by Maura Forrest (National Post)  A major question the government appears to be grappling with is where a new supply of low-carbon fuels will come from —  The federal government is looking into the potential for low-carbon …

Gerard Ostheimer and Doug Faulkner co-authored a Biofuels Digest article with some ideas that show the benefits bioenergy could bring to Africa: “Africans should strive for sustainable fuels from native feedstocks in a modern infrastructure …

by Gerard Ostheimer and Doug Faulkner (Biofuels Digest)  …  (I)n Sub-Saharan Africa a thriving indigenous bioenergy industry can play a positive and productive role in modernizing economies and improving the quality of human life.
One challenge …

by Mahesh Bhave (Renewable Energy World)  Why should rural electrification efforts worldwide — in Africa, India, Central and South America — isolate cooking from other core applications such as lighting, fans, phone charging, and TV? Why …

by Gordon Quaiattini (Biofuels Digest)  Governments serious about climate change should be wary about eliminating the mandate for renewable fuels, and those promising a low carbon fuel market without it.
Earlier this month Canada’s Environment Commissioner urged MPs …

(Office of Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI))  Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced that two Hawaii businesses will receive $1.5 million in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding to develop offshore seaweed as a potential clean energy …

(Biofuels International)  A plan for cutting carbon emissions while growing the economy has been released by the UK government.
‘The Clean Growth Strategy: Leading the way to a low carbon future’ has been published by Greg Clark, …

by Randy Krehbiel (Tulsa World)  Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt may have declared an end to the “war on coal” earlier this week, but what some consider Pruitt’s own war on alternative energy seems to …

(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 …

(Argus Media)  … Argus interviews speakers Sari Mannonen, Vice-President, UPM Biofuels and Alberto Carmona Bosch, Chief Executive Officer, NixAl Commodities and former Exec. VP for Trading at Abengoa Bioenergy.
In these Q&As, Sari discusses UPM Biofuels’ …

by Samuel White (EurActiv)  This article is part of our special report Phasing-out biofuels: What’s really at stake?.  —  Biofuels in the EU are deeply intertwined with global food and feed markets. As the EU discusses …

(Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  The United States produces more than 70 million tons of organic waste each year. While source reduction and feeding the hungry are necessary priorities for reducing needless food waste, organic wastes …

by Paola Tamma (EurActiv)  Sugar molasses, which the European Commission sees as “advanced” biofuel, present many of the same problems as conventional biofuels – including a potential increase in food prices and land competition for food production. …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  On Sept. 28, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing on the 2018 Farm Bill focused on rural development and energy programs. The committee has …

(Oil Change International)  A new report by Oil Change International reveals that U.S. taxpayers continue to foot the bill for more than $20 billion in fossil fuel subsidies each year. The analysis outlines tax incentives, credits, …

by Bate Felix (Reuters)  French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that Europe needed a significant minimum carbon price to boost investment in its energy transition, and a European carbon tax at the bloc’s borders to …

(The News)  Mr Micheal Kottner, an expert in biogas, says sustainable biogas production is possible if the Federal Government can have the political will to put the legal framework in place.
Kottner, who is the Chief …

by Eric Sievers (Ethanol Europe/Euractiv)  Anti-biofuel ideologues claim to be pro-climate and pro-development. But their positions, in fact, support the oil status quo, the concentration of power in the energy sector in the hands of …

by Bliss Baker (Global Renewable Fuels Alliance /Ethanol Producer Magazine) … For years, the private sector and experts from nongovernmental organizations had been signaling the shift in the global economy away from historically favorable investments in …

(ABC News Rural)  With a number of coal-fired power stations tipped to close over the next decade, the Queensland timber industry says it could help alleviate any energy shortages by producing green fuel from its …

(Biofuels International)  Clariant, a developer of specialty chemicals, and Enviral, Slovakia’s largest bioethanol producer, have announced a license agreement on sunliquid cellulosic ethanol technology. The move will see one of Europe’s first advanced biofuel plants …

by Chris Lees (Gladstone Observer)  Southern Oil is behind an innovative plan to take on the Aldoga renewable hub.
The company, which runs the Northern Oil Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant, has put in an expression of interest …

(National Biodiesel Board)  Downstate New York counties are set to provide cleaner air through increased use of biodiesel in home heating oil  —  Downstate New York counties are set to join New York City as …

(European Environment Agency)  Only a decade ago, biofuel production from plants was hailed as an ecological alternative to fossil fuels. Recently, it has come to be seen as competing with food production and not always …

(ePURE)  Newly released report finds that increasing ethanol in petrol helps improve air quality and reduces oil dependency —  A new report published by the European Commission highlights several benefits of higher ethanol blends in …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … 1. Ottawa, Ontario  The biggest Canadian story of the year stems from the November 2016 announce by Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna announced that Canada will adopt …

by Keith Loria  (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The 2014 Farm Bill—otherwise known as the Agricultural Act of 2014—places a larger emphasis on energy than past farm bills have. It includes the most recent version of the …

by Andrew Revkin (ProPublica) The Trump administration plans to sharply reduce the government’s estimate of how much each ton of carbon emissions harms the planet. It hasn’t done so yet, and that delay is slowing Trump’s …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The U.S. EPA has posted new materials related to a quality review scheduled to be conducted by the Scientific Advisory Board on the agency’s draft framework for assessing biogenic …

(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe/IEA Bioenergy Task 37 Newsletter)   This brief highlights the technologies available – both established and newly emerging – for biomethane production and biogas-driven vehicle fleets. It evaluates costs, performance and sustainability and outlines the …

In decrying the proposed budget cuts to US Department of Transportation biofuels research in a Pacific Standard article, Mike White explains, “This would slow, but not stop our transition to wind and solar power—because their …

by Michael White (Pacific Standard)  Biofuels can reduce emissions, benefit American corporations, and create jobs. But slashing the budget of the Bioenergy Technologies Office effectively eliminates those possibilities.  — … However, as Congress and the …

(National Farmers Union)   The transition to a homegrown, renewable energy future for America is underway. Biofuels, higher blends of ethanol in gasoline, and advanced, bio-based technologies are reaping tremendous benefits for our environment and providing …

by Ashlee Rich Stephenson (Morning Consult/WPA Intelligence/Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Forum)  … Recent studies, sponsored by Yale and George Mason University and the Pew Research Center, illustrated that large cross sections of the American public link climate change …

(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 …

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 …

(Bioenergy Insight) The Almond Alliance of California has called for increased funding from the Farm Bill in order to help develop bioenergy outlets for almond biomass and byproducts in the state.
Kelly Covello, president of the Almond …

(Advantage News)  The Illinois Department of Transportation has approved implementation of a renewable energy demonstration project using grasses collected from mowing highway rights-of-way.
The work will implement the findings of a three-year study by a multidisciplinary …

by Marie J. French (Politico)   The state’s top energy policy makers moved closer to creating a price for carbon in New York in a much-anticipated report released Friday.
Carbon pricing is seen by many in industry …

by Daniel Orchard-Hays and Laura A. King  (U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings Magazine)  The U.S. Navy’s initiative could pave the way for a Department of Defense energy program that garners precious energy resources in peacetime and …

by Bobby Magill (Climate Central) Massachusetts is considering a plan that would classify wood pellets and other tree products as sources of renewable energy, allowing the logging industry to contribute to the state’s climate goals to …

by John Abraham (The Guardian)  A new study finds 6.5% of global GDP goes to subsidizing dirty fossil fuels  —  … Second, fossil fuels are expensive. Much of their costs are hidden, however, as subsidies. If people …

(Nyasa Times)  Press Cane Limited, an Ethanol producing company has donated two Ethanol powered minibus ambulances to Chikwawa and Nsanje District Hospitals.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at Chikwawa District Hospital on Friday, Press Cane Limited …

by Bin Zhao (Energy Policy)  Existing transportation infrastructure favors liquid fuels. The human nature of satisfying their needs with least effort favors liquid fuels. Continuing supply of oil will reinforce existing transportation infrastructure. Understanding alternative fuel market helps …

by Liz Gyekye  (Bioenergy Insight)  The “first” pan-African expert network on food and non-food biomass has been launched by African and German researchers.
BiomassNet aims to ensure that food security and environmental sustainability are not compromised …

by Timothy Cama (The Hill) A federal court told the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Monday that it has to enforce an Obama administration methane pollution rule.
The order from Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia …

by Cathy Bussewitz (Associated Press/Hawaii Tribune/Herald)  A groundbreaking ceremony was hosted Wednesday for Hawaii’s first public fueling station for hydrogen vehicles, which will enable the state to begin selling cars that only emit water vapor.
Honolulu-based …

by Dick Roche (Irish Examiner)  When it was enacted in 2009, the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive was seen as a progressive step towards meeting Europe’s climate change targets ….  —  The directive — which provided …

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 Carl Zulauf, Gary Schnitkey, David Orden (FarmDocDaily)   Thirteen agricultural economists put together short papers describing issues that will surface during the writing of the next farm bill. For each issue, the author describes the “policy …

(International Renewable Energy Agency) Southeast Asia has considerable resources to produce liquid biofuels sustainably, using biomass feedstocks that would not cause carbon-dioxide emissions or interfere with food supply. Fulfilling the region’s biofuel potential would depend on …

by Penney Kome (rabble.ca)  …   Almost everyone is targeting fossil fuel consumption and, by extension, Big Oil. Most of us see the oil business as gas stations, or as mammoth corporations, or as roughnecks wrestling with …

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  On Thursday, July 20, Senate Appropriators reported several spending bills for FY2018 out of committee, including budget proposals for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the …

(Impact Assessment Institute)  The Impact Assessment Institute (IAI) has scrutinised in detail the Impact Assessments accompanying the European Commission legislative proposal for a directive on the use of energy from renewable sources.  The lack of …

by Bill Morris (Habitat Magazine)  Bills before Congress would devote $10 billion to clean-energy projects. — The New York Green Bank, which has been financing solar, wind and other sustainable-energy projects statewide since 2014, has proven so …

by Lauren Tyler (NGT News)  The California legislature has voted to extend the state’s cap-and-trade program by 10 years to 2030 while also codifying the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) into law.
In what was expected …

by Matt Mace  (edie.net) EXCLUSIVE: Biomethane generated from food and drinks process residues is emerging as a viable low-carbon alternative to diesel used in commercial vehicles, but a lack of political clarity has left the food …

by Tina Casey (Triple Pundit) … DOE is pushing ahead with another round of $8 million in funding aimed squarely at developing next-generation biofuel from algae, leading to “a bioeconomy that can help create jobs, spur …

by Stewart Taggart (Honolulu Civil Beat)  The carrier flies a fuel-efficient aircraft fleet but seems uncommitted to biofuels.  —  … While the state of Hawaii’s committed to 100 percent renewable energy by 2045, the commitment excludes …

by Robert Walton  (Utility Dive)  A U.S. House appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday advanced a spending bill for the Department of Energy that would impose deep cuts on renewable energy and efficiency programs and eliminate the Advanced Research …

by  Steven Mufson and Chris Mooney (The Washington Post)  The White House has branded this week “energy week,” rolling out a buzzword, “dominance,” and replaying lines from last year’s Trump campaign in an effort to …

by Daryl Worthington (Biofuels International)  The renewable ethanol association ePURE has responded to Hans-Olaf Henkel and Marijana Petir, two MEPs in the European Parliament who recently stressed the importance of biofuels in the decarbonisation of the …

(EIN News Desk/Renewable Industries Canada)  As a part of the 2017-2020 Action Plan released today, Quebec Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Pierre Arcand has announced the jurisdiction’s first ever volumetric requirements on renewable fuels …

(Biofuels International)  Counties in downstate New York are set to join New York City in providing cleaner air through increased use of biodiesel in home heating, with a product called Bioheat fuel.
Legislation passed by Assemblyman …

(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe)  This study seeks to support the European Commission in the elaboration of a methodology for the deployment of advanced biofuels. Currently, the contribution of advanced and other renewable fuels is very limited in …

by Charlie Niebling (Biomass Magazine/Innovative Natural Resource Solutions LLC)  Across the Northeast U.S. and much of the country, markets for low-grade wood resources have fallen off dramatically.  In this context, “low grade” is used to describe …

by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine)  The Dutch are motivated buyers of North American wood pellets, but the lack of sustainability certification of small forest owners in the U.S. and Canada has created an intense need …

(Biofuels International)  Renewable European ethanol achieved its highest greenhouse gas (GHG) savings yet in 2016, according to the latest producer data. A European association of renewable ethanol producers, ePure says that the new figures mark …

by Jennifer Holmgren (LanzaTech/Biofuels Digest)  … With recent prices of renewables at <$0.04/KWh, it is no longer a question of if but rather a continual march to a day when we fully decarbonize power production. The same …

(PRIMA-Markets.com)  European ethanol provided an average greenhouse gas (GHG) saving of over 66% compared to fossil fuel in 2016, up 2% YoY, the European ethanol industry Association (ePURE) stated in a press release this week. …

(Resources for the Future) The social cost of carbon is an economic tool used to quantify the societal benefits of reducing —or conversely the damages of emitting—one ton of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. The …

(Bioenergy Insight)  MEP Bas Eickhout has proposed sweeping reforms to EU legislation regarding bioenergy and biofuels. They come amid the Dutch politician’s proposals for increasing the EU’s renewable energy share target for 2030 from 27% to …

by Patrick C. Miller (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The Department of Energy’s three bioenergy research centers have no intention of resting on their accomplishments. —  In the 10 years since the U.S. DOE established three bioenergy …

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) For the record, Advanced Biofuels USA has faith that the world will continue to develop technologies and products to address climate change, improve air quality, and develop truly sustainable, renewable …

by John J. Berger (Huffington Post)  … Sweden’s parliament, prompted in part by the 2015 Paris climate agreement, has proposed a fossil-free Sweden initiative under which the nation would become fossil-fuel free by 2045.

The city …

by Joshua S Hill (Clean Technica)   Leading economists have concluded that in an effort to meet the world’s agreed-upon climate goals in the most cost-effective way possible while still fostering growth, countries must set a …

by Dino Grandoni (The Washington Post)  In the Trump administration, “energy dominance” has replaced “energy independence” as the go-to phrase for describing the federal government’s broad energy goals — in President Trump’s case, to promote as …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Rural Business Service to shut down; BCAP, REAP, loan guarantees gone; food stamps, crop insurance slashed. Want to understand what USDA is targeting, cutting, growing or eliminating — but don’t have …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  President Donald Trump has released his proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2018, which includes $3.6 trillion in cuts. According to the White House, the reductions are the most proposed …

(Oil Change International)  Study finds $7 billion per year in direct subsidies and tens of billions in liabilities  —  The U.S. government is providing extensive support for fossil fuel production on public lands and waters …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, the US Department of Energy submitted a request for a $1.433B cut, or 69.3 percent to the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy annual budget, and targeted a $168.4M …

by Chris Noyce (Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association)  Following the launch of the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative manifestos, ADBA has commented on the energy, climate change and environmental policies outlined by the major parties.
Conservative …

by Daryl Worthington (Bioenergy Insight/Biofuels International)  The UK Labour Party has published its manifesto for the forthcoming General Election, placing significant emphasis on renewable and sustainable energy sources.
Three principles guide the party’s energy policy: security …

by Lauren Tyler (NGT News)  As state policymakers consider climate change laws, 155 businesses and industry groups sent a letter to California Gov. Jerry Brown, Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León, and Assembly Speaker Anthony …

by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv)   EU farmers are “very concerned” about the impact of the European Commission’s change of heart on biofuels, claiming the EU’s restrictive policy is putting thousands of rural jobs at risk.
Yet, the …

by Charles Komanoff (Huffington Post)  The Carbon Tax Center is out with a new report timed to the surging climate movement. We surveyed all 50 U.S. states (and Washington, DC) to identify the ones with …

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) 200,000 people joined the People’s Climate March in Washington, DC on April 29, 2017; with another 100,000 at sister marches around the country. 40,000 Marched for Science on Earth …

by Doug Root* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  Shredders, chippers, conveying systems, balers, and pellet mills were the highlights of the International Biomass Conference and Expo held recently in Minneapolis.  The big equipment is aimed at the …

(Growth Energy)  Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) joined the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) in submitting comments in response to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Discussion Paper on a Federal Clean Fuel …

by Chelsea Harvey (The Washington Post) … Now, a new proposal, announced Monday, would replace California’s current cap and trade carbon pricing program, its flagship effort to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, …

(Bio-Based News (Google Translation))  The nova Institute has analyzed the Commission’s new RED II proposal and presented the most important results in one paper.
CO 2 -based fuels are on the up, but the uneven treatment …

by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis  (The Washington Post)  President Trump has appointed Daniel Simmons, a conservative scholar who sharply questioned the value of promoting renewable energy sources and curbs on greenhouse gas emissions, to oversee …

(Climate Change News)  Ministers from countries on the front line of climate change have urged rich nations to stop pouring money into the coal, oil and gas industries.  The world’s 49 most climate vulnerable countries …

by Daryl Worthington (Biofuels International)  … Ruta Baltause, a policy officer at the European Commission, delivered the EU perspective, explaining the reasoning behind proposed comprehensive revisions of the RED which include gradual phase out of conventional crop-based …

by Juliet Eilperin (The Washington Post)  Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) introduced legislation Thursday that calls on the U.S. to transition off fossil fuels by 2050, hoping to …

(Center for Climate Strategies)  As a part of the Africa Low Emissions Development Strategies (ALEDS) project, the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) is supporting local self-determination and global integration by providing training, capacity building, and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We’ve been covering market access, and technology development, but what about accessing markets in emerging economies and around the world where feedstock is abundant, policymakers are motivated, but other risks and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  From California arrives the very interesting news that Amyris has entered into an agreement with Blue California whereby its affiliates will provide access to its fermentation manufacturing in China and …

(KTVZ.com)  Bill sponsored by Sens. Tim Knopp, Ted Ferrioli  —  Oregon Senate Republicans say adding woody biomass as a recognized source of green energy technologies will help reduce carbon emissions and create jobs in rural …

by Colin Ley (AgFunder News)  The closer you get to the commercialization of a development, the harder it becomes to raise capital, and recent government activities around the world are not making life easier for …

by Stanford L. Levin (The Southern)  …  If corn were used for food instead of for ethanol, two beneficial things would happen. First, we would create more high-paying jobs in the oil and gas industry …

by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner)  Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Monday that the Trump administration supports making wind and solar energy more competitive with coal and fossil fuels, while simultaneously urging the world to embrace …

(Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Prospects for a cellulosic ethanol plant to be built as part of the Maabjerg Energy Center in Denmark have achieved a breakthrough, according Jorgen Udby, chairman. London-based investment firm Pioneer Point Partners …

(ePURE)  With its revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) the European Commission wants to phase out all conventional biofuels in the EU. But in making its proposal the Commission has ignored many of its own …

by William Strauss (FutureMetrics/Biomass Magazine)  …  The recently released paper by the Chatham House is a study that contains many inaccurate statements about the use of wood for energy. Those statements are presented as facts, or …

by Keith Campbell (Cramer Media/Engineering News)  The South Africa Bio-energy Atlas, launched in Pretoria on Friday, will allow the country to identify opportunities for sustainable bio-energy and be able to achieve much more in terms …

(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) This IEA Bioenergy Task 39 report looks at the potential of biofuels in China. Although climate change and energy security are of concern to China, it is not clear which of these drivers has …

by Emmanuel Desplechin (Politico/ePURE)  The European Commission wants to phase out the use of crop-based biofuels in Europe, even though biofuels like renewable ethanol are currently the main driver of EU transport decarbonization. They also …

(Global Renewable Fuels Alliance) Bliss Baker, the President of the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA), called on G20 leaders to build on the historic international cooperation achieved in 2016 with the ratification of the first binding …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Eliminating Energy-Related Carbon Emissions Possible, New IRENA Study Finds
Since the election of Donald Trump as US President, we’ve heard a great deal less about “reductions in greenhouse gas emissions” from …

(Zawaya)  …  The report also describes how the energy sector transition needs to go beyond the power sector into all end-use sectors. Renewables need to account for the majority of power generation in 2050, based …

by Rachel Gantz (Renewable Fuels Association)  More than 120 military veterans working and investing in the ethanol industry sent a letter to President Trump last week, urging him to include a prominent role for ethanol …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Good-bye ARPA-E, DOE, Loan Guarantee program, Energy Star, OPIC, USTDA, NEA, and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program. Even Big Bird gets the guillotine.  In Washington, the White House released …

(Government of Canada/CNW)  Investments support Canadian-based technologies and create opportunities for businesses to grow and contribute to clean economic growth. —  Technology and the innovation it helps promote are key to the future of Canada’s …

by Liz Gyekye (Bioenergy Insight)  More than 125 academics have joined the International Energy Agency Bioenergy Technology Collaboration Programme (IEA Bioenergy) slamming Chatham House’s recent report on bioenergy, calling it ‘misleading.
The group of academics from across …

(Bioenergy Insight)  There has been excessive use of land for bioenergy crops in Germany which has led to a loss of species, according to the German environment minister Barbara Hendricks.
Hendricks, speaking to the magazine Mehrwert, …

by Krysti Shallenberger (Utility Dive)  … At stake is funding for the Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy, more commonly known as ARPA-E. Created in 2007 as a technology incubator under the purview of the Department of Energy, ARPA-E’s …

(FG Insight)  Vivergo Fuels, which converts 1.1m tonnes of feed-grade wheat a year into bioethanol, has said it could face closure if the Government ploughs on with plans to restrict crop-based biofuels in petrol.
The UK …

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest)  ABLC guests heard Governor Paul LePage from Maine invite all of us to his beautiful Northern state that has many existing and promising biomass projects and even backyard farms …

(FutureMetrics)  Providing misleading, inaccurate, and sometime outright fiction as facts could be called propaganda. With overtones of Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, the term “alternative facts” has recently been coined.
Either way, it is information that is …

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  This morning at the “Defense Production Act (DPA) Advanced Drop-in Biofuels Production Project Round 2 Industry Roundtable” held at the US Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC, Zia Haq, …

(Bioenergy Insight)  The Scottish Tenant Farmers Association (SFTA) is repeating its warning to the UK government that the “headlong drive to produce renewable energy from by-products of the distilling industry through anaerobic digesters and biomass …

by Anna Hirtenstein (Bloomberg/Renewable Energy World)  The U.K. government’s view of biomass as a carbon-neutral energy source is a “flawed assumption,” according to report from Chatham House. The U.K. counts emissions from the supply chain that …

by Joe Carroll (Bloomberg)  Darren Woods makes first blog post since succeeding Tillerson; Comment mirror’s former CEO’s long-standing position on levy  —  In his first blog post since succeeding Rex Tillerson, the new head of Exxon …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … Let’s look at the letter behind the headlines.
“Rest assured that your president and this administration values the importance of renewable fuels to America’s economy and to our energy independence. As …

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  The Farm Bill’s Energy Title provides loans and grants to farmers, ranchers and small businesses to encourage investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and the production of …

by Robinson Meyer (The Atlantic) There’s just one problem: other Republicans.   …  But in an unregulated market, there’s no mechanism  to keep people from emitting carbon dioxide, because it is cheap.
So, et voilà, you invent …

by Chris Sugiduno (Maui News)  … MECO’s updated Power Supply Improvement Plan calls for Molokai to reach the renewable energy benchmark by 2020, with Lanai completing it by 2030 and Maui by 2040. The plan submitted …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  This past week, a group headed by former Secretaries of State George Shultz and Jim Baker proposed dramatically to introduce a $40 per ton carbon tax in order to address …

(Senator Tammy Duckworth) U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) shared with the nominee to be the Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), Governor Rick Perry, how her military service in Iraq taught her about the danger …

by Mark Chesworth (Vivergo Fuels/Politico)  Growers in the EU are helping meet climate and energy goals. Don’t abandon them now  —  Biofuels are essential for meeting EU climate and energy goals by helping to decarbonize …

(White House)  Energy is an essential part of American life and a staple of the world economy. The Trump Administration is committed to energy policies that lower costs for hardworking Americans and maximize the use …

by Anthony Adragna (Politico’s Morning Energy)  PERRY PARTY: Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry finally has his day in the spotlight this morning to make his case for running the Energy Department. Given the agency’s mishmash …

(National Biodiesel Board)   Clean air champions, policy drivers, fleet influencers highlighted with industry awards  —  The biodiesel industry saw record market growth in 2016 and this year’s National Biodiesel Board industry awards highlight champions …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  Today (January 10, 2017) the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced the publication of a report, titled Biofuels and Bioproducts from Wet and Gaseous Waste Streams: Challenges and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the EU, energy experts told members of the European Parliament in hearings this week that   the European Commission’s proposed phase-out of conventional biofuels by 2030 threatens to remove one …

by Isaac Mufumba (All Africa/The Monitor)  Kakira Sugar Limited, a local sugar producer, has started commercial production of ethanol at a $36.6 million (Shs133b) distillery.
The joint managing director, Mr Mayur Madhvani, told Daily Monitor in …

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  EESI will take periodic looks at the ongoing debate surrounding the anticipated 2018 Farm Bill. This article is the first in the series.  — …  Amidst a backdrop …

by Chelsea Harvey (The Washington Post)  … Two bills under consideration in Congress, each expected to go to a swift vote, could help expedite the process of undoing recent regulations — or even make it more difficult …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In New York, Raymond James released its Clean Tech Primer 2017, arguably the most cogent and concise summary of activity and prospects across the gamut from solar power through to …

(New York State Senate)  Clean Heating Fuel Tax Credit: The 2016-17 budget extended the Clean Heating Fuel Tax Credit from Jan. 1, 2017 until Jan. 1, 2020. It also requires that beginning in 2017, to …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we sail into 2017? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and offer our predictions for the year ahead.
As the …

by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds has released to the public the Iowa Renewable Energy Plan, which establishes priorities and provides strategic guidance for Iowa’s energy future.   …   “IRFA …

by David M. Hart (Information Technology and Innovation Foundation)  …  This paper describes four forms of magical thinking about the energy transition that are prevalent in the United States. “Climate-change denial” wishes away the need …

(GreenAir Online)  The UK aviation industry has welcomed a proposal by the government to extend one of its main policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport to include aviation, which could provide a major …

(Green Car Congress) The US Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) released its new strategic plan, titled Strategic Plan for a Thriving and Sustainable Bioeconomy. The strategic plan—with a vision for 2040—lays out BETO’s mission …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In Belgium, following on from the November release of their joint publication “The Black Book of Bioenergy”, Birdlife Europe and Central Asia has again teamed with Transport & Environment on …

(Lux Research/Biodiesel Magazine)  Biomass-based diesel and conventional electricity lead the race to meet new emissions reduction goals, and diversified energy companies are well-placed, according to Lux Research.
Traditionally policies to promote greener transportation fuels have focused …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … the most innovative public-private policies are likely for some time to proceed out of regions, provinces and states.
In some ways, in the United States the forces arrayed against the Renewable …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  The Regional Feedstock Partnership (the Partnership)—a multi-institutional collaboration of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, representatives from land-grant universities, and industry—was first established to address issues …