by Thomas Lawson (California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition) A new report from the California Air Resources Board confirms earlier data showing that greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles are moving in the wrong direction: up. It’s clearer than ever that California policy makers must put more
energy policy
Back TO HOMEThe Perpetually Expanding Veteran Startup: Armed with a Scrappy, Do-It-Yourself Attitude, New Leaf Biofuel’s Success Is a Testament to Its—and the Biodiesel Industry’s—Perseverance.
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) ... One major difference, however, is that this vertically integrated biodiesel company has Jennifer Case at the helm. Case, co-founder, co-owner and CEO of the 5 MMgy New Leaf Biofuel, is a Pepperdine University School of
January 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Wood Pellets: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to IEA Bioenergy Task 40
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 40’s aim is to focus on international bioenergy technology potential, barriers, and trade as well as its wider implications. Christiane Hennig from IEA Bioenergy Task 40 gave this illuminating overview of key regions, developments, and governance
January 04, 2019 Read Full Article
State of the Bioeconomy
by Wayne Lee and Mark J Riedy (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc. and Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP/Biofuels Digest) At present, the bioeconomy continues to attract debt and equity interest. VCs, Private Equity Groups and Strategic Partners are providing equity at the
January 04, 2019 Read Full Article
India Makes Breakthrough in Biofuel Development
by Haley Zaremba (OilPrice.com) ... The latest headline to come from efforts of scientists around the globe is a new discovery by a team of scientists based in the west Indian city of Pune at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), which offers
January 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Europe’s Next Biofuels Move: Promoting European Ethanol Key to Europe's Long-Term Environmental Goals.
by Emmanuel Desplechin (ePURE, the European Renewable Ethanol Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... First, it opens the door to a more effective approach to decarbonizing EU transport, as long as member states find ways to turn that ambition into action. And second, it
January 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Creating Trust in Bioenergy: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to IEA Bioenergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy conducted research on various approaches to creating trust in sustainability of bioenergy through effective governance. Inge Stupak and Tat Smith, IEA Bioenergy researchers gave this illuminating overview of ways to increase legitimacy and gain trust in
December 31, 2018 Read Full Article
A Carbon Price Can Benefit the Poor While Reducing Emissions
by Helen Mountford and Molly McGregor (World Resources Institute) ... Recent research from the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate finds that bold climate action could deliver at least $26 trillion in economic benefits through 2030. ... On the other side of the
December 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Waste to Energy Major Priority of Govt: Vijay Raghavan
(SME Times) Principal Scientific Advisor K Vijay Raghavan recently said that waste to energy and scaling up of commercially available technologies are top priorities of Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). ... He cited several successful examples of adoption of
December 27, 2018 Read Full Article
The Wonders Down Under: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Australia and the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 42’s goal is to contribute to the development and deployment of integrated biorefineries as part of highly efficient sustainable value chains (co-)producing food/feed ingredients, chemicals, materials, fuels, power and/or heat out of sustainably sourced
December 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Waste Accumulation Problems and Opportunities
by Zoltan Kish (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc./Biofuels Digest) ... In 2016, the Ontario government released its Strategy for a Waste-Free Ontario [2], diverting our wasteful ways towards an entirely circular economy, but it doesn’t seem to be widely discussed. This strategy requires appropriate tools
December 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Assessing Bioenergy Sustainability: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to IEA Bioenergy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy conducted work on sustainability assessments of bioenergy systems and the carbon balance of forest-based bioenergy. Annette Cowie and Göran Berndes from Chalmers University of Technology and IEA Bioenergy gave this illuminating overview of the methods
December 26, 2018 Read Full Article
ABC: Canada’s Clean Fuel Standard Takes Step Forward
(Advanced Biofuels Canada/Ethanol Producer Magazine) In a significant development for the clean fuels sector, Environment and Climate Change Canada released today (December 20, 2018) the Regulatory Design Paper reflecting a year of intensive consultation on the national Clean Fuel Standard (CFS).
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
PKN ORLEN Invests in Biofuels of the Future
(Petrol Plaza) PKN ORLEN is launching an operational programme for biofuels to be based on three pillars – building biofuel production facilities, research and development work and operational adaptation of the logistics function. With its biofuels programme, the Company is preparing for
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Environmental Benefits of Energy Crops: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to University of Illinois Research
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has been researching the economic incentives and policy implications of energy crops such as miscanthus and switchgrass. Madhu Khanna, from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, gave this illuminating overview of the environmental benefits of energy crops
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
COP24, 2018 Farm Bill Give Agriculture a Voice, Climate Smart Tools
(Solutions from the Land) As 2018 closes out, advocates for the role agriculture can play in facing a changing climate can feel encouraged by developments on the international and domestic stages. Global climate negotiators in Katowice, Poland, came to a final agreement
December 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Newsletter IEA Bioenergy Task 37: 12/2018
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) The latest IEA Bioenergy Task 37 Newsletter has been released. Highlights from the newsletter are: 11% more Swiss biogas injected in 2017 - In 2017, 11 percent more Swiss biogas was fed into the grid compared to the previous year
December 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Bioenergy in California: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to California Energy Commission R&D
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) California Energy Commission Research & Development aims to improve bioenergy’s value proposition and role in supporting California’s clean energy and carbon neutrality goals. Rizaldo Aldas from the California Energy Commission Research & Development gave this illuminating overview of how
December 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Senate Bill Seeks To Transition U.S. To 100 Percent Zero-Emission Vehicles:
(Bergeson & Campbell's Clients and Friends Memorandum) On November 28, 2018, Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), both senior members of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, introduced legislation that would put the U.S. on the path
December 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Exclusive: Oil Giant ConocoPhillips Backs Carbon Tax Push
by Amy Harder (Axios) In the latest sign of a global oil industry shifting on climate change, ConocoPhillips is now helping fund a multi-million dollar political advocacy campaign that's lobbying Congress for a tax on carbon emissions. Why it matters: The move
December 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Opinions: Why the Time Has Come for a Green New Deal
by Katrina vanden Heuvel (Washington Post) Almost 20 years ago, writer Mark Hertsgaard suggested a bold idea to upend the climate debate. Arguing that ambitious climate action was politically impossible without simultaneously meeting people’s economic needs, he proposed a massive public works program to “retrofit everything
December 18, 2018 Read Full Article
5,000 Compressed Bio Gas Plants Will Be Set up by 2023
(India Brand Equity Foundation) Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Sunday said around 5,000 Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plants will be set across the country by 2023. He said these plants meant for extracting biogas from agricultural residue, cattle dung and
December 18, 2018 Read Full Article
The Blues of the Green: How Can Biofuel Be Used
by Shailaja Tripathi (The Hindu) Close on the heels of the experiment done by a SpiceJet flight using biofuel, we take a look at the scope and potential of this green fuel-- ... While CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP) is using jatropha
December 17, 2018 Read Full Article
California Supports Pilot Projects to Demonstrate Biogas-to-Grid Potential
(California Public Utilities Commission/NGV Journal) ... Forty-five dairies will participate in the pilot projects, which will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from animal manure by putting dairy methane waste to beneficial use as a renewable transportation fuel. The six projects will
December 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel to Be Part of Lawmaker Energy Discussions
by Trey Mewes (Mankato Free Press) Renewable fuels will likely play a role in environmental legislation DFL lawmakers bring to the Capitol when the 2019 legislative session begins next month. Lobbyists and advocates alike expect Democrats to expand upon renewable energy legislation
December 17, 2018 Read Full Article
British Airways Launches Sustainable Aviation Fuels University Challenge DEADLINE 1: January 18, 2019
(GreenAir Online) British Airways is challenging UK academics to create a new generation of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) based on carbon reduction potential, innovation, value to the UK economy and feasibility to implement. In a collaboration with Cranfield University, a competition
December 15, 2018 Read Full Article
The FORBIO Project: A Sustainable Alternative for Contaminated and Underutilized Lands
(Global Bioenergy Partnership) The FORBIO (Fostering Sustainable Feedstock Production for Advanced Biofuels on underutilized land in Europe) Project gave stakeholders in Italy, Germany and Ukraine a strategy for the market uptake of sustainable advanced bioenergy value chains. Through a thorough assessment
December 15, 2018 Read Full Article
US Ethanol Producers: We Are Oil’s Biggest Competitor, Cleaner Too
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EURACTIV) Increasing ethanol use will help countries around the world meet their Paris Agreement climate goals in a cheaper way, US producers told EURACTIV.com, staking their claim to a higher role for the fuel, alongside electricity, in decarbonising transport. Speaking
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Energy Department Seeks Information on Algae, Biomass, and Waste Feedstock Research -- DE-FOA-00002020 FY 2019 Bioenergy Technologies Multi-Topic RFI DEADLINE: extended to January 18, 2019
(Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is requesting information on research opportunities related to outdoor algae research, biomass characteristics and feedstock performance, and renewable energy
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Study: 'No Scientific Basis' For Challenges To EPA Endangerment Finding
by Barbara Moran (WBUR News) There’s more proof that greenhouse gases are dangerous to human health. That’s the conclusion of a study published Thursday in the journal Science, for which researchers reviewed hundreds of scientific papers on climate change published since 2009. The study supports the U.S. Environmental Protection
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Algae Agriculture Triumphs in Farm Bill Compromise
(Algae Biomass Organization) In a historic day for the algae industry, the U.S. Senate Tuesday approved a Farm Bill compromise that dramatically expands federal support for algae agriculture. The bill sets U.S. farm policy through 2023. It is expected to pass the House
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Democrats Shift toward Impact on Jobs as Climate Change Moves to Front of 2020 Agenda
by Michael Sherer (Washington Post) ... Democrats preparing to run for president have been rushing to shift their plans for combating climate change, highlighting an issue once considered a political liability, especially in Midwestern swing states won by President Trump. Aides to a
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
The Climate Battle: Fuels vs Emissions
by Amy Harder (Axios) Getting off fossil fuels or reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a central sticking point emerging here at a conference to hash out details of the 2015 Paris Agreement to combat climate change. Why it matters: Nations rich with
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Benefuel Looking to British Columbia for New Biodiesel Facility
(Benefuel Inc./Biodiesel Magazine) Benefuel Inc. responded to British Columbia’s recently publicized climate change plan that included an expanded Low Carbon Fuel Standard by announcing Dec. 11 that it has begun a site search and discussions with interested parties on a few specific
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Farm Bill Energy Title Contains Climate Tweaks, Slimmer Funding
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... While the bill is largely viewed as a status-quo farm bill, the bill importantly reauthorizes the Energy Title (IX) and contains some new programs and tweaks aimed at helping producers become more
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Batteries Could Worsen CO2 Emissions — Study
by Christa Marshall (E&E News) Home batteries like the Tesla Powerwall could spike greenhouse gas emissions significantly unless current policies governing the electrical grid change around the country, according to a new study. The findings in the journal Environmental Science & Technology run counter
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Congress Urged to Investigate Why DOE Is Sitting on $600 Million in Clean Energy Funding
(Natural Resources Defense Council) The Natural Resources Defense Council today urged Congress to investigate why the Department of Energy (DOE) still has not distributed as much as $600 million in congressionally approved clean energy research and development funding more than two
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Year of the Tree, CORSIA Fuels, Mabus’ Remarks, a Breakthrough on Woody Biomass?: Heard on the Floor at the CAAFI General Meeting
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) When the world’s leaders for sustainable aviation fuels have a general meeting the week before the COP24 global climate sessions (this year in Poland), you can bet that the focus will be breaking the “You Can
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuels Lead Efforts to Protect the Climate
by Craig Willis (EurActiv/Growth Energy) With every passing year, the pathway to a stable climate gets narrower and more difficult to navigate. Meanwhile, the reports from our planet’s top scientists paint an increasingly grim picture of what to expect if the
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
I'm Just a Bill: Incoming House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio Signaled He Was on Board with Nancy Pelosi's Plan to Establish a Select Committee
(Politico's Morning Energy) Incoming House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio signaled he was on board with Nancy Pelosi's plan to establish a select committee tasked with working on solutions to combat climate change, Pro's Anthony Adragna reports . "I
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Pre-Flight Checklist for Biofuture Takeoff: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Biofuture Platform
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biofuture platformwas launched at COP22 by 20 countries and top representatives of FAO, IEA, IRENA, UNIDO, SE4ALL, WBCSD, UNICA, and other leading organizations, whose aim is to kickstart a global, advanced bioeconomy and impact the future
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
2018 Farm Bill Helps Rural America Become More Resilient: Rural Economies Crucial to Combating Climate Change
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) commends the Farm Bill conferees and the House and Senate Agriculture Committees for their tireless commitment to produce a Farm Bill, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, this year. In a year
December 12, 2018 Read Full Article
G20 Countries Must Act Quickly to Decarbonise The Transport Sector
(Agora Verkehrswende) According to a new report, CO2 emissions from transport are still rising. If immediate action is not taken, more radical measures will be unavoidable in the future. -- To keep global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius, the world’s
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Rising Energy Consumption Slows EU Progress on Renewables and Energy Efficiency Targets
(European Enviroment Agency) Progress on increasing the use of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency is slowing across the European Union, putting at risk the EU’s ability to achieve its energy and emissions reduction targets. Rising energy consumption, particularly in the
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Here’s How to Win on Climate-Change Policy
by Ted Halstead (Washington Post/Climate Leadership Council) ... The real lesson to learn from these setbacks is that the political prospects of carbon taxation depend on how the revenue is used. As long as the public perceives a carbon tax
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Congress Should End Electric Car Subsidies, Not Expand Them
by Liam Sigaud (American Consumer Institute) ... These subsidies overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy. Tesla buyers, for example, had an average household income of $293,200 in 2013. A study in 2015 found that electric Ford Focus buyers had an average household income of $199,000. By
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Clean Electricity, Clean Buildings and Clean Transportation: Inslee Plan Would Launch Comprehensive Clean Energy Transition and Significantly Drive Down Emissions
(Office of Washington State Governor Jay Inslee) Gov. Jay Inslee was joined today by Democratic legislators and climate action supporters to unveil a plan that would launch a dramatic reduction of Washington state’s greenhouse gas emissions over the next 15 years. The
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
CleanBC Climate Plan Boosts British Columbia’s Signal for Renewable Fuel Use and Production
(Advanced Biofuels Canada/EIN Presswire) Advanced Biofuels Canada lauds the Government of British Columbia for its new climate plan, with critical role for low-carbon renewable fuels -- The Government of British Columbia released on December 5th its CleanBC climate plan, which charts a path
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
The Hypocrisy Award II, EU Edition:
(American Energy Society) 2nd place: More than nine countries and a dozen cities in Europe have announced they are going to ban internal combustion engines or diesel powered vehicles (including Paris, Madrid, Athens, Norway, France the United Kingdom); however, none have passed a
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"We’ve been intervening at every point to say (a) the UN’s Special Report says bioenergy is as important as electromobility for the next four decades and (b) no policy discussion can be meaningful unless it looks at the cost of
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
What’s the Buzz? Heard on the Floor at the COP24, on Renewable Fuels and More (Biofuture Platform)
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... “Pretty intense I’d say. Good.” notes Climate Ethanol Alliances’s James Cogan. “We’ve been in a dozen transport energy events so far.” The Message Most discussions here about climate progress in transport get to the hand-wringing stage of
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Q&A: RED II Offers Flexibility to EU Member States
(Argus Media) Angel Alvarez Alberdi is secretary general of the European Waste-to-Advanced Biofuels Association (EWABA). He spoke to Argus about the EU's Renewable Energy Directive (RED) beyond 2020, the role of waste-based biofuels in Europe's future renewable energy mix and legislation on indirect
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Why North Carolina’s Poultry Industry Isn’t Creating Biogas Like Hog Farms Are
by Elizabeth Ouzts (Energy News) Poultry growers are under less pressure and have fewer incentives than hog farms to convert animal waste to energy. As pork producer Smithfield Foods commits to major investments in waste-to-energy projects in North Carolina, don’t expect a similar pledge from
December 08, 2018 Read Full Article
What's Happening with Biomass?
by Hilary Crisan-Heavilin (Waste Today) When a construction and demolition (C&D) recycling facility separates wood from other processed debris, it can be used as mulch, compost, alternative daily cover (ADC) for landfills and biomass fuel. Biomass fuel is processed wood that can
December 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Meet the Scholar Crafting the 'Green New Deal'
by Hannah Northey (E&E News) Think of it as the policy muscle behind the promised "Green New Deal." A policy group is being formed to support an energized progressive movement that's taken Capitol Hill by storm under the leadership of Rep.-elect Alexandria
December 07, 2018 Read Full Article
New Report Finds EPA Could Be Doing Much More to Unlock Growth of Low-Carbon Biofuels
by Jesse Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... The industry has been unable to produce the volumes called for under the advanced and cellulosic categories due to a variety of reasons – including the pace of technology, falling petroleum
December 07, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to ARPA-E’s Agro-Energy Programs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) advances high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment. ARPA-E awardees are unique because they are developing entirely new ways to generate, store, and use energy. ARPA-E
December 06, 2018 Read Full Article
‘A Kind of Dark Realism’: Why the Climate Change Problem Is Starting to Look too Big to Solve
by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) ... William Nordhaus, the Yale University professor who just won the Nobel Prize for his work on the economics of climate change, recently described his outlook like this: “I never use the word ‘pessimism’; I always use
December 06, 2018 Read Full Article
British Columbia Details Plan to Shift Homes, Cars to Clean Energy
by Julie Gordon (Reuters) The Western Canadian province of British Columbia on Wednesday outlined the first measures it will take to cut carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030, including shifting homes and vehicles to clean or renewable energy. ... Some 75 percent
December 06, 2018 Read Full Article
What Will it Take?: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Policies for the Biofuture Take-off
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Promote short term deployment of mature options, stimulate the development and deployment of new technologies, deliver the necessary feedstock sustainably, backed by a supportive sustainability governance system, and develop capacity and catalyse investment via a coordinated international collaboration
December 06, 2018 Read Full Article
UPM and LSB Speak out over Finalised REDll Policy
(Biofuels International) The revised Renewable Energy Directive (REDll) policy, first outlined by The European Commission at the end of 2016, has now been officially adopted by the Council of the European Union. Among other things, it has finalised and set a minimum blending
December 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Comment: Why BECCS Will Be Critical to Deliver an Affordable Energy System Transition in the UK
by Geraint Evans (Energy Technologies Institute (ETI)/Bioenergy Insight) ... ‘Focus on locking away CO2’ says the CCC about the future of biomass in its report published earlier this month. Bioenergy’s value is unique and greatest when combined with CCS to deliver negative
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Even in a Carbon-Constrained World, Fossil Fuels Remain Dominant: WoodMac
by Robert Walton (Utility Dive) Even with rapid deployment of electric vehicles and the accelerated development of renewable energy resources, fossil fuels will still play a dominant role in the global economy for decades to come, according to new analysis
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
NYSERDA Announces $19 Million Available to Accelerate the Use of Clean Energy Technologies on Farms
(North American Clean Energy/New York State Energy and Research Development Authority) The New York State Energy and Research Development Authority(NYSERDA) announced that $19 million is available to accelerate the use of anaerobic digester gas-to-electricity projects and clean energy technologies to make
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
A Carbon Tax Wave? 7 States Considering Carbon Pricing to Fight Climate Change
by Marianne Lavelle (Inside Climate News) Democratic election victories raised the odds of climate change policies succeeding, activists and analysts say. A national plan was also just floated in Congress. -- At least seven state governments are poised at the brink of
December 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Bamboo: A Sustainable Alternative for Bioenergy Production in Indonesia?
by Monica Evans (Forest News) Perennial plant grows well on degraded land, allows farmers to diversify income streams -- ... So, say researchers from Australia’s RMIT University and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), it is crucial to start looking for other species that can
December 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Long-Term Decarbonisation Strategy: Bioenergy Recognised as a Key Contributor to Achieve a Net-Zero Carbon Economy by 2050
(Bioenergy Europe) Today, the Commission has published its long-term strategy for emissions reduction looking at different options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% with more ambitious scenarios achieving a balance between greenhouse gas emissions and removals by 2050.
December 03, 2018 Read Full Article
EEA Report Confirms: Electric Cars Are Better for Climate and Air Quality
(European Environment Agency) Battery electric cars emit less greenhouse gases and air pollutants over their entire life cycle than petrol and diesel cars, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published today (November 22, 2018). Promoting renewable energy and circular
November 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Fueling the Future: Developing a More Efficient Process for Producing Biobased High-Octane Gasoline
by Zia Abdullah (U.S. Department of Energy) Over the past five years, the market share for premium gasoline in the United States has increased from 9% to 12%.1 To help meet the growing demand for high-octane gasoline, the Bioenergy Technologies Office and
November 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Bipartisan Climate Fee Backers to Plant Flag During Lame Duck
by Dean Scott (Bloomberg Environment) Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), two Republicans to introduce carbon fee bill that would return money to consumers; With virtually no chance of passage, measure seen as effort to start discussions for next Congress -- A small group of Democratic
November 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Republicans Say They Want Free-Market Innovation. Then They Should Want a Carbon Tax.
by Catherine Rampell (Washington Post) ... Alternatively, some Republicans suggest that, yes, the planet may be warming and, yes, humans may be the reason, but it’s too darn expensive to do much more than we are. ... As Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) equivocated on CNN’s
November 27, 2018 Read Full Article
What Exactly Is the 'Green New Deal'?
by Hannah Northey (E&E News Climatewire) The proposal, drawing inspiration from President Franklin Roosevelt's Depression-era New Deal, is one that progressives — led by Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a rising star on the left — want Democratic leaders to embrace. The thinking is
November 26, 2018 Read Full Article
ADBA Responds to Committee on Climate Change Reports
(Bioenergy Insight) The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has published two new reports on land use and biomass and the Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA) has responded. ADBA’s chief executive Charlotte Morton said that the association “welcomes these two important reports
November 25, 2018 Read Full Article
European Parliament Admits Role of Biomethane to Decarbonize Mobility
(IVECO/NGV Journal) The European Parliament, in its plenary session, has voted its official opinion and amendments to the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation of CO2 emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. IVECO welcomes the European Parliament’s acknowledgement of natural gas, and especially
November 24, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Aemetis
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aemetis owns and operates 110 million gallons per year of ethanol and biodiesel facilities in the US and India, and is upgrading the plants using patented technology to produce lower carbon, higher value advanced biofuels and
November 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Demanding Action: Youth Climate Activists Flooded Congressional District Offices
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Youth climate activists flooded congressional district offices around the country Tuesday at more than 350 events, demanding House Democrats embrace Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's push for a select committee empowered to write bold legislation rapidly
November 21, 2018 Read Full Article
G20 Nations Still Led by Fossil Fuel Industry, Climate Report Finds
by Jonathan Watts (The Guardian) Coal, oil and gas subsidies risking rise in global temperatures to 3.2C, well beyond agreed Paris goal -- ... Comparing the goals and policies of different countries, the paper found that only India was on course to
November 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Dems to Hold Two Days of Hearings on Climate
by Timothy Cama (The Hill) House Democrats are planning to hold two days' worth of hearings on the impacts of climate change and potential solutions to it when they take the House majority next year. The likely chairmen of the Energy and Commerce, Natural
November 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Energy: New Ambitious Targets on Renewables and Energy Efficiency
(European Parliament) 32.5% increase in energy efficiency by 2030; Renewables must make up 32% of energy consumed by 2030; Push for second-generation biofuels -- Europeans will be entitled to consume, store and sell the renewable energy they produce -- Parliament approves binding 2030
November 14, 2018 Read Full Article
European Parliament Approves REDII
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Nov. 13, the European Parliament approved new targets for renewables, energy efficiency and second-generation biofuels when it voted to confirm a provisional agreement reached with the European Council in June on a revised Renewable Energy Directive
November 14, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Advice from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute: In the House, the key for biobased stakeholders will be 1) presenting the evidence that biofuels and biobased products are necessary for mitigating climate change, and 2) making sure that any policy
November 10, 2018 Read Full Article
2018 Midterm Elections—Implications for the Bioeconomy
by Jesse Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) And while the bioeconomy – biofuels, biobased products, chemicals, and more – enjoy bipartisan support, the new political landscape means that the biobased sector and stakeholders still need to be on their
November 10, 2018 Read Full Article
APPA Claims Biofuel a Key Ingredient in Spain's Energy Plan
(Renewable Energy Magazine) Even if the ambitious goal to reach five million electric vehicles in Spain by 2030 is fulfilled, the reality is that, according to all forecasts, between 70 percent and 80 percent of the circulating fleet of light vehicles
November 09, 2018 Read Full Article
The Biofuture We Need: A Brief Video Introduction
(Biofuture Platform) This short documentary film, prepared in partnership with BluOrange, presents an introduction to the main goals of the Biofuture Platform and the overall context behind them -- We are very pleased to announce the release of “The Biofuture We Need”,
November 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Electricity and Biofuels Needed in Tandem to Meet Climate Goals, UN Report Says
by Gerardo Fortuna (EURACTIV) Some first generation biofuels like palm oil diesel gave bioenergy a bad name but recent scientific reports have confirmed that policymakers must take into account all the available options in the transport sector to win the climate
November 09, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Lee Lynd issued a call to action in a recent Nature Biotechnology commentary: Three key measures should be part of any effort to revitalize cellulosic biofuels. First, pursue commercial deployment in achievable, successively enabling steps, proceeding from where the industry is
November 07, 2018 Read Full Article
The Grand Challenge of Cellulosic Biofuels
by Lee R. Lynd (Energy Today/Nature Biotechnology/Dartmouth College) Why cellulosic biofuels have fallen short of expectations and what we can do about it. -- A robust second-generation biofuels industry based on inedible cellulosic biomass available as wood, grass, and various wastes was
November 05, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Acting Administrator Wheeler, USDA Secretary Perdue, and DOE Secretary Perry Send Letter to Congress on Biomass Carbon Neutrality -- Managed Forests Can Bolster Domestic Energy Production
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, along with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Rick Perry, sent a letter to the House and Senate
November 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Spain: New Collaboration Will Develop H2 and Biogas Projects
(Enagás/NGV Journal) The Regional Minister for Economy, Industry and Employment of the Government of Aragon Marta Gastón and the CEO of Enagás, Marcelino Oreja signed in Madrid an agreement to develop projects for renewable gases such as hydrogen, biogas, and biomethane.
November 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Bitcoin’s Popularity Has a Downside: It’s an Energy Glutton that Could Hurt Earth’s Climate, Study Finds
by Chris Mooney and Steven Mufson (Washington Post) The new research finds that bitcoin’s greenhouse gas emissions are already comparable to those of a midsize country. But critics aren’t so sure. -- ... There’s no doubt bitcoin is notorious for its high energy use — the
November 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Alternative Fuels Home Grown Bioenergy Contributes to Forest Health and Rural Jobs Across America
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) 88 Organizations Sign Statement Supporting Renewable Bioenergy and Biomass -- On Bioenergy Day and during National Forest Products Week, we recognize the importance of using domestic biomass for a wide variety of applications: renewable energy, heating and
October 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Pakistan and Turkey Collaborate on Bioethanol Research
(Biofuels International) Reported by Pakistani news outlet Daily Times, the Government College University (GCU) in Lahore has signed a joint research project with the Bartin University in Turkey, researching a cost-effective production of bioethanol. According to the report, Bartin University’s Dr. Ahmet Karada
October 26, 2018 Read Full Article
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Big Oil Looks to Stop Utilities' Charging Investments
by Jeffrey Tomich (E&E News Energywire) State utility regulators across the Midwest are revving up their interest in electric vehicle charging infrastructure. And the petroleum industry and its allies are urging them to hit the brakes. The American Petroleum Institute, American Fuel and
October 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Waste Gasification: 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to 2-Stage Incineration and “True” Gasification
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 33 is a working group of international experts with the aim to promote the commercialization of efficient, economical and environmentally preferable thermal biomass gasification processes. Here, Lars Waldheim of Waldheim Consulting gave this illuminating
October 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Say What about a Carbon Tax?
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao was also at the White House Tuesday, where she suggested that Democrats in the House want to link a carbon tax to an infrastructure bill being developed, Pro Transportation's Sam
October 24, 2018 Read Full Article
EBRD Plans to Invest 80 Million Euros into Ukrainian Bioenergy
by Jack Laurenson (Kiyv Post) Biomass as a replacement for Russian gas in heating is one grassroots initiative that has become an emerging business, earning real profits for investors. For example, the biogas outlet in Velyky Krupil, Kyiv Oblast, provides electricity
October 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Colorado Bioenergy Producer Asks EPA to Process eRIN Applications
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The owner of a biomass power plant in Colorado is the latest representative of the bioenergy industry to urge the U.S. EPA to take action to allow biomass power facilities to participate in the Renewable
October 20, 2018 Read Full Article
EU to Engage Local Palm Oil Industry Stakeholders in Talks, Plantations Visits
(AFIQ AZIZ/The Malaysian Reserve) The visit is aimed to provide the EU delegations with a clearer and first-hand exposure to all issues concerned in RED -- The European Commission will hold a consultation process with Malaysian palm oil industry stakeholders next
October 19, 2018 Read Full Article
New and Improved Routes to Low Carbon Fuels, Chemicals and Materials: Re-Thinking the Global Bioeconomy
by Tammy Klein, Douglas Faulkner and Gerard J. Ostheimer (Biofuels Digest) ... After the Paris Agreement in 2015 the urgent challenge of mitigating climate change forced numerous people across the advocacy-to-action spectrum to look for practical options to de-carbonizing the entire economy.
October 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol – A Solution to Pakistan’s Power Woes
By Umer Khayyam and Tehzeeb Bano (The Express Tribune) ... Carbon dioxide/greenhouse gas emissions, generated from the burning of fossil fuels, are increasing in Third World societies like Pakistan. ... To negate the negative atmospheric results of non-renewable energy sources, global and regional
October 15, 2018 Read Full Article
British Columbia’s Low-Carbon Fuels Program
by Michael Rensing (British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources/Iea Bioenergy Task 39 Newsletter) Among provincial regulations, British Columbia’s (BC) low-carbon fuels program has proven to be a successful program1 to reduce the carbon intensity of the fuel transportation market in B.C.
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Asia’s Climate Arsenal: Are Biofuels Back?
by Beth Walker (The Third Pole) Biofuels will dominate future growth in renewables and are essential for decarbonizing the most difficult sectors; China and India should lead the way, argues new EIA report -- ... Bioenergy from liquid biofuels and biogas will
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Anaerobic Digestion Is Huge Economic Opportunity for UK, ADBA Tells Treasury
by Jon Harrison (Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association) ADBA Chief Executive Charlotte Morton has this week written to Robert Jenrick MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, outlining the economic and environmental benefits of AD. Highlighting the benefits it can bring in
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
ExxonMobil Gives $1 Million to Promote a Carbon Tax-and-Dividend Plan
by Steven Mufson (Washington Post) The tax would boost prices of the oil giant’s fossil fuels to fight climate change -- ExxonMobil will give $1 million over two years to a group promoting a plan that would tax the carbon content of
October 11, 2018 Read Full Article
A Superior Value: A Workshop in Anerobic Digestion
by Bill Keba* (Advanced Biofuels USA) October 2, 2018, Annapolis, Maryland. Inside the Doubletree Inn, it was as hectic as the traffic on Route 50. Eightyfive paid attendees were gathering, registering, networking, and hurriedly settling in for the 9:15 start
October 11, 2018 Read Full Article
It’s Past Midnight: Do You Know Where Funds for Your Farm Bill Energy Title Programs Stand?
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest) On September 30th, the 2018 Farm Bill officially expired. And while both chambers of Congress passed their respective bills, the final version of the legislation that supports the agricultural sector in the U.S. is
October 10, 2018 Read Full Article
From Unloved Woods to Desirable Bioenergy: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Wood and Forest Projects
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Increasing global demand for energy, a push by governments and industry to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG), and a desire to increase energy independence are driving the demand for renewable alternatives to fossil fuels. As a source
October 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Oman Goes Green with Fuel from Food Waste
by Sheikha Al Maqhus (Times of Oman) Oman is setting up four biogas plants to produce energy from more than half a million tonnes of food waste, the cost of which amounts to above OMR50 million annually for its disposal. The country
October 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Development, Deployment of Integrated Biorefineries: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Biorefining in the US
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy Task 42’s goal is to contribute to the development and deployment of integrated biorefineries as part of highly efficient sustainable value chains (co-)producing food/feed ingredients, chemicals, materials, fuels, power and/or heat out of sustainably sourced
October 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Advancing Energy Independence: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Biogas and the Global Methane Initiative
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Why consider biogas to Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)? First, there’s the momentum nationally and internationally on RNG (aka, biomethane, R-gas, green gas, renewable gas). Plus, biomethane is a flexible renewable fuel; and can be used in vehicle
October 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Energy Security: A Bipartisan Issue in a Partisan Year
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... What this country — and every country — needs is a bigger vision so that the friends of energy security are not divided by their differences on technology or feedstock but are united toward a
October 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Climate Researchers: More Green Space, Less Biofuel
(Iran Daily) ... According to UPI, John M. DeCicco, a research professor at the University of Michigan Energy Institute, and William H. Schlesinger, president emeritus of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, want to see more conservation of the planet's natural
October 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Hog-Waste Plant Clears Hurdle, but New NC Rule Threatens Future Development
by John Downey (Charlotte Business Journal/Mid-Atlantic Bioenergy Council) Wilmington’s Optima BioEnergy operates North Carolina’s only swine-waste biogas plant and had plans for more. Then regulators three a wrench into those plans. Optima BioEnergy has cleared an important regulatory hurdle to building its
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
State to Provide Biogas Subsidies in Rural Areas
by Parul Kulshrestha (Times of India) Rajasthan, which has to meet a target of 3,700 household Biogas plants in the state under the National Biogas and Management Programme (NBMMP), has announced to provide subsidies for same. The National Biogas Policy that came into force
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Rwanda Eyes Biogas to Help Curb Deforestation
by Amy Yee (WRAL/New York Times) The kitchen of Ecole Secondaire Kanombe Efotec, a boarding school here, is busy from dawn to dusk while the staff cooks meals for more than 1,000 hungry teenagers. At one time, the school went through about
September 26, 2018 Read Full Article
UFOP Position Paper Says Time Is Now for Biofuels
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Germany, UFOP published a position paper intended to appeal to decision-makers in politics, business and science on why biofuels can and should play a role in climate protection goals, especially with discussion about food vs. fuel
September 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Gov. Brown Signs RNG Pipeline Integration Bill into Law
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) On Thursday, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that requires state regulators to open a proceeding to consider funding biomethane interconnection infrastructure through a gas corporation’s utility rates. The bill, A.B.3187, was authored by Assemblymember
September 25, 2018 Read Full Article
PLN Told to Convert Fossil Diesel Power Plants to CPO-Diesel Fuel
(Jakarta Post) Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan called on state-owned electricity firm PLN on Monday to covert energy plants powered by fossil diesel fuel to plants powered by crude palm oil-based biodiesel. “I expect that within two years from now
September 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Incentives Watch: Oregon’s Bovine Manure Tax Credit Isn’t the Only “Crappy” Credit That Exists
by Lauren Colandreo (Bloomberg) ... Last fall, Oregon enacted the Bovine Manure Tax Credit, which offers bovine manure producers and collectors a tax credit for each wet ton of manure collected to be used as a biofuel or to produce a biofuel.
September 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Global Carbon Prices Too Low to Combat Climate Change - OECD
by Susanna Twidale (Reuters) Carbon prices in major advanced economies are too low to cut greenhouse gas emissions and stave off the worst effects of climate change, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said on Tuesday. Carbon pricing, via taxes
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Clariant Biotechnology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Clariant’s Group Biotechnology — responsible for the Technology Platform Biotechnology — develops tailor-made biotechnological processes for the economic and sustainable production of bio-based chemicals and biofuels. It focuses on bio-catalysis and bio-refining. Innovative technologies for the sustainable conversion of
September 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Finding Pathways for Biofuels Advocates Say State Low-Carbon Fuel Policies Could Drive More Ethanol Demand
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Just a few blocks from the commotion and crowds at the Global Climate Action Summit, biofuel advocates gathered Thursday to champion more low-carbon fuel standards that could take the country's biofuels industry in new
September 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Elizabeth Warren Leads Push by Democrats to Force Public Companies Make Climate-Risk Disclosures
by Francine McKenna (Market Watch) The Climate Risk Disclosure Act directs the SEC to issue rules that require every public company to disclose more on climate change exposure -- Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is spearheading an effort by Democratic senators to bring
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Biogas Projects Popping up Everywhere – Are They the Magical Solution We’ve Been Looking for?
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... Like a beautiful unicorn flying in the sky, biogas production is taking off in Denmark, accounting for almost 19% of the gas used in Denmark this July – an impressive 50% increase from last year!
September 10, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Guide to Italy in the Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Groups like Eni, Wilmar, Novamont, Reverdia, Blue Sphere, or the many consortia? The key takeaways; the mandates and national targets; the key producers; process technology R&D; feedstock & supply chain development. All in one concise guide. Mandates
September 06, 2018 Read Full Article
New Members of Biomass Research and Development TAC Announced DOE Office of Energy Efficien
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the newest members of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The TAC provides advice and makes recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the DOE concerning
September 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Canada Clarifies Concerns, Statements on Proposed Clean Fuel Standard
(Advanced Biofuels Canada/EIN PressWire) A recent federal decision to prioritize liquid fuels in the Clean Fuel Standard addresses many stakeholder concerns but misunderstanding of regulation continues -- Canada’s national industry voice for the low carbon biofuels necessary for Canada to implement a
August 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Maryland Listening Session for Clean Transportation Charts Course For Regional Initiative To Reduce Motor Vehicle Pollution
(Sierra Club Maryland Chapter) Leading environmental, scientific, community, business and labor organizations working to advance clean transportation in Mid-Atlantic and Northeast States assembled today in Largo, Maryland for a meeting organized by Maryland Departments Of Environment, Transportation And Energy (MDE), University
August 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Trump Reshaped U.S. Climate Policy in One Month: August 2018
by Maxine Joselow and Benjamin Storrow (E&E News) ... First came the rollback of clean car rules, an aggressive effort to unravel former President Obama's program to reduce tailpipe pollution. Then came the Clean Power Plan replacement, another muscular move that dismantles
August 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Mail Call! Put an End to It
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) California Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna and Barbara Lee urged Gov. Jerry Brown in a letter to put an end to new fossil fuel projects in the state. They call on him to put into place
August 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Liga Bioenergética: Created between 4 Provinces after the Changes in the Retentions
by Ulysses Smith (Mon Report) Ministers of Production, Environment and Energy of Santa Fe, Tucumán, Salta and Córdoba, created the Provincial Bioenergetic League. After the suspension for 6 months of the reduction of withholdings on flour and soybean oil, they met
August 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Wärtsilä to Help Ensure Reliable Power Supply in Challenging Hawaii Conditions through Smart Technologies
(Wärtsilä) Clean, secure, and uninterrupted power is at the core of Hawaiian Electric’s 50-megawatt Schofield Generating Station. Wärtsilä has signed a Maintenance and Operational advisory agreement for the power plant, located on the island of Oahu, 40 kilometres from Honolulu.
August 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Fly Green: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to SkyNRG
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) SkyNRG is the global market leader for sustainable jet fuel, supplying more than 20 carriers across 5 continents in the world. SkyNRG’s sustainable jet fuel can offer CO2 emission reductions up to 80% compared to fossil
August 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Stink, Swine, and Nuisance: The North Carolina Hog Industry and Its Waste Management Woes
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... Biogas – Turning Hog Waste into Resources -- Biogas technologies turn organic wastes, including manure, into energy and compost. When manure is turned into biogas, the smells, poor health effects, and methane
August 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Roban Welcomes National Fuels Policy
(The Royal Gazette) The National Fuels Policy of Bermuda has been approved and is available for the public to review. It provides guidelines the Bermuda Government would like to see to direct the island’s fuels sector towards “affordable and sustainable” energy
August 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Working Paper: "Gaps and Research Demand for Sustainability Certification and Standardization in a Sustainable Bio-Based Economy in the EU"
(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants) The English-language working paper analyzes the current state of sustainability certification and standardization in the bio-based economy with the help of a comprehensive secondary analysis supplemented by a series of expert interviews. The
August 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Trump Admin Sees Grim Climate Outcome in Car Rule
by Zack Colman and Scott Waldman (E&E News) The last time carbon dioxide levels hit the mark the Trump administration envisions for the end of the century, crocodiles roamed the poles and palm trees existed where glaciers are today. In fact, there
August 09, 2018 Read Full Article
GAF 2018: From Precision Farming to Fuel Cell Challenges
by Laís F. Thomaz*(Advanced Biofuels USA) The Global Agribusiness Forum event took place on July 23 and 24 2018 at the Sheraton WTC in São Paulo, Brazil, and brought together leaders from more than 60 countries. [caption id="attachment_100204" align="alignleft" width="300"] Ambassadors
August 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Leahy among Lawmakers Taking Farm Bill to Conference
(WCAX) Both houses of Congress have passed their respective versions of the Farm Bill, a massive piece of legislation that affects farmers around the country. Now, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, will try to come together to
August 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Opportunity to Comment on 2018 Virginia Energy Plan DEADLINE: August 24, 2018
(Virginia Regulatory Town Hall/ Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy) ... The Plan is intended to provide a strategic vision for the energy policy of the Commonwealth over the next 10 years. It is being developed in accordance with Chapter 2
August 02, 2018 Read Full Article
New Approach to Trash Is Displacing Fossil Fuels
by Cliff Gladstein (GNA/ACT News) In early July 2018, renewable natural gas (RNG) began to flow into Southern California’s natural gas distribution system from a state-of-the-art high solid anaerobic digester (HSAD) in Perris, California, that processes organic waste that would otherwise have been
August 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Proposals to Turn North Carolina Hog Waste into Biofuel Spur Debate
by Catherine Clabby (NC Health News/Carolina Public Press) Good news about hog waste can be scarce in this swine-rich state. But success at converting swine waste into usable renewable energy seems to be gaining steam. For the first time, this year a bioenergy
July 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Six Transformations Needed to Achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Major Report Launched
(International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis) The World in 2050 (TWI2050) initiative has launched a new report, setting out six key transformations that will enable the world to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The transformations presented in the report, Transformations to
July 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Canada Delays Rollout of Clean Fuel Standard
(Argus Media) Canada's government has decided to push back the start of an ambitious program to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its use of fossil fuels in transportation, industries and buildings. The environment ministry said yesterday (July 19, 2018) it needs
July 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Emissions, Energy, and Economic Implications of the Curbelo Carbon Tax Proposal
(Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy) In July 2018 Representative Carlos Curbelo proposed legislation that would put a price on US carbon dioxide emissions (“Curbelo proposal”). A carbon price is widely viewed as a necessary part of a cost-effective national
July 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Carbon Taxes Would Drive GHG Emissions Reductions with Minimal Impact on U.S. Economy, Oil and Gas Production
(Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy) A series of four reports released today by Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and partners assesses the economic, energy, and environmental implications of federal carbon taxes. The reports analyze various carbon tax legislation
July 20, 2018 Read Full Article
All Eyes on Carbon Tax Vote
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) CARBON COPY: Today's largely symbolic vote on an anti-carbon tax resolution could offer Republicans helpful campaign-trail fodder against Democrats — but it comes with a price tag for some of the House's most endangered moderates.
July 19, 2018 Read Full Article
ADVANCEFUEL at EU Sustainable Energy Week
(ADVANCEFUEL) The ADVANCEFUEL project was represented at the EU Sustainable Energy Week, with a stall in its Networking Village on 6 June in Brussels. The stall was hsoted by Ayla Uslu (ECN) and Ric Hoefnagels (Utrecht University), with support from Greenovate! Europe. The
July 18, 2018 Read Full Article
SET-Plan Steering Group Approved Implementation Plan of SET-Plan Action 8: Bioenergy and Renewable Fuels for Sustainable Transport
(European Technology and Innovation Platform-Bioenergy) On 13 June 2018 the SET-Plan Steering Group approved the Implementation Plan of SET-Plan Action 8: Bioenergy and Renewable Fuels for Sustainable Transport. The plan was prepared by a working group, co chaired by industrial experts from
July 18, 2018 Read Full Article
One Day at the World’s Leading Biomass Technology Conference, EUBCE 2018
by Steve Bi* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Renaissance-era facades capped with green copper patina and orange clay shingles harmonize seamlessly with imaginative, hallmark-of-Scandinavia, hyper-modern structures in downtown Copenhagen. [caption id="attachment_99349" align="alignleft" width="212"] Setting of the EUBCE 2018 Copenhagen[/caption] The city provided the perfect backdrop