by Yu Wang, Ming‐Hsun Cheng, Mark Mba Wright (Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining)  Converting corncobs into fuel ethanol is different from converting stover because cobs have higher hemicellulose and lower lignin than stover. Current research provides life‐cycle assessments …

by Jessie Stolark (Energy and Environmental Study Institute)  On Wednesday July 25, the House Energy & Commerce Committee held a hearing to educate members on the complexities of the compliance markets for biofuels, as Environment and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The US Department of Energy has a key project called Co-Optima, which aims to determine key fuel properties that enable improved engine efficiency, provide key science to enable high efficiency combustion …

(VNG/NGVAmerica/NGV Journal)  On July 23, U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Marietta) introduced HR-6476 the Light-Duty Natural Gas Vehicle Parity Act of 2018 in the US House of Representatives, a companion to Senate bill 3226 introduced by Sen. …

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy)   House Transportation Chairman Bill Shuster released his long-awaited infrastructure discussion draft on Monday. The Pennsylvania Republican proposes a short-term boost to the gasoline tax before ending the tax in …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In Croatia, not to be left behind as the European Union moves towards advanced biofuel consumption, the government has approved a 0.1% blending mandate for second generation fuels but it could be …

(Renewable Fuels Association)  The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) made an announcement today that marks the beginning of a new era for the ethanol industry’s leading trade association. Executive Vice President Geoff Cooper will assume the position …

by David R. Baker (San Francisco Chronicle)  … Emissions from transportation — cars, trucks, trains, planes and ships — keep rising. And since transportation accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than any other sector, that must …

by Robert Walton (Utility Dive)  Rising electricity demand could lead to sustained absolute growth of 80 terawatt-hours per year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.  —  … The study considers three scenarios, …

by Kelly Gilblom and Anna Hirtenstein  (Bloomberg)  BP and Shell have bought electric-car charging companies; Power utilities are boosting sales to homes, chargers on roads  —  A red-hot electric vehicle market has triggered a face-off between Big Oil and …

by Stephen Briers (Fleet News)  Change the debate to get true global picture on emissions says manufacturer as it continues to examine powertrain technology options. —  At a time when most of its rivals are distancing themselves …

(U.S. Energy Information Administration)  Autonomous vehicles are one of the main sources of uncertainty in the future of U.S. transportation energy consumption, as autonomous vehicle technology has the potential to change travel behavior, vehicle design, energy …

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News)  On Monday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) rolled out a draft proposal of its Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulation, which is part of CARB’s strategy to transition the state’s heavy-duty mobile …

by Nicholas Deshais (The Spokesman-Review/GovTech)  Seattle has the most alternative-fuel vehicles in its municipal fleet. But its fleet is supposed to be 100 percent alternative.  —  … In 2007, Washington state Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a law …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  What are the strategic plans, progress and future milestones of BASF, a major stakeholder in the Advanced Bioeconomy?
In this slide deck, BASF gets into technologies, results, horizons, timelines, direct investments, partnerships and alliances …

(Diesel Technology Forum)  The following is an open letter from Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, regarding the California Air Resources Board’s scheduled vote on the State’s spending plans for $423 million …

by Heesu Lee (Bloomberg)   Fuel efficient engines to cut oil demand by 7.5m b/d by 2040; Demand from cars to peak in 2022 before falling to 15.9m b/d  —  Oil demand is set to face an even bigger …

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy)  While the numbers are still making their way through the regulatory process, sources tell Pro’s Eric Wolff, refiners can expect to blend 500 million more gallons of advanced biofuels …

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News)  Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including Energy Vision, the New York League of Conservation Voters and WE ACT for Environmental Justice, are calling on New York City to stop buying heavy-duty diesel vehicles …

by Gavin Blade (Utility Dive)  o  A coalition of utilities and electric transportation companies sued the Enviornmental Protection Agency earlier this month over its efforts to roll back automotive fuel efficiency standards set by the Obama administration. 

The …

by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner)  Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is listing 35 minerals used in aircraft, cellphones, and other important technologies as “vital” to national security in a move to wean the U.S. off foreign suppliers.
The …

The Manhattan Institute looked at “zero emission vehicles” and found:

Broad-based adoption of ZEVs will increase overall emissions of sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, and particulates, compared with the same number of new internal combustion engines. …

(Manhattan Institute)  Many claim that “zero-emissions vehicles” (ZEVs), especially battery-powered electric vehicles, should replace most, if not all, cars and trucks powered by gasoline-burning internal combustion engines. The primary rationale is to reduce air pollution and …

By Steve Bi* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Part one of this article addressed the first two consensuses emerging from international biofuels research and business initiatives discussed in Brussels April 10-12, 2018: first, that bioenergy must be …

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com)  The future is bright for electric vehicles and ethanol to work together to increase future vehicle energy efficiencies and reduce costs for consumers, according to Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen …

(Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection)  The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is accepting grant applications for innovative, advanced fuel, and vehicle technology projects that will result in cleaner advanced alternative transportation within the commonwealth. DEP’s …

(Renewable Fuels Association)  At the National Ethanol Conference in February, speakers offered differing views on the potential for electric vehicles in the vehicle marketplace, and the perceived threat to liquid transportation fuels and the internal combustion engine. The topic continues …

by Camille von Kaenel (E&E News)  … The Trump administration’s efforts to weaken vehicle pollution requirements could set up a split U.S. market, concentrating fuel-efficient cars in mostly Democratic states and gas guzzlers in the red …

by Claudia Assis (Market Watch)  A shortfall in supplies of metals such as cobalt, copper, lithium and nickel is likely to slow down the production of batteries for electric vehicles, Moody’s Investors Service said in a …

by Gavin Bade (Utility Dive)  Utility companies clashed with oil industry interests over electric vehicle and fuel subsidies at a meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative political group, last Friday.
Oil-backed groups led …

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy)  The Trump administration plans to argue that California does not have the authority to enforce stringent greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars, despite the Obama administration’s 2009 waiver, according to a …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … US gasoline prices are at a three-year high, says CNBC.
This time, the response has been to dither on biofuels and to point to reasonably dismal sales of EVs as evidence that …

by James Stafford (OilPrice.com)  It’s the modern gold rush. Around the world, the most sought-after mineral isn’t a precious metal, nor is it oil and gas…it’s lithium. Lithium, or “white petroleum” as some call it, has become a crucial …

by Jieyi Lu (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  Making Vehicles More Efficient Is Critical to Reduce Emissions  —  … Over the next 30 years, electric vehicles (EVs) will grow and fuel economy will increase, but conventional gasoline …

by Evan Halper (Los Angeles Times)  The Trump administration is embracing a curious — and some would say dated — argument as it builds its case to weaken federal rules championed by California that require …

(BioFuture Platform)  Several international initiatives and organizations met in Brussels to discuss the need and the ways to scale up low carbon fuels in transport. The international conference, titled “The role of low carbon fuels in …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In the Netherlands and England, Shell released its most definitive statement yet on its low-carbon future and committed to 50% lower emissions by 2050 and net zero by 2070 in its …

by Francois De Beaupuy and Ania Nussbaum  (Bloomberg)  Global Bioenergies looks to extract fuels from non-food crops; Unlike ethanol, fuel works in any engine in high concentration  —  A German luxury carmaker and a French biotech company have joined …

by Benjamin Storrow (E&E News) … Transportation emissions threaten to undercut blue states’ climate goals, raising questions about their ability to lead U.S. climate efforts at a time when the federal government is rolling back …

Speaking of resilience, Biofuels Digest’s Jim Lane described the danger in putting all our eggs into the electric vehicle basket, “Exchanging dependence on one set of scarce materials for another — petroleum for battery metals …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) delegates will hear quite a bit about blockchain, gene editing and about proteins for the food chain and as an advanced material. There’s a …

(Argus Media)  China faces several challenges to hit an ambitious 10pc (E10) ethanol blending target in its gasoline fuel mix by 2020, according to participants at the Argus China Ethanol conference in Beijing.
The government announced the …

by Todd Spangler and Eric Lawrence (Detroit Free Press) … General Motors said that, regardless of what standard is ultimately set, it remained committed to “improving fuel economy, reducing emissions and an all-electric future,” including working on …

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)  On April 2, 2018, the Administrator signed the Mid-term Evaluation Final Determination which finds that the model year 2022-2025 greenhouse gas standards are not appropriate in light of the record before EPA …

by James Cogan (Ethanol Europe Renewables Ltd/Biofuels Digest)  The CEOs of Europe’s big ethanol firms (Tereos, Cristal Union, Alco Group, Crop Energies) are under seige.  
They are battling imported and sometimes fake used cooking oil, not-yet-viable advanced fuels, …

by Chris Mooney and Steven Mufson (The Washington Post)  Royal Dutch Shell on Monday outlined a scenario in which, by 2070, we would be using far less of the company’s own product — oil — as cars …

by Gavin Blade (Utility Dive)  o  California will need between 229,000 and 279,000 electric vehicle chargers in public locations and multi-unit dwellings by 2025 to meet Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) goals of having 5 million …

by Alexander Richter (Think GeoEnergy)  An executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump to support mining activities for critical minerals, could present a boost to lithium mining activities in the U.S. and indirectly help some geothermal …

by Graham Noyes and Doug Durante (Low Carbon Fuels Coalition/Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Biofuels Digest)  … While not as entertaining to watch as a Godzilla film with a three-headed flying monster, the current regulatory struggle over national …

by Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Ryan Beene and John Lippert (Bloomberg Politics)  Pruitt warns California isn’t in driver’s seat on car rules; EPA faces April 1 deadline to decide on current requirements  —  The Trump administration’s chief environmental regulator …

by Betsy Lillian (NGT News)  Efficient Drivetrains Inc. (EDI), a provider of zero-emissions hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) drivetrain solutions, has announced the completion of a California Energy Commission (CEC) program to integrate the EDI PowerDrive …

by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle)  Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday she believed an electric vehicle revolution was coming and Congress is eager to make policy changes and fund research to help the automotive industry transition.
“We’re looking …

by Naomi Tajitsu  (Reuters)  Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) stuck to its commitment to improving petrol engines on Monday with new powertrain units, while flagging technologies which could find their way into electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen fuel …

(The California Advanced Biofuels Alliance /Biodiesel Magazine)  At the California Advanced Biofuels Conference March 1 in Sacramento, Jennifer Case, chair of California Advanced Biofuels Alliance, gave her annual address to a packed house that has evolved to …

by Kelsey Tamborrino  (Politico’s Morning Energy)  ME never thought global oil companies would be huge fans of electric vehicles, but the regularity of their bashing of the vehicles caught us by surprise. BP CEO Bob Dudley and …

by Todd C. Frankel and Lena Mucha (photos) (The Washington Post)  In Congo’s sun-scorched and dusty south, thousands of miners scour underground tunnels hunting for cobalt. Many of them work by hand. That’s why they are …

(Steele Guru/Auto News)  ETAuto reported that when the auto industry is going gung hu about electric vehicles, Swedish commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturer Scania India is still betting big on biodiesel fuel. Mr Stefan Palskog, President of …

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy)  Rep. John Shimkus’ E&C energy subcommittee will hold a “future of transportation fuels” hearing next week. “Because of the evolving nature of the Renewable Fuel Standard, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy …

by Robert J. Samuelson (The Washington Post)  … It’s true that the Trump administration has withdrawn from the Paris climate agreement, making any transition harder. But the problems transcend President Trump’s disengagement, as a new study from the oil …

(European Automobile Manufacturers Association)  The European Commission presented its Clean Mobility Package on 8 November 2017. Besides a number of legislative and non-legislative initiatives, the Commission also launched an Action Plan on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure as …

by Julia Pyper (GreenTechMedia)  BP’s latest Energy Outlook forecasts a peak in oil demand for the first time—while renewables will grow even faster than previously expected.  —  BP’s latest Energy Outlook sees peak oil on the horizon for the …

by Thomas Wilson and Jack Farchy (Bloomberg)  Output at Congo’s artisanal mines probably rose at least half; Metal vital to many electric vehicles has tripled in 18 months  — The appetite for electric cars is driving a …

(Biofuels International)  A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says the EU could double the renewable share in its energy mix, cost effectively, from 17% in 2015 to 34% in 2030.
In order to reach long …

by John Herath (Ag Pro)  As the United States looks to craft a clean fuel future for transportation, biofuels should not be lost behind electric vehicles according to Geoff Cooper of the Renewable Fuels Association.
“To say that …

by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News)  Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen says while electric cars are probably ten years away from becoming a “meaningful reality”, it’s a trend the ethanol industry needs to discuss.
“Electric …

In his article suggesting scrapping Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards in favor of a Clean Air Act life cycle analysis-based methodology for CO2 transportation emission reduction, Bob Kozak advised, “(I)f anyone asks what will be …

by Robert Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  The 2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard of 54.5 miles/gallon has become a significant issue since the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. Besides the …

by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  “If we do not break the lock-in effect of our dominant fuel sources, we may in fact facilitate mother nature in breaking the lock-out of her dominant species,” wrote …

by John Voelcker (Green Car Reports)  It’s accepted wisdom among electric-car fans and advocates that within a few years, mass-market car buyers will start snapping up battery-electric cars.
First, battery prices have to come down to the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …  The particulars are the subject of a white paper from a team at Propel Fuels — Rob Elam, Will Faulkner, Chris LaPlante, Parker Chase — and available here.
Un-Penalizing the Poor
The topics …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  When it comes to the future of the combustion engine, what are the future developments from a scientific viewpoint?
That’s the ambitious topic that Gennadi Zikoridse of the University of Applied Sciences Dresden took …

by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest)   In 2007 the US government established a national strategy for the development of advanced biofuels made using non-edible biomass. After 10 years we are still short of achieving …

by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) On January 22, 2018, the 15th International Conference on Renewable Mobility titled “Fuels of the Future” was opened up by a discussion with Members of the European Parliament, as …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  Even though the petroleum and biodiesel industries rarely see eye to eye on U.S. energy policy, the two factions find common ground in a new threat to all liquid fuels—electric vehicles. …

by David Bennett   (Convenience Store Decisions)  Whether it’s teaming with Tesla to install charging stations or integrating alternative fuel solutions, retailers are part of a changing transportation marketplace.  —  … Some analysts insist the internal combustion engine …

by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  On December 13th, SAE International moderated a webinar clarifying how the energy grid prepares to support a high volume of fully electric, autonomous vehicles in the coming future.
In order …

(Convenience Store News)  … Consumers and Alternative Fuels 2017, the latest installment of the Fuels Institute’s annual measure of American consumers’ sentiment on vehicle purchases, found that significantly more consumers stated they were very likely or …

by Ryan Beene (Bloomberg)  California would ban the sale of new cars and trucks powered by fossil fuels in 2040 under legislation introduced Wednesday in the state legislature. 
“We’re at an inflection point: we’ve got to address …

by Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times)The suspensions pointed to Beijing’s growing willingness to test forceful antipollution measures and assume a leading role in the fight against climate change. READ MORE

by Allen Schaeffer (Diesel Technology Forum/The Hill)  … The Sierra Club’s has offered a one size, all-electrification-fits-all recommendation — that would just be another bad choice that would actually lead to dirtier air for a longer time. There …

by Jack Stewart (Wired)  For all the hype, electric cars still make up a tiny percentage of global vehicle sales. Like, less than one percent tiny. But there’s a growing movement around the world to put a …

by Jason Hall (The Motley Fool)  As countries around the world shift toward cleaner energy sources, the transport industry is ripe for some green disruption.  —  … In this week’s episode of Industry Focus: Energy, Sarah Priestley and Jason …

by Paola Tamma (EurActiv) Biofuel producers in the Visegrad countries plus Lithuania and Bulgaria have warned that a phase-out of biofuels will lead to a phase-in of ‘greenwashed’ fossil fuels under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), …

by Shawn McCarthy  (Globe and Mail)  The federal government is moving to implement regulations to require all providers of fossil-fuel energy to reduce the carbon content of their fuels as part of its effort to meet …

(Fuels Institute)  A report released today (December 12, 2017) by the Fuels Institute finds a strong disconnect between what potential car buyers say they will do and what they actually do when it comes to …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … What are the top trends? Here are the 11 we see dominating the debate on the stage and on the floor.
Jet fuel deployment – how much, how soon, by whom? …

(Diesel Technology Forum) There are about 950,000 commercial trucks registered in California, and the vast majority are powered by diesel engines.
State law says that in 2023 and after, only trucks meeting or exceeding 2011 diesel …

(Propel)  New study outlines how to make America’s most important low carbon policy more equitable. —  According to new research, low carbon liquid fuels must play a more significant role to meet California’s 2020 and 2030 carbon …

by Alyssa Danigelis (Environmental Leader)  The amount of carbon dioxide emissions from the transportation sector continues to exceed the amount from electricity production in the United States, according to the latest data from the US Energy Information …

by Ryan Beene and Dana Hull (Bloomberg)  Assemblymember Ting says he will introduce proposal next month; Only ‘clean’ cars could be registered by DMV under bill: Ting  —  A California lawmaker wants to put the state alongside China, France and …

(Automotive World/European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association)   In line with the objectives of the European Commission’s Mobility Package, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) held an event on Wednesday 29 November to explore the potential of the …

by  Marko Janhunen (EurActiv/Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels)  The International Energy Agency confirms that sustainable biofuels are needed to secure transport decarbonisation. The European Parliament’s Industry Committee, for its part, confirms the need to set a specific …

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  … Global leaders will need to decide on and implement deep decarbonization strategies for every major sector – energy, transportation, agriculture and forestry, buildings, and industry.  And the …

(DEUTZ)  …   DEUTZ has now approved the engine series TCD 2.9 / 3.6 / 4.1 / 6.1 / 7.8 / 12.0 / 16.0 under the current EU Stage IV / US Tier 4 standard, as …

(Union of Concerned Scientistst)  Statement by Ken Kimmell, Union of Concerned Scientists  —  Leading environmental, health, scientific and business organizations today applauded the announcement by seven states and Washington, D.C. of plans to develop a regional policy …

by Anne C. Mulkern, ClimateWire  (Scientific American)  State leaders are discussing banning the sale of cars that run on gasoline or diesel  —  … Switching to all clean cars would require a herculean transformation in the Golden State. …

(New England Power Generators Association)  NEPGA letter – with the Acadia Center, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and Union of Concerned Scientists – calling for a regional approach to lowering transportation emissions in a market …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Recently, Lexus’ Paul Williamsen told Australia’s CarAdvice team:
“Both hybrid and EVs are merely bridging technologies on the way to the solution, which is hydrogen. The problem with EVs is a simple matter …

by Thomas Wilson (Bloomberg)  Congo supplies much of the cobalt needed for electric vehicles
Political conflict, disputes, law changes put supply at risk  —  The cars of the future will depend increasingly upon supplies of an obscure metal …

by Kari Lydersen (Midwest Energy News)  … But a recent study by the global consulting firm Deloitte argues that utilities should embrace electric vehicles even more aggressively, treating them almost like power plants and “batteries on wheels,” incorporating them …

by Joseph Bebon (NGT News)  On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down H.B.1449, a bill that sought to implement an annual fee on electric vehicles (EVs), ruling the tax unconstitutional because the fee was untethered from a …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … No, Virginia, there isn’t any green premium in renewable fuels, chemicals or materials. Actually, there isn’t any premium available for any product, anywhere, at any time, green or not, if it is distributed as a commodity and …

(Alliance to Save Energy)  Audi’s Scott Keogh and National Grid’s Dean Seavers Lead “50 by 50” Commission  —  Today the Alliance to Save Energy chartered a national commission of business, government and civil society leaders that will work together to develop a …

by Vanessa Dezem and Fabiana Batista (Bloomberg Technology)  Brazil leading international effort to expand industry; Biofuel investments worldwide are down 25% this year  …  Brazil is positioning itself as a global biofuels ambassador, fighting climate change by spurring demand …

By Kana Nishizawa (Bloomberg)  Infrastructure spend is ‘so large,’ it will force innovation; China to account for third of global EV infra spend by 2040  —  A $2.7 trillion chasm stands between electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed …

by Alanna Petroff (CNN) China, the world’s largest car market, is working on a plan to ban the production and sale of vehicles powered only by fossil fuels. 
It has plenty of company: India, France, Britain and Norway want to ditch gas …

(STA)  The Slovenian government adopted on Thursday a strategy on alternative fuels in the transportation sector under which the registration of new diesel and petrol cars would be prohibited after 2030.
The government has not opted for …

In a recent Washington Post column, George Will bemoaned governments’ announcements to “ban, at an undetermined date, sales of vehicles powered by fossil fuels in their tanks. (Electric vehicles will be powered mostly by fossil-fuel-generated …

by Melanie Zanona (The Hill)  … Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), who has also been leading a House push to pave the way for autonomous vehicles, reintroduced a bill that would promote investments in the research and …

by  Brian Love (Reuters)  Target is 10 years ahead of national deadline;  Goal is to fight smog in host city of 2024 Olympics (Updates)  —  Paris authorities plan to banish all petrol- and diesel-fuelled cars from the world’s …

by Alanis King (Jalopnik)  1st Gear: Surprise, Self-Driving Cars Need A Lot Of ‘Brain’ Power  —  Oh, you want an electric car that can also shuttle you around without you having to move a muscle? What do you …

by Keith Laing (Detroit News)  General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra said Tuesday that Chinese officials should consider whether there is sufficient demand for electric cars before they move to ban gasoline and diesel engines.
Speaking at …

(Huggins Consulting Group LLC/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Competitive landscape, innovative technologies and emerging energy policy were hot topics as a diverse group of nearly 150 thought leaders, industry representatives, researchers and suppliers convened in the heart of …

(Neste Corporation)  Neste has published a business environment outlook called Taking Action on Climate Change. It discusses key changes taking place in the energy, transport and chemicals markets. As global commitment to tackle climate change requires major efforts to …

by Liz Gyekye (Bioenergy Insight)  The future of bioethanol, advanced biofuel developments and an uncertain policy landscape were some of the hot topics discussed at this year’s Biofuels International and Bioenergy Insight conference.
The conference took place in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 4-5th October.
Rob …

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com)  The 2017 Renewables outlook from the International Energy Agency (IEA) is once again projecting continued increased demand for conventional biofuels.
The report notes that while sales of electric vehicles are increasing, “the share of EVs …

In responding to a Biofuels Digest article, Union of Concerned Scientists’ Jeremy Martin urges cooperation: “Cutting oil use and transportation emissions is a big job and a major opportunity for both renewable fuels, renewable electricity …

(Global Renewable Fuels Alliance)  Today (October 5, 2017), Bliss Baker, the President of the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA), reacted to the latest IEA’s medium-term outlook on renewable energy by noting that once again projections are anticipating …

(Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  On October 5, EESI submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on their midterm evaluation of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for …

Biofuels Digest’s Jim Lane analyzes the cost and emissions profile for electric vehicles compared to “gasoline-powered” ones.  The findings? On price, the lowest-cost option is a Cruze running on E85 conventional ethanol — which also …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Electrics are improving on emissions and cost, but not enough to make driving an electric car the smart choice for consumers looking to save time and reduce environmental impacts. According to …

(GreenAir Online)   European low-cost carrier easyJet believes commercial flights using all-electric aircraft could be possible within the next decade, with a further ambitious goal that every short-haul flight is zero-emissions within 20 years. At its Innovation Day last …

by James Ayre (Clean Technica)  The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration has announced a new $55 million grant program that will see funding provided to various regional transit organizations for the purchase of …

(BBC)  China, the world’s biggest car market, plans to ban the production and sale of diesel and petrol cars and vans.  The country’s vice minister of industry said it had started “relevant research” but that …

by Andreas de Vries & Salman Ghouri (OilPrice.com)  Two diametrically opposed views dominate the current debate about where the oil price is heading. On the one hand, there is the view that the price of …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  Today (August 22, 2017), the Energy Department (DOE) announced $13.4 million in support of five new cost-shared, community-based projects focused on energy efficient mobility systems including connected and autonomous vehicles and …

(NGV Journal/Straus Family Creamery)  California dairy farmer Albert Straus, a pioneer in organic dairy and sustainable agriculture, announced the launch of the first full-scale electric truck—powered by cow poop. This new full-scale-electric feed truck is …

(Business Wire/Next 10)  As California’s economy continues to grow, the state’s carbon footprint continues to shrink, albeit at a slower pace than in earlier years due in part to a spike in transportation emissions.
The ninth …

(AutoVista Group)  Swedish researchers have argued that electric vehicle (EV) batteries should not be as large as possible, but as large as necessary. This is the conclusion of their study which found that in terms …

by Norris McDonald (MSN.com/Wheels.ca)  … So, I’ve been reading about how Big Oil will react when everybody starts running out to buy electric cars. And how the end of internal-combustion will be just like the end of …

by Laura Millan Lombrana and Jonathan Gilbert (Bloomberg)  As established players expand, some newcomers seen struggling; New mine teething problems tightening credit for projects  —  … Producers everywhere have struggled to keep up with demand as …

by Devin Henry (The Hill)  Massachusetts regulators released details of a new plan Friday to tackle greenhouse gas emissions in the state, in accordance with a state law and court order.
The rules rely on a …

In a 25 x ’25 blog post, Reg Modlin, former director of regulatory affairs at FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and senior advisor to the Ag-Auto-Ethanol Work Group, noted, “Until then (2050), and for decades after, …

by Reg Modlin (25 x ’25 Resource)  … Flags have gone up in recent days as a result of articles proclaiming the coming of the electric car and the resulting disruption in the automobile industry. …

(NGV Journal)  Queensland Urban Utilities has unveiled the so-called “Poo-powered Car”, which runs on biogas generated from sewage at the Oxley Creek Sewage Treatment Plant in Brisbane’s west. “If you live in Brisbane’s south or …

(Ceres)  Financial risks faced by legacy automakers due to evolving marketplace, not fuel economy standards —  As disruption from new technologies, mobility models and global trends threaten financial prospects for legacy automakers, national fuel economy …

(XinhuaNet)  Finnish love with biofuels as a key approach to reduce emissions has made the Nordic country one of the least active Western European countries to prepare for the arrival of electric car era, an …

( Eindhoven University of Technology)  … Their self-built system comprises an electric bus that is hooked up to a small trailer – which the students have christened ‘REX’ – in which formic acid is converted into …

by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner)  The Environmental Protection Agency’s renewable fuel mandate could get a whole lot more complicated if Democrats are able to add electric cars to a credit program designed to boost corn …

by Ron Lamberty (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  “Fossil fuels have lost. The rest of the world just doesn’t know it yet.”  Some of you may have seen that quote earlier this summer, after …

by James Wilt (Renewable Energy World)  A massive open-pit copper mine might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about solar power. But the construction of photovoltaic panels actually requires a wide range …

(Agri-Pulse)  Research aimed at finding the right combination of fuels and engine technology that would maximize a car’s performance while reducing its greenhouse gas emissions has reached a milestone that ethanol advocates hope gets wider …

In commenting to Biofuels International about the UK government’s decision to ban new petroleum and diesel cars by 2040, Devin Walker, chief technical officer of Renovare Fuels based in London noted that in some circumstances …

(Biofuels International)  The UK government’s decision to ban petrol and diesel cars by 2040 risks “handcuffing” the country to an “unrealistic policy”, according to renewable energy expert Devin Walker. Significantly, Walker also notes that in …

(Biofuels International)  Los Angeles is to transition to a fully electric, zero-emissions bus fleet by 2030, according to recently announced plans.  The Californian city has a reputation for extreme bouts of smog, something city authorities …

by Vicky Ellis (ICIS)  European biofuels market participants are wondering what their role will be in the future after the UK became the latest country to announce on Wednesday a ban on all conventional petrol and …

(Energy Today/Oilprice.com) A new World Bank report released today (July 18, 2017) highlights the potential impacts that the expected continuing boom in low-carbon energy technologies will have on demand for many minerals and metals.
Using wind, solar, …

(Biofuels International) … A survey of over 25,000 motorists by Fair Fuel UK, the ‘independent voice of UK drivers’, revealed that over 82% of motorists supported the Government promoting E10 – a more environmentally friendly …

by Fernando Calmon (Just Auto)  … Sugar cane-based ethanol, besides powering electricity generation, manages to capture 90% of CO2 emissions throughout its life cycle (from well to wheel). Yet this sector here in Brazil has plotted an …

Ramanan Krishnamoorti (University of Houston/Houston Chronicle), commenting on what is needed for a transition to electric vehicles: “Without big jumps in energy efficiency and conservation, an all electric fleet will require doubling existing base load …