Plan to White House for Review
by David Shepardson (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent to the White House for review its proposal to finalize sweeping emissions cuts for new cars and trucks through 2032 that could drastically boost electric vehicle sales, a document made
January 22, 2024 Read Full Article
Agri-Pulse Open Mic Interview: Geoff Cooper, Renewable Fuels Association
(Agri-Pulse) In depth interviews with leaders in ag policy -- This week’s Open Mic guest is Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association. The Iowa caucuses once again provide the opportunity to press the merits of the renewable
January 16, 2024 Read Full Article
Social Cost of Carbon Goes Shopping
by Jean Chemnick (Politico's Power Switch) ... That’s new territory for an old regulatory staple that has been in use since the George W. Bush administration, which started developing the social cost of carbon after a federal court ruled that the
January 12, 2024 Read Full Article
US Rules Could Force Early Production Halt to Some Gas Vehicles -Letter
by David Shepardson (Reuters) A group representing major automakers urged the Biden administration to make significant changes to three proposed vehicle rules, warning they could force car companies to hastily stop building some gas-powered vehicles. The administration has proposed, among others, stringent
December 18, 2023 Read Full Article
House Passes Walberg Bill to Protect Automobile Choice
(Office of Congressman Tim Walberg (R-MI 5th)) Today (December 6, 2023), the House passed the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act with bipartisan support by a vote of 221-197. The legislation, introduced by Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-05) and Andrew Clyde
December 07, 2023 Read Full Article
Biden Threatens Veto if Congress Moves to Hamper EPA Requirements
by Brady Knox (Washington Examiner) President Joe Biden threatened to use his veto powers if Congress moved to hamper his administration's move to institute stricter environmental regulations. The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales, or CARS, Act is set to be voted on in the coming week.
December 05, 2023 Read Full Article
Pivoting Ethanol Industry to Stay Relevant
by Tom C. Doran (AgriNews) ... Illinois Corn recently hosted a series of meetings and a webinar that addressed “the crossroads of carbon and corn.” The theme focused on the importance of reducing the carbon footprint that would create new market opportunities
October 25, 2023 Read Full Article
Automakers Blast US Plan to Hike Fuel Efficiency Rules
by David Shepardson (Reuters) A group representing General Motors (GM.N), Toyota Motor (7203.T), Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and nearly all other major automakers on Monday sharply criticized the Biden administration proposal to drastically hike fuel efficiency requirements. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's
October 18, 2023 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Renewable Fuels Association, National Farmers Union and National Corn Growers Association
Given vehicles’ long useful life, EPA and NHTSA should not wait for a crisis to incentivize FFVs (flex fuel vehicles). It will be too late to act if they are suddenly needed to address a crisis. Instead, the country should
October 17, 2023 Read Full Article
ACE Urges NHTSA to Develop a More Technology-Neutral Approach to Meet Fuel Economy Standards
(American Coalition for Ethanol) American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings submitted feedback to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today on its proposed rulemaking for Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks for Model
October 17, 2023 Read Full Article
NCGA Launches Advocacy Campaign Calling on Feds to Establish Level Playing Field for Biofuels Public Comment DEADLINE: October 16, 2023
(National Corn Growers Association) The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) this week launched a grassroots advocacy campaign to encourage the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to provide a level playing field for biofuels such as ethanol. The organization is calling on corn growers and
September 28, 2023 Read Full Article
Feenstra: Combating President Biden’s Electric Vehicle Mandates -- President Biden Refuses to Accept the Facts. 95% of Cars on the Road Today Run on Liquid Fuel and Are Significantly More Affordable and Reliable than Electric Vehicles.
by Randy Feenstra (Congressman (R-IA 4th District)/The Iowa Torch) ... There is no clearer example of his executive overreach than his hasty and costly push to electrify every car and truck in the United States. At his direction, he has called on
September 22, 2023 Read Full Article
It’s Time For Flex Fuel Fairness
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) In 2014, nine major auto manufacturers produced and sold more than 2.8 million flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) capable of running on fuel with up to 85 percent ethanol (E85). In fact, one out of
September 21, 2023 Read Full Article
Ethanol, Biofuels Drive Farm Progress Show Conversation
(Agri-News) During the Farm Progress Show, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski of central and southern Illinois stood alongside farmers and biofuels experts to confirm ethanol’s role in lowering carbon and supporting rural economies. The congresswoman in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District joined a panel of
September 18, 2023 Read Full Article
Auto Week at D.C. Circuit Raises ‘Major Questions’ for EPA
by Lesley Clark (E&E News Climatewire) A powerful federal appeals court will hear arguments this week in three challenges to the Biden administration’s efforts to curb the largest source of planet-warming pollution in the United States — and the battles have
September 11, 2023 Read Full Article
Minnesota EV Mandate Lawsuit on Hold
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Federal Judge Stays Minnesota Lawsuit Challenging State's EV Mandate -- A federal judge in Minnesota has stayed an ongoing lawsuit to prevent the state from adopting California's electric-vehicle mandate as a similar case continues in a
September 06, 2023 Read Full Article
The EPA’s Ambitious Plan to Cut Auto Emissions to Slow Climate Change Runs into Skepticism
by Tom Krisher (Associated Press) The U.S. government’s most ambitious plan ever to slash planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles faces skepticism both about how realistic it is and whether it goes far enough. The Environmental Protection Agency in April announced
August 07, 2023 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: Senate Bill Would Open Door Wider for Flexible-Fuel Vehicles in Emissions Reductions
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Monday would provide new incentives for automakers to produce more flexible-fuel vehicles, which are vehicles that can burn any blend of ethanol up to E85. The Flex Fuel
August 01, 2023 Read Full Article
Biden Administration Rejects GM's Warning that US Emissions Rules Will Be Costly
by David Shepardson (Reuters) General Motors (GM.N) warned the Biden administration's planned changes to vehicle emissions rules could cost the auto industry hundreds of billions of dollars in penalties by 2031, which the Biden administration said on Thursday was wrong. GM executive David Strickland
July 31, 2023 Read Full Article
US Proposes 18% Fuel Economy Increase for New Vehicle Fleet from 2027 through 2032 Public Comment DEADLINE: October 16, 2023
by Tom Krisher (Associated Press) The U.S. government wants to raise the fuel economy of new vehicles 18% by the 2032 model year so the fleet would average about 43.5 miles per gallon in real world driving. The proposed numbers were released
July 31, 2023 Read Full Article
Biden Set to Tighten Fuel-Efficiency Standards for Automakers
by Ari Natter, and David Welch (Bloomberg) The Biden administration is poised to issue a proposal as early as Friday ordering automakers to increase the average fuel economy of their vehicles, according to people familiar with the matter. The proposed rule, expected
July 28, 2023 Read Full Article
Ethanol Advocates: EPA Didn't Consider Other Fuels to Cut Tailpipe Emissions in Cars
by Rebecca Thiel (Indiana Public Media) Several industry groups and state attorneys general oppose the rule and said the EPA didn’t consider the role a number of other technologies could play — like hydrogen fuel cells, hybrids or cars that can
July 14, 2023 Read Full Article
US House Republicans Blast EPA Refusal to Appear at EV Hearing
by David Shepardson (Reuters) The Republican majority on a U.S. House of Representatives panel criticized two Environmental Protection Agency officials who declined to appear at a hearing Wednesday on a proposal by President Joe Biden's administration's to cut vehicle emissions and
May 17, 2023 Read Full Article
Biden-Harris Administration Proposes Strongest-Ever Pollution Standards for Cars and Trucks to Accelerate Transition to a Clean-Transportation Future Hearing May 2-3, 2023; Public Comment DEADLINE TBD
(Environmental Protection Agency) Building on rapid advancements and investments in clean vehicle manufacturing, including investments in domestic manufacturing in the Inflation Reduction Act, EPA’s proposed standards would deliver on President Biden’s agenda to tackle the climate crisis Today, the U.S. Environmental
April 12, 2023 Read Full Article
DOE Proposes Slashing Key Metric for Electric Vehicles' Fuel Economy Public Comment DEADLINE: June 12, 2023
by Alex Guillén (Politico Pro) DOE's plan comes just days before EPA is expected to propose significantly reducing the greenhouse gas emissions standards for model year 2027 vehicles. The Energy Department on Monday proposed lowering the calculation used to determine the equivalent fuel
April 11, 2023 Read Full Article
Biden Is Set to Propose Toughest-Ever Rules on Car Pollution to Spur EVs
by Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Proposal will not mandate EVs or ban gas-powered models; EPA will outline standards for cars, light trucks in Detroit -- ... The proposed standards on cars and light trucks, set to be announced Wednesday in Detroit,
April 07, 2023 Read Full Article
Why EPA’s Huge Social Cost of Carbon Might Fail to Halt CO2
by Jean Chemnick (E&E Climatewire) EPA is about to finalize a sky-high value for carbon that could be used whenever the federal government leases land to oil drillers or buys new mail trucks. But its effect on actual policymaking may be limited. The
March 09, 2023 Read Full Article
E85 Fueling Infrastructure Trends: A Decade in Review
by Abby Brown, Haley Erickson, and Emily White (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) This report provides information on ethanol fueling infrastructure and industry trends over the last 10 years. It is informed primarily by ethanol fueling station location data collected through the
January 31, 2023 Read Full Article
Improving the Internal Combustion Engine
by Ron Lyseng (Western Producer/SASK Today) Internal combustion engineers, chemists and scientists are planning to squeeze another century out of the machines. Researchers are making progress to allow both diesel and gasoline burners to meet carbon criteria and the future needs ... There
January 18, 2023 Read Full Article
Ag, States Challenge EPA Action on EVs: Ag Groups, States Say EPA, California Used Back Door to Spread Electric Vehicle Use
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Agriculture, fuel interests and several states see EPA's March 2022 decision to reinstate California's legal authority to implement a zero-emissions vehicle sales mandate and greenhouse gas emissions standards as a back-door way to move the
October 28, 2022 Read Full Article
Ethanol’s Clean Octane Key to EPA Particulate Rule
by Doug Duarante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) Coalition Urges Administrator to Address Mobile Sources -- In a detailed letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC) called on the agency to use its existing
September 13, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA’s Fine PM Rule: A Pitch Ethanol Should Hit Out of the Park
by Doug Durante (Biofuels Digest/Clean Fuels Development Coalition) ... EPA was finalizing their proposed rule to reduce fine particulates. To their credit, they had announced early on that they intended to complete their NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) by August and
September 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Biden-Harris Administration Takes Step Forward to Combat Climate Change, Announces Proposed Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Framework
(Federal Highway Administration) Today, to advance President Biden’s commitment to combat climate change and bring down costs for families, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for states and municipalities to track
July 13, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. Regulators to Propose New Tougher Vehicle Emissions Rules by March
by David Shepardson (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to propose new, more stringent vehicle emissions rules through at least the 2030 model year by March, according to a regulatory update released on Tuesday. In December, the EPA finalized new light-duty tailpipe emissions
June 22, 2022 Read Full Article
USDOT Announces New Vehicle Fuel Economy Standards for Model Year 2024-2026
(U.S. Department of Transportation) Standards to require fleet average of 49 mpg by 2026, save consumers money, and advance U.S. energy independence -- The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today announced new, landmark fuel economy standards which
April 01, 2022 Read Full Article
NHTSA Applies CAFE Penalty Hike for Cars through Model Year 2019
by Alex Guillén (Politico) The Biden administration has issued a final rule applying a major hike in penalties for automakers who fall short of fuel economy standards back through model year 2019 vehicles. The decision is expected to lead to hundreds of millions in
March 28, 2022 Read Full Article
Ohio Soybean Association Joins Federal Petition in Support of Domestic Biofuels
(Ohio Soybean Association/Highland County Press) At a time of growing consensus on the need for greater reliance on domestic fuel sources, the Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) joined other state soybean associations in support of a petition to include biofuels in
March 21, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA Restores California’s Right to Set Stricter Car Regs
by Anne C. Mulkern (E&E News) EPA today officially restored California’s ability to set its own rules for vehicle tailpipe emissions and to require automakers to sell an increasing number of clean cars. The Biden administration granted the nation’s most populous state
March 10, 2022 Read Full Article
Ag Groups Challenge EPA’s Vehicle Emissions Rule
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Representatives of the biofuels industry on Feb. 28 filed two separate petitions in with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging a final rule issued by the U.S. EPA in December setting greenhouse gas (GHG)
March 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Rival Fuel-Makers Unite In Opposing Biden’s Electric-Car Push
by Joel Rosenblatt (Bloomberg) Renewable fuel producers join Valero unit in court challenge; EPA rule governs release of carbon dioxide from car tailpipes -- The gasoline industry and alternative fuel makers, frequent foes, put aside their differences for court challenges to
March 01, 2022 Read Full Article
Texas Leads 14-State Fight On Biden Vehicle Emissions Regs
by Clark Mindock (Law360) A Texas-led group of states is slamming the Biden administration's push to strengthen greenhouse gas standards for auto emissions, telling the D.C. Circuit on Monday it must intervene and stop a purported federal war on fossil fuels. The
March 01, 2022 Read Full Article
Court Ruling on Social Cost of Carbon Upends Biden’s Climate Plans
by Maxine Joselow (Washington Post) A recent court ruling that bars the Biden administration from accounting for the real-world costs of climate change has created temporary chaos at federal agencies, upending everything from planned oil and gas lease sales to infrastructure
February 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Reflections from The Hill
by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... I (Geoff Cooper, Renewable Fuels Association CEO and President) also think the industry understands that we have a vision for the future of ethanol production that’s progressive and exciting. Too many people are
January 28, 2022 Read Full Article
California Missing Opportunity to Better Advance State’s Climate Goals
(Solutions from the Land) California is known for pursuing aggressive greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets and the effort to stem climate change that can achieve those goals. But state leaders were taken aback by research now showing the state is unlikely
January 27, 2022 Read Full Article
Americans Should Pay More for Gas, Not Less
by Jinjoo Lee (Wall Street Journal) There are some glaring holes in the way the U.S. regulates fuel economy and emissions. Understanding how it works (or doesn’t) is key to understanding why oil demand is likely to remain high. --
January 21, 2022 Read Full Article
OPINION: Take the Opportunity to Save on Capital Improvements
by Robert White (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... While the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit expired at the end of 2021, it still provides fuel marketers the ability to claim a tax credit for 30 percent of the cost, up
January 06, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. Reverses Trump Effort to Quash California Vehicle Emissions Rules
by David Shepardson (Reuters) The Biden administration on Tuesday finalized a reversal of a rule issued under then-U.S. President Donald Trump that sought to pre-empt California's vehicle emissions regulations. The Department of Transportation said it was issuing final rules rescinding the Trump
December 23, 2021 Read Full Article
EPA’s Final Vehicle Emissions Rule Fails to Address Biofuels
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Dec. 20 issued a final rule setting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for model year (MY) 2023-2026 passenger cars and light trucks. Despite calls from the renewable fuels industry and several
December 21, 2021 Read Full Article
RFA Analyses of 2022 Automobile Models: More E15 Approvals, but Fewer FFVs
(Renewable Fuels Association) Environmentally conscious and budget-savvy consumers who are in the market for a new car, SUV, or pickup will find both good news and bad news as they peruse auto dealer lots and showrooms this holiday season. The good news?
December 16, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden to Toughen Auto Emissions Limits to Counter Climate Change
by Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg Quint) The Biden administration is preparing to impose more stringent limits on car and truck emissions in an effort to clamp down on a top U.S. source of the greenhouse gases fueling climate change. The standards,
December 16, 2021 Read Full Article
OMB Reveals Expected Timeline for Post-2022 RFS Rule, Other Rules
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Biden administration has signaled its intent to publish a proposed rule setting Renewable Fuel Standard renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for 2023 and beyond next spring. A variety of other rulemakings impacting biofuel producers are
December 14, 2021 Read Full Article
Opinion: Helping Retailers Diversify to Weather Gas Price Debates
by Robert White (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... What is clear, however, is that true energy security and resilience lies in greater fuel diversity, not greater dependence on crude oil. The benefits of ethanol and other biofuels are also clear. Ethanol offers
December 03, 2021 Read Full Article
EPA Delivers Final Vehicle Emissions Standards Rule to OMB
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Nov. 11 submitted its final rule to revise greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for model year (MY) 2023 and later light-duty vehicles to the White House Office of Management and Budget.
November 12, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden’s Crackdown on Auto Emissions to Be Tougher than Proposed
by Jennifer Dlouhy (Bloomberg) EPA head Regan said final mandate to be ‘more aggressive’; Methane curbs for oil wells may also be strengthened -- The Biden administration will strengthen its proposed limits on auto and truck emissions, U.S. environmental chief
November 11, 2021 Read Full Article
ACE Urges EPA Recognize Ethanol’s Role in Reducing Vehicle GHGs and Improving Fuel Efficiency in Final Rule
(American Coalition for Ethanol/GrainNet) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) set forth recommendations today (Sept. 27) on how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards can and should place much greater emphasis on improving the quality of
September 28, 2021 Read Full Article
U.S. Environment Agency Urged by 21 States to Toughen Vehicle Emissions Rewrite
by David Shepardson (Reuters) A group of 21 state attorneys general, the District of Columbia, and several major U.S. cities urged the Biden administration to finalize significantly stricter vehicle emissions rules than it has proposed. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in
September 28, 2021 Read Full Article
EPA Emission Standards Require Improvements in Fuel Quality Public Comment DEADLINE September 27, 2021
(Solutions from the Land) The EPA is proposing to revise the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for light-duty vehicles for 2023 and later model years to make the standards more stringent. As part of an executive order issued in January by President Biden, the
September 16, 2021 Read Full Article
NGVAmerica Asks for NGV Inclusion in Light-duty CAFÉ Standards Redo DEADLINE: September 27, 2021
(NGVAmerica/NGV Journal) NGVAmerica President Dan Gage provided testimony at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) hearing on the Biden administration’s notice of proposed rulemaking to revise the greenhouse gas emission standards for light-duty vehicles for Model Year 2023 and later. The much-expected
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
Biofuels Industry Hopes Its Efforts to Cut GHG Emissions Will Keep It Relevant as White House Pushes EVs
by Jeff Barber (OPIS) After four years of the Trump administration’s often-chaotic approach to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), many in the biofuels industry were hoping President Joe Biden would bring a level of stability and support to the program. While the
August 26, 2021 Read Full Article
The Fuel Economy Rule: An EPA That Won’t See, Hear, or Speak to the Facts
by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Biofuels Digest) The release of the highly anticipated revision of the Safe Affordable Fuel Efficient Vehicle (SAFE) proposed rule this month was, for the biofuels industry, yet another poke in the eye as the EPA
August 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Growth Energy’s Bliley Testifies before EPA on Proposed Emissions Standards
(Growth Energy) Today, Growth Energy’s Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley testified before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during its hearing on the proposed rulemaking, Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards. Earlier this month,
August 25, 2021 Read Full Article
RFA Testimony to EPA Calls for Inclusion of High-Octane Low-Carbon Fuels
(Renewable Fuels Association) In a hearing today on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed greenhouse gas emissions standards for 2023-2026 light-duty vehicles, the Renewable Fuels Association is spotlighting the role high-octane, low-carbon fuels like ethanol can and must play in increasing fuel efficiency
August 25, 2021 Read Full Article
New Proposed Federal Greenhouse Gas, Vehicle Efficiency Standards: A Missed Opportunity to Address Climate Change Now DEADLINE for Public Comment: September 27, 2021
(Solutions from the Land) Earlier this month, the EPA published in the Federal Register a rule proposing its Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards. Seeking public comment through Sept. 27 (a public hearing is set for next Wednesday, Aug. 25),
August 20, 2021 Read Full Article
Costly CAFE: The Biden Administration Is Considering Applying Higher Fines to Car Makers
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) The Biden administration is considering applying higher fines to car makers who missed fuel economy targets for model years 2019 to 2021, potentially reversing one of Trump’s midnight regulations. The National Highway Traffic Safety
August 19, 2021 Read Full Article
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Model Years 2024-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks Public Comment DEADLINE: September 27, 2021 Hearing: August 25, 2021
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) NHTSA, on behalf of the Department of Transportation, is proposing revised fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks for model years 2024-2026. On January 20, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order (EO) 13990, “Protecting
August 13, 2021 Read Full Article
RFA Founder Calls for Correction of EPA Transportation Office’s “Shocking Miscarriage of Environmental Justice”
(Dakota Ag Energy) Speaking to the 14th Annual Bioenergy Conference hosted by Brazilian government and industry stakeholders, the founder of the U.S. Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) charged U.S. EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) bureaucrats with a “shocking
August 10, 2021 Read Full Article
Ethanol Groups to Biden: Biofuels Can Reduce GHG Emissions Now
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) President Biden on Aug. 5 signed an executive order that sets a target to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles. Representatives of the ethanol industry, however, say biofuels can
August 06, 2021 Read Full Article
Proposed EPA Vehicle Emissions Standards Fail to Address Biofuels
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Aug. 5 released a proposed rule to set light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards through 2026. Despite calls from government officials and industry trade groups, the rule does not address
August 06, 2021 Read Full Article
EPA to Overhaul Pollution Standards for Passenger Vehicles and Heavy-Duty Trucks, Paving Way for Zero-Emission Future PUBLIC COMMENT DEADLINE: September 27, 2021
(Environmental Protection Agency) Today (August 5, 2021), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to set robust federal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks to secure pollution reductions through Model Year (MY) 2026. The proposal, which revises
August 06, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Seeks to Electrify Auto Industry: White House Driving Electric Vehicles, Raising Questions on Direction of Biofuel Policies
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) The president will sign an executive order to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 "zero-emission" vehicles, including battery, fuel-cell and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The executive order also will set new long-term
August 05, 2021 Read Full Article
U.S. to Set Electric-Vehicle Sales Target of 50% by 2030
by Ben Foldy and Katy Stech Ferek (Wall Street Journal) General Motors, Ford and Stellantis executives with union leaders are expected to join President Biden in announcing voluntary targets -- Auto makers including General Motors Co. , Ford Motor Co.
August 05, 2021 Read Full Article
To Undo the Damage of Trump Rollbacks, Biden Needs to Set Car Standards Stronger than Obama’s
(American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE)) The Biden administration can soon undo the damage of President Trump’s clean car rollback, but only by setting more stringent standards to make up for lost progress. In the face of recent climate change-related extreme
July 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Governors Ask Biden Administration to Expand the Market for Higher-Octane Gasoline in New Fuel Economy Rule
(Governors' Biofuels Coalition) High-Octane Ethanol Should Replace Carcinogenic Gasoline Aromatics -- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem sent a letter to the Biden Administration pointing out the role that higher-octane ethanol could play in meeting the Administration’s climate and
July 23, 2021 Read Full Article
Groups Urge EPA to Propose Higher Octane Fuel Standard
(South Dakota Farmers Union) South Dakota Farmers Union is among a coalition of agriculture and biofuel groups urging the administration to propose a higher octane fuel standard as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updates its greenhouse gas emissions standards for passenger
July 19, 2021 Read Full Article
Agriculture and Ethanol Groups Echo Automakers Call for Higher-Octane Gasoline Standard in Fuel Economy Rule
(Clean Fuels Development Coalition) Dozens of agricultural, ethanol, automotive, and manufacturing organizations are calling for higher octane in gasoline to help automakers increase vehicle fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gases. In a letter to President Joe Biden, signed by a range
July 14, 2021 Read Full Article
Blocked By EPA, Biofuels Group Asks OMB For Octane Limit In Vehicle Rule
by Stuart Parker (Inside EPA/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) A coalition of biofuels and farm groups, led by former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), is poised to press White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) officials to include a high-octane standard
July 13, 2021 Read Full Article
Buttigieg Hints Fuel Economy Standards Will Be Ambitious
by Josh Siegel (Washington Examiner's Daily on Energy) Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stressed the importance of strict fuel economy standards to clean up the transportation sector because, even as the U.S. shifts to more electric vehicles, gas-powered cars will still be on the
July 12, 2021 Read Full Article
Report — Stronger Tailpipe Rules Coming
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA and the Transportation Department soon will propose a rule boosting federal tailpipe standards almost to Obama-era levels, with an eye toward more aggressive requirements later this decade to goose electric vehicle sales, the
July 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Auto Alliance Underlines Importance of High Octane Low Carbon Fuels
by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) Commends Daschle HOLC Alliance Fight for National Higher Octane Gasoline Standard in SAFE-2 Rule -- The Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC) called a recent letter from automakers in support of high octane
June 25, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Hits Roadblocks on Path to Low-Carbon Economy
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) ... The decision by a Louisiana federal judge Wednesday requiring the Department of Interior to end its pause on oil and gas leasing came as the administration’s plan to spend hundreds of billions of dollars
June 18, 2021 Read Full Article
EPA Previews More Tailpipe Rules
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA air officials said Tuesday they’re in the early stages of additional regulations related to conventional and greenhouse gas emissions from tailpipes. The agency says it is on track to propose new federal light-duty
June 16, 2021 Read Full Article
A Two for One – Biofuels Reduce Carbon for Both Climate and Health
by Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative/Biofuels Digest) ... Carbon emissions include not just CO2 but a range of unburned hydrocarbons that are criteria pollutants that form ground level ozone, or summertime smog. Fine and ultra-fine particulates from toxic aromatics in gasoline
June 08, 2021 Read Full Article
California Urges EPA to Let State Set Car-Emissions Standard
by Matthew Daly (Associated Press) Officials from California, New York and other states urged the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday to allow California to set its own automobile tailpipe pollution standards, an action that would reverse a Trump administration policy and
June 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Carper Urges Tough US Rules Barring Gas-Powered Cars by 2035
by Hope Yen and Tom Krisher (Associated Press) A top Senate Democrat is urging U.S. anti-pollution standards that would follow a deal brokered by California with five automakers and then set targets to end sales of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035,
May 01, 2021 Read Full Article
Regan Defends EPA Budget Boost, Role of Ethanol and Biofuels in Emissions Reduction
by Spencer Chase (Agri-Pulse) ... On the issue of biofuels, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, pressed (Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael) Regan on the administration’s views on the future of ethanol, expressing her concern about the fact that advanced biofuels are
April 29, 2021 Read Full Article
California Scores Tailpipe Emissions Win
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) The EPA on Monday said it will reassess the Trump-era rule preventing California from setting stricter car pollution standards than the federal government after a similar move last week by the National Highway Traffic
April 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Administration Takes Step toward Allowing California to Set Its Own Tailpipe Emissions Standards
by Rachel Frazin (The Hill) ... The Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed a withdrawal of its part of a Trump-era rule that preempted states from setting their own standards. Early next week, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected
April 23, 2021 Read Full Article
Experts on the Outside Looking in: EPA’s Technical Experts Were Largely Shut out
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA’s technical experts were largely shut out of the rulemaking process when the Trump administration rolled back tailpipe greenhouse gas standards, according to a report by the agency’s internal watchdog. OIG’s review could help
April 21, 2021 Read Full Article
Ethanol Infrastructure Push: RFA Makes Case for Including Biofuels in Infrastructure Plans
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) After renewable biofuels appeared to be effectively shut out of President Joe Biden's plan for infrastructure, leaders in the ethanol industry and their advocates on Capitol Hill are trying to make the case that biofuels
April 20, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Wins CAFE Penalty Court Dispute
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York has sided with the Biden administration in a lovers’ quarrel with green groups, blue states and Tesla over the Trump administration’s delay
April 07, 2021 Read Full Article
Tailpipe Litigation Put in Park
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) Despite procedural objections from states and environmentalists, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday granted the Biden administration's request to pause litigation over federal auto emissions and fuel economy standards. That will give
April 05, 2021 Read Full Article
Auto Industry Urges Biden to Back 'Comprehensive' EV Plan
by David Shephardson (Reuters) ... “Neither the current trajectory of consumer adoption of EVs, nor existing levels of federal support for supply- and demand-side policies, is sufficient to meet our goal of a net-zero carbon transportation future.” The White House did not
March 30, 2021 Read Full Article
Meeting Emissions Goals Will Save Consumers A LOT of Money -- Fact Sheet: Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards
(Consumer Reports) The Biden-Harris Administration has committed to getting the U.S. on a path to a low-carbon economy by 2050, bringing back the Obama-Biden vehicle standards, and setting new, ambitious ones. Meeting those commitments will require steady progress on gasoline vehicle
March 23, 2021 Read Full Article
Mess with Texas: Time for a 2nd Look at Electric Vehicles
by Burl Haigwood (Clean Fuels Development Coalition) ... Imagine it is 2050 and Texas gets hit by another winter storm, flood, heat wave, or God forbid, a physical or cyber terrorist attack on a vulnerable electric power system. As news cameras
March 18, 2021 Read Full Article
Corn Growers Back Higher Ethanol Blends
by Kellan Heavican (Brownfield Ag News) A group of midwestern corn growers associations is attempting to raise fuel efficiency standards by increasing the ethanol blend. ... Nebraska Corn introduced a resolution at the recent Corn Congress calling for 95 RON E15,
March 15, 2021 Read Full Article
A Large PR Firm Pledged to Fight Climate Change. Then It Took Millions from a Notorious Fossil Fuel Trade Group.
by Zahra Hirji and Kendall Taggart (BuzzFeed News) Edelman, a PR firm that’s pledged to “work with an environmental conscience,” was paid $4 million to promote one of the most extreme fossil fuel trade groups in the country, new tax
March 15, 2021 Read Full Article
Automakers Push for Lower Emissions Standard
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) Automakers are proposing a vehicle emissions standard lower than both the Obama administration's rates and the deal that California set with five automakers, the Associated Press reports. The standards would be above the Trump administration’s
March 15, 2021 Read Full Article
CFDC Calls On EPA to Prioritize Octane in New Fuel Economy Rule
(Clean Fuels Development Coalition) The Clean Fuels Development Coalition called the pending revision of the nation’s fuel economy rules one of the most immediate and tangible actions the Biden Administration can take to address a range of issues impacting climate, health,
March 12, 2021 Read Full Article
SDFU Calls for Repeal & Replace of Fuel Economy Rule to Include Octane and Higher Ethanol Blends
by Rusty Halvorson (KFGO) Speaking at the National Farmers Union National Convention February 26, 2021, South Dakota Chapter President Doug Sombke said ethanol advocates need to prioritize support for a high octane standard in the new fuel economy rule that could triple
March 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Virginia Expected to Adopt Clean Car Standards
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The Virginia legislature is poised to adopt California's vehicle emissions standards after the measure cleared the state Senate on Friday, reports the Virginia Mercury. The clean car standards in House Bill 1965 — which won the
February 22, 2021 Read Full Article
POET Urges Biden Climate Team to Grasp E15 Philosophy
(Biofuels International) POET has urged the new Biden administration to embrace E15. The world’s largest biofuels producer, based in Sioux Falls in South Dakota, has also welcomed the new President’s leadership in making climate a top priority. ... Rob Walther, vice president of
February 19, 2021 Read Full Article
Carper Dishes on Climate, Environment Landscape
by Zach Coleman (Politico's Morning Energy) Even if Biden's regulations fall short of environmentalists' wishes, the U.S. is poised for success reducing greenhouse gas emissions given the trajectory of "market forces" in the power and utility sectors, Senate Environment and
February 18, 2021 Read Full Article
Morgan Stanley: Gasoline Industry Is about to Become Totally Worthless
by Alex Kimani (OilPrice.com) The average energy investor is by now well aware of the sector's monumental shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy. ... ... Indeed, the global EV sector now carries a higher valuation than the global ICE sector despite
February 11, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Team in Talks with Utilities, Car Companies about Emissions: Climate Adviser
by Jeff Mason and Valerie Volcovici (Reuters) U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has started discussions with the utility and automobile sectors about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, White House domestic climate change adviser Gina McCarthy told Reuters. ... The White House has met some
February 04, 2021 Read Full Article
To Make the U.S. Auto Fleet Greener, Increasing Fuel Efficiency Matters More Than Selling Electric Vehicles
by John DeCicco (The Conversation) ... Motorcars stay on the road for a long time, so failing to adequately reduce gasoline vehicle emissions this year burdens the atmosphere with excess carbon dioxide (CO2) for many years ahead. ... The media spotlight on EVs
February 04, 2021 Read Full Article
EPA Races to Draft Interim Auto Standards for CO2
by Maxine Joselow (E&E News) President Biden's EPA is expected to draft interim auto emissions standards based on an agreement last year between California and five car companies, according to sources following the matter. EPA is poised to unveil the interim
February 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Toyota, Fiat Chrysler Drop Support for Trump Effort to Bar California Emissions Rules
by David Shepardson (Reuters/Yahoo!Finance) Toyota Motor Corp, Fiat Chrysler and other major automakers said on Tuesday they were joining General Motors in abandoning support for former President Donald Trump's effort to bar California from setting its own zero emission vehicle rules. The
February 03, 2021 Read Full Article
General Motors to Eliminate Gasoline and Diesel Light-Duty Cars and SUVs by 2035: Big U.S. Automaker Says It Will Invest Heavily in Electric Vehicles and Become Carbon Neutral by 2040
by Steven Mufson (Washington Post) General Motors said Thursday that it will end the sale of all gasoline and diesel powered passenger cars and light sports utility vehicles by 2035, marking an historic turning point for the iconic American automobile
January 28, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Administration to Review SAFE Vehicles Rule
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA's Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficiency (SAFE) Vehicles Rule is one of the many federal regulations that are set to be reviewed by the Biden administration, according to an executive order issued Jan. 20. “Our Nation has an abiding
January 26, 2021 Read Full Article
All EVs by 2035? Report Shows Roadblocks
by David Ferris (E&E News) This study, an update by the California Energy Commission on the state's EV charging needs, is the first to try to game out the implications of Gov. Gavin Newsom's earthshaking order to ban the sale of
January 25, 2021 Read Full Article
Renewed Focus on Climate Legislation Could Help Biofuels
by Sara Wyant (Ag Week) The biofuel industry argues that President-elect Joe Biden can also make progress on his climate goals by expanding biofuel usage mandates, embracing a low carbon fuel policy and increasing vehicle emissions standards. Now that Democrats have
January 19, 2021 Read Full Article
NHTSA DelaysPenalty Hike for Automakers
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that a 150 percent jump in civil penalties for automakers that don't meet fuel economy requirements won't take effect until model year 2022, a move that could
January 13, 2021 Read Full Article
Minnesota Announces Rule-making, Making It the First State in the Midwest to Adopt Clean Car Standards
(Sierra Club) Today (December 18, 2020), the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) announced it will publish its draft Clean Car Standards on Monday, which would require new cars sold in the state to emit less climate-disrupting pollution. The rule also regulates that
December 22, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA Review: Automakers Approve E15 in Nearly All 2021 Vehicles, but FFV Offerings Continue to Slide
(Renewable Fuels Association) An annual analysis of vehicle owner’s manuals and warranty statements by the Renewable Fuels Association reveals that while nearly all new 2021 automobiles are explicitly approved by the manufacturer to use E15 gasoline, far fewer models are being offered as
December 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Ford Says Automakers Should Consider Backing California Emissions Deal
by David Shepardson (Reuters) Ford Motor Co is urging major automakers to consider backing a framework deal with California on vehicle emissions in a bid to reach industry consensus before President-elect Joe Biden takes office, according to a letter seen
December 01, 2020 Read Full Article
A National Zero Carbon Transportation Plan for the US
by Dan Sperling, Lew Fulton, and Vicki Arroyo (University of California Davis) ... Summary of Policy Recommendations Rapidly increase the sales of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) by implementing the following: National ZEV sales requirements for cars National ZEV sales and fleet
November 27, 2020 Read Full Article
GM Reverses on Trump, Exits Suit Challenging California's Tougher Emissions Standards
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) ... General Motors will no longer be siding with the Trump administration in a legal battle to hinder California’s ability to set tougher vehicle emissions standards. In a letter to environmental groups involved in the same suit,
November 24, 2020 Read Full Article
California Official Sees State Auto Emissions Deal as 'Template' for Biden
by Nichola Groom, David Shepardson (Reuters) California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols, who sources say could be the next federal environment chief, said on Thursday her state’s agreement with manor automakers for fuel efficiency requirements could serve as a “good
November 13, 2020 Read Full Article
US ELECTIONS: Results Show Deeper Divide on Energy Issues, Tough Path for Tackling Climate
by Meghan Gordon, Jasmin Melvin and Maya Weber (S&P Global Platts) Lack of 'blue wave' to sweep in climate agenda; Fracking faceoff amplifies rural-urban divide; Status quo embraced in governor, state house races -- ... "Energy remains a powerful wedge
November 05, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA, Others Seek Certainty and Consistency in EPA Treatment of Flex Fuel Vehicles
(Renewable Fuels Association) In comments submitted today to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding emissions standard compliance calculations for Flex Fuel vehicles (FFVs), the Renewable Fuels Association supported the EPA’s new approach to maintaining some level of certainty for automakers in the absence