(Roundtable of Sustainable Biomaterials/Biofuels Digest) Camelina sativa; Carinata; Pongamia; Macauba palm tree; Gliricidia sepium; Starchy wastewater; Industrial waste gases; Seed tobacco READ MORE
energy policy
Back TO HOMENow on Deck: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to the DOE’s Quadrennial Review of Energy R&D
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) QTR 2015 describes the current energy landscape, the potential for improvement in systems and technologies, and a wide-ranging set of related RDD&D opportunities. Energy technologies are assessed with respect to their potential security implications, economic
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Obama’s Carbon Emission Hypocrisy
by former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) (The Hill) On November 30, President Obama will join leaders from 196 nations in Paris for the COP 21 United Nations Conference on Climate Change. Ironically, that same day, his Environmental Protection Agency could
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
European Biomass Association Launches Annual Statistical Report
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the EU, the European Biomass Association (AEBIOM) publicly released its annual Statistical Report, with MEPs Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (S&D, FI) and Benedek Jávor (Greens/EFA, HU) hosting. “Statistics confirm that, beyond myth, bioenergy has a lot
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
In the U.S. Southeast, Natural Forests Are Being Felled to Send Fuel Overseas
(Natural Resources Defense Council) Demand for wood pellet exports out of the southeastern U.S. is being driven almost exclusively by climate and energy policies in the U.K. and European Union. Europe's forests are often highly regulated, so European power companies
October 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Gov't Prepares Subsidy for Biodiesel B20
(Tempo) Achieving success in the mixing of 15 percent vegetable oil (B15) with solar, the government will increase it to 20 percent (B20). Around Rp8 billion from crude palm oil exports or CPO Supporting Fund (CSF) has been prepared for
October 21, 2015 Read Full Article
British Firm Partners Government to Set up $150mln Ethanol Plant
(The Source/New Zimbabwe) ... Sunbird Bioenergy has partnered government to set up a $150 million ethanol operation in Zimbabwe next year, an official has said. The deal will see the establishment of an ethanol plant with capacity to produce up to
October 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Liberals Sweep in Canadian Elections: Are Renewables Back?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In Canada, the Liberal party, under the leadership of 43-year old Justin Trudeau, swept to victory in the Canadian federal elections. ... Incoming Prime Minister Trudeau has pledged that his government will run a short series
October 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Harkin: It's Time for a Transition to Clean Energy
by Tom Harkin (Des Moines Register) ... The evidence is clear and the scientific community is near unanimous in understanding our dependence on fossil fuels has damaged man’s only home — planet Earth — and we must take urgent action to fix it. ... Transitioning
October 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Setting the Renewable Energy Policy Agenda: Insights from ACORE’s 2015 National Renewable Energy Policy Forum
(American Council on Renewable Energy) The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) hosted its annual National Renewable Energy Policy Forum in Washington, D.C. on April 23, 2015, bringing together a range of renewable energy industry stakeholders and policymakers – including
October 20, 2015 Read Full Article
INSIGHT-Power Line Opponents Give Renewables Their Keystone Moment
by Nichola Groom (Reuters) ... The visitor represented Clean Line Energy Partners LLC, a Texas company established to build transmission lines for carrying wind and solar power. He had come to tell (Dave) Ulery about a planned line that would cut
October 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Leaders Call for Carbon Pricing Worldwide
(Agence France-Presse/Global Post) A group of world leaders called Monday for countries around the world to put a price on carbon to strengthen the international fight against climate change. As a week of talks on a global climate agreement opened in
October 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Energy Policy Simulator
(Energy Policy Solutions) Designing energy policy correctly is tough work. Well-designed energy policies reduce pollution, cut consumer costs, and minimize dependence on foreign energy supplies. Done wrong, they can do the reverse, and increase pollution, lock in dirty technologies, or
October 20, 2015 Read Full Article
DOE Warns That Climate Change May Disrupt Growth of Biomass Feedstocks
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On October 9, the U.S. Department of Energy released a report about the threats posed by climate change to the U.S. electricity and fuels sector, U.S. Energy Sector: Regional Vulnerabilities and Resilience Solutions. Climate change
October 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Seeking Take-Off and Off-Take: Why Do Some Renewable Technologies Soar and Others Stall?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The high-octane idea that inexplicably struggles, the mid-grade idea that rocks. Here, we look at the critical success factors that provide tail-winds for some technologies and head-winds for others. ... To explain a conundrum, we need a
October 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Carbon Pricing Beats Vehicle Fuel Economy Standards
(Environmental Leader) Currently planned fuel economy standards (extended to the year 2050) would cost 10 percent of the economy’s global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2050, compared with only 6 percent under cap-and-trade carbon pricing, according to a study published
October 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Oil CEOs Differ on Carbon Strategy, Highlighting Industry Divide
by Sarah Kent And Amy Harder (Morningstar) The chief executives of Royal Dutch Shell PLC and ExxonMobil Corp. laid out contrasting visions this week for reducing fossil-fuel emissions, illustrating a divide between American and European energy companies ahead of a
October 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Opinion: Our Generation’s Moonshot: A Clean-Energy World by 2050
by Jeffrey D. Sachs (Market Watch) In May 1961, President John F. Kennedy stirred America and the world with these words: “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing
October 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Can Help Slash U.S. Carbon Emissions — Report
by Amanda Reilly (E&E/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) Biodiesel can contribute significantly to U.S. carbon dioxide reduction goals, according to a new analysis released by the industry’s main trade group. The report conducted by Bates White Economic Consulting found that boosting biodiesel production
October 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Rutgers Report Assesses New Jersey Bioenergy Potential
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) A recent Rutgers University assessment on bioenergy potential in New Jersey found that the state producers over 7 million dry tons of biomass annually, over 4 million of which could be recovered and used to
September 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Makers of Fuel From Plants Feel Forsaken in Obama’s Climate Push
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg/Renewable Energy World) Producers of motor fuels from plant waste say they have been left behind in President Barack Obama’s push to fight climate change. Executives from about two dozen companies that produce advanced biofuels say a proposal to
September 29, 2015 Read Full Article
The 800 Ways Taxpayer Money Supports Fossil Fuel Industries
by Reed Landberg (Bloomberg/Renewable Energy World) If the world seeks to lower carbon emissions, why is support for fossil fuels so strong? --- As world leaders converge on New York for a United Nations gathering that’s expected to have a
September 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Many Conservative Republicans Believe Climate Change Is a Real Threat
by Coral Davenport (The New York Times) A majority of Republicans — including 54 percent of self-described conservative Republicans — believe the world’s climate is changing and that mankind plays some role in the change, according to a new survey conducted by
September 29, 2015 Read Full Article
R Stands for Renewables, even Biofuels
by Timothy J. Rudnicki, Esq (Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) The recent release of the Clean Power Plan has started to spawn community gatherings and agency presentations. Stakeholders are being called upon to help inform a regulatory process which will produce a custom
September 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Why Do Biofuels Seem to Be Stalled?
(Deutsche Welle) On the heels of the VW scandal, many are asking why eco-friendly transport seems to be stalled. Biofuels that don't compete with food production may indeed play an important future role, says Nicholas Wagner of IRENA. Deutsche Welle: The Paris
September 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Nation's Strictest Regulatory Board Affirms Biodiesel as Lowest-Carbon Fuel
(National Biodiesel Board) In a fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, California's Air Resources Board has spent years looking for the cleanest, most efficient ways to cut carbon. Turns out, biodiesel is at the top of the list. Friday the board
September 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Attacks on Renewable Energy Policy by Fossil Fuel Interests 2013-2014
by Gabe Elsner (Energy & Policy Institute) Fossil fuel and utility interests, concerned about the rise of cheap clean energy, are financing attacks on pro-clean energy policies in an effort to delay the growth of their competition in the marketplace. The
September 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Total Plans $500 Million Annual Investment in Renewable Energy
by Javier Blas (Bloomberg Business) French oil company targets `fast growing' solar and biofuels; Total already owns majority stake in U.S. solar firm SunPower -- Total SA plans to invest $500 million a year in renewable energy, a step by Europe’s
September 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Statement from Advanced Biofuels USA in Response to International Climate Science Coalition Press Release
(Advanced Biofuels USA) In the spirit of Pope Francis, and in response to press release from the International Climate Science Coalition's (ICSC) we invite the ICSC to join Advanced Biofuels USA and the biofuels community to find and institute ever
September 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Pope on Wrong Side of History on Climate Change - Global Warming Policies Are the Real Threat to the World's Most Vulnerable People
(International Climate Science Coalition/PR Newswire) "Rather than simply follow the United Nations on climate change, Pope Francis must consider whether U.N. climate policies are doing more harm than good," said Tom Harris, Executive Director of the Ottawa, Canada-based International Climate Science
September 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Crack Spread, Crush Spread, Fuse Spread
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The most fundamental economic in the oil & gas business has historically been the crack spread, which is the price difference between the value of crude oil and the underlying products after refined, or “cracked”.
September 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Final EnAlgae Report Card Published ahead of Close out
(EnAlgae) The final report card for the EnAlgae project has been published and is now available online. Focusing on products and impact, the report summarises the work undertaken during the lifetime of the project and highlights the legacies that will
September 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Green Group: Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Possible by 2050
by Timothy Cama (The Hill) The world could completely phase out fossil fuels and use only renewable energy by 2050, activist group Greenpeace concluded in a new report. In a joint project with the German Aerospace Centre, Greenpeace concluded that the
September 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Zero Emission Vehicles: Not Really
by Don Siefkes, Debbie Baron and Eileen Broderick (E100 Ethanol Group, Mendo Alcohol Fuel Group) ... California Governor Jerry Brown and other Governors, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and much of the major media are continuing their unnerving habit
September 21, 2015 Read Full Article
White House Needs Political Courage to Support RFS Targets, Climate Goals
(25 x '25) DOE late last week issued its second Quadrennial Technology Review (QTR), which department officials say examines the current status of clean energy technologies and identifies hundreds of clean energy research opportunities. ... So while the Obama administration would use
September 17, 2015 Read Full Article
David Attenborough Backs Huge Apollo-Style Clean Energy Research Plan
by Damian Carrington (The Guardian) Naturalist says 10-year public research and development programme, that would emulate race to put men on the moon, could halt climate change -- ... In a letter to the Guardian, the group argue that the approach,
September 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Bernie Sanders Embraces Corn Power
by Alan Bjerja (Bloomberg) Will the Vermont senator's thumbs-up for ethanol spell problems for Hillary Clinton in the heartland? ... The statement praising Sanders came after a Sunday interview on Iowa TV in which the Vermont senator embraced corn-based ethanol and the
September 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Our 7.4 Year Mission, to Boldly Go Where No Biotech Has Gone before: 3 Bioeconomy Must-Reads
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Reports from the EIA, IRENA and Lux Research give key pointers for current trends and a look at “how long does it take to stand up a technology?” ... The US Energy Information Administration updated it’s
September 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Why Activists Are Pushing a ‘Supply Side’ Strategy for Fighting Climate Change
by Chris Mooney (The Washington Post) Even as President Obama further amplifies his rhetoric about addressing climate change, a coalition of environmental organizations released a letter Monday seeking to push his administration much further still. Not content with recently announced curbs on emissions
September 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Winning Coalitions for Climate Policy
by Jonas Meckling, Nina Kelsey, Eric Biber, John Zysman (Science Magazine) The gap is wide between the implications of climate science and the achievements of climate policy. Natural sciences tell us with increasing certainty that climate change is real, dangerous, and solvable;
September 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Energy Department Releases Second Quadrennial Technology Review
(US Department of Energy) Research Opportunities Highlighted in Report Lay Out Options for America’s Clean Energy Future -- Today (September 10, 2015), the Energy Department released its second Quadrennial Technology Review (QTR), which examines the current status of clean energy technologies
September 11, 2015 Read Full Article
How Much Is the US Really Investing in Biofuels Research?
by Robert E. Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) I, like many of you reading this, am working on a concept paper for the US Department of Energy/Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s recent Bioenergy Technologies Incubator 2 Funding Opportunity (DE‐FOA‐0001320). This
September 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Is U.S. Commitment to Renewable Fuels Waning?
by John Sedbrook (Chicago Business) ... The Obama administration has taken laudable strides to reconcile fossil fuel dependence and climate change. In the past few months, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced new efforts to curb emissions from airlines, heavy-duty trucks
September 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Eight Ways to Reach 100% Renewable in Developing Countries
by Anna Leach (The Guardian) How can developing countries reach 100% renewable energy generation? Our expert panel had these suggestions: 1. Celebrate the positives ... 2. Challenge perceived obstacles ... 3. Make COP 21 in Paris count ... 4. Recognise that there’s no
September 09, 2015 Read Full Article
California Takes the Lead on Climate Policy
by Steven Cohen (Huffington Post/Columbia University's Earth Institute) ... As Alejandro Lazo reported in the Wall Street Journal last week: Democrats in California, which already has the toughest climate-change rules in the U.S., are pushing to strengthen them drastically, an effort that
September 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Iowa Has the Blueprint for Energy Independence
by Governor Terry Branstad (The Gazette) ... The good news is that America has a blueprint for becoming energy independent through renewable energy sources, and that blueprint is right here in Iowa. I support an all-of-the-above energy approach, including traditional resources, but
September 04, 2015 Read Full Article
IEA Bioenergy Newsletter Features New Zealand Biofuel Prospects
by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine) IEA Bioenergy Task 39, a group of international experts working to commercialize sustainable transportation biofuels, recently released its latest newsletter, featuring an update on opportunities for biofuels in New Zealand. Newsletter Issue No. 40 distributed by
September 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Turning Garbage Into Profit
by Olga Grigoryants (Pacific Standard) Last year, Simi Valley Landfill entered what is becoming a fast-growing business of transforming fetid odors from decaying trash into fuel, a feat made possible by the miracles of modern chemistry and government subsidies. ... Last year, the
September 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Avoiding the Cliff: Put Energy Policy to Work for America
by Kevin Haley (The Hill/American Council on Renewable Energy/Clean Energy Leadership Institute) ... Today’s emerging energy paradigm is decidedly moving toward low carbon resources, yet our policy framework is overwhelming biased in favor of carbon-intensive energy. Until Congress again recognizes
September 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Era of Super Batteries Will Bring New Problems
by David J. Unger (Christian Science Monitor) Batteries will hasten the transition to the post-fossil-fuel age, but cause economic ripples around the world. Will lithium cartels replace oil cartels? -- The battery revolution will spur fundamental changes in society –
September 02, 2015 Read Full Article
As California Sizzles: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Propel operates 43 Flex Fuel and 31 Biodiesel retail locations statewide, representing over 50,000 clean fuel transactions per month and 10,000,000 gallons of fuel sold to individual consumers annually. Between 2012 and 2014, Propel Fuels conducted
September 01, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Includes Carbon Tax in Final Power Plant Rule
(Common Dreams/Friends of the Earth) Yesterday (August 3, 2015), the Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants, under the Clean Air Act. The final rule has explicitly allowed a carbon tax as a
August 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Stepping Up Progress in Algal Biotechnology
by Matt Carr (Algae Biomass Organization/Industrial Biotechnology) Algae, with their ability to consume carbon dioxide and create oxygen, are widely credited with creating the environment for life as we know it on the planet. Today, they are increasingly being seen
August 28, 2015 Read Full Article
The Inevitable Battle
by Tim Portz (Biomass Magazine) ... Ours is an industry looking to take market share, often in declining markets, from well-entrenched incumbents who can only be expected to rabidly defend their enviable market position. In nearly every category, industry groups are
August 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Food Waste And Beef Fat Will Be Making Airplanes Soar
by Abbie Fentress Swanson (National Public Radio) ... A growing number of biofuel producers are teaming up with farms, meatpackers and waste management companies to tap gassy waste to meet new demand for renewable jet fuel and diesel for vehicles. Lots of
August 28, 2015 Read Full Article
In Iowa, Clinton Backs Ethanol as Part of Rural Aid Plan
By Anne Gearan (The Washington Post) ... The Democratic front-runner’s rural aid package contains an endorsement for ethanol, the corn-based fuel additive. Iowa is the world’s largest producer of ethanol, which is at the center of an environmental and resources debate
August 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Reading the Green Like a Pro—Heavy Duty Truck GHG Phase 2 Mandates Can Help You Ace It!
by Fran Flynn (Biofuels Digest/ Fleet Advantage) On the putting green, the golfer who putts last has the advantage of watching his predecessor ‘show him the line. ... On June 19, 2015 the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Anthony R.
August 27, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA’s Estimate of the “Social Cost of Methane” Used to Justify New Source Performance Standards for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry
by Wayne J. D'Angelo (Fracking Insider) On Tuesday, August 18, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued proposed New Source Performance Standards (“NSPS”) under the Clean Air Act covering methane and volatile organic compound (“VOC”) emissions for certain equipment, processes,
August 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Researchers: All Finnish Energy Could Be Renewable in 35 Years
(yle) Researchers say that in 35 years, Finland could theoretically get all of its energy needs using only renewable energy sources. Researchers at the Lappeenranta University of Technology say they've found ways to make such a transition feasible, both economically
August 25, 2015 Read Full Article
California's New Energy and Climate Goals Will Create Jobs and Boost the Economy
(Advanced Energy Economy/PR Newswire) Advanced energy business leaders went to the California Capitol building today to express support for Gov. Brown's energy and climate goals for 2030 and Senate President Pro-tempore Kevin de León's bill to put those goals into law.
August 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Letter Urges Recognition of the Carbon Neutrality of Bioenergy
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On July 31, 154 members of the U.S. House of Representatives issued a letter to the USDA, U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. EPA urging the recognition of carbon neutrality of biomass energy. “We write to
August 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Sugarcane Bioethanol Project in Sierra Leone Underscores the Challenge of Producing Bioenergy in the Developing World
by Andrew Burger (Renewable Energy World) ... An ambitious bioenergy project in Sierra Leone highlights the sometimes-blurry line that separates development that is sustainable from that which is exploitative, as well as the numerous challenges faced when undertaking projects in poorly
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Role of Biomass Not Yet Finalized in EPA’s Clean Power Plan – But Signs Are Promising
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... The Framework for Assessing Biogenic CO2 Emissions from Stationary Sources, which will codify how power generation with low-carbon biomass can be used as a compliance mechanism for the Plan, has not yet been released. Despite the
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
The GOP's All-of-the-Above Energy Policy Is Nothing Like Obama's
by Rebecca Leber (New Republic) ... Walker and Bush intend to end subsidies for clean energy, largely continue the same century-old tax breaks that remain for fossil fuels, and encourage expanded federal permits for coal and oil extraction. Consider Walker's full quote
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
The Real Bioeconomy Builders
by Matt Carr (Biomass Magazine/Algae Biomass Organization) ... Newcomers are often surprised to find that there are very few investment firms with a specific mission to invest in the bioeconomy. Evaluating an investment opportunity in the space requires specialized knowledge in
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Future Farm, Future Crop: Utopia or Dystopia? Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of 5
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As America’s farmers hit retirement age and technology options explode, what comes next? ... The average age of the US farmer reached 58.3 years in the USDA’s 2012 Census of Agriculture. For sure, farmers have been
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Lindsey Graham: I Wouldn't Disagree With Hillary Clinton on Science of Climate Change
by Rebecca Leber (New Republic) Only two candidates, Senator Lindsey Graham and George Pataki, in the second-tier Republican presidential debate on Thursday have accepted that climate change is real and man-made. That doesn't neecssarily mean they support policies to mitigate
August 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary, aka Clean Power Plan
(Environmental Protection Agency) The EPA Administrator, Gina McCarthy, signed the following notice on 8/3/2015, and EPA is submitting it for publication in the Federal Register (FR). While we have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this Internet version of
August 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Editorial: Obama's Clean Energy Plan Doesn't Go Far Enough
(Los Angeles Times) ... More important than the dollar amount are the greater losses of life, home and habitat expected to result from rising seas, weather catastrophes and changes in the environment that will affect the ability to grow food or
August 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Energy Bill iIncludes Language Benefiting Bioenergy, Algae
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On July 22, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources introduced a bipartisan energy bill, titled the “Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015.” ... A summary of the bill published by the committee indicates
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Releases Clean Power Plan, Uncertainty for Biomass Remains
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA has released the final Clean Power Plan rules, which contain some key changes from the original rule, as well as vague language related to using certain kinds of biomass fuel as a
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Obama Climate Plan Revives Talk of a Carbon Tax
by Ben Geman (National Journal) Sweeping power-plant regulations would enable states to use pollution trading, fees to cut heat-trapping emissions. ... In a change from the draft plan, the final EPA rule now explicitly says states can use "fees" (i.e., taxes)
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Voters Want Pro Clean Energy Prez Candidates
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) NextGen Climate has released the results of a survey that finds voters in key presidential swing states support transitioning to at least 50 percent clean energy by 2030. Hart Research conducted the poll in eight battleground
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
How to Detect Nonsense about Climate Change
by Stephen Stromberg (The Washington Post) The final version of the Clean Power Plan, President Obama’s signature climate change policy, came out on Monday. Here’s how to tell whether the politicians, special interests and commentators you’re going to hear talking
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Inslee: I’ll Use My Authority to Impose Cap on Emissions
by Jim Brunner and Hal Bernton (Seattle Times) After being stymied on climate policy in the Legislature, Gov. Jay Inslee announced he’s pressing ahead with executive action to impose a cap on carbon emissions. Frustrated by legislative inaction on climate, Gov. Jay
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Grassley Defends Extending Tax Credits for Renewable Energy
by James Q. Lynch (Iowa Farmer Today) It’s been a big week for renewable fuels, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley after the Senate Finance Committee voted 23-3 to approve extending tax credits for wind energy, biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol. He called
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Research Explores Future Energy Security of China
(University of East Anglia) China needs to reduce its dependence on coal and improve the range of fuels it uses if it is to have long term energy security, according to new research from the University of East Anglia. The study,
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Algae Biomass Organization Applauds U.S. Reps. Peters and Salmon for Bi-Partisan House Bill to Increase R&D Funding for Carbon Capture & Utilization
(Algae Biomass Organization) The Algae Biomass Organization, the trade association for the algae industry, applauded U.S. Reps. Scott Peters (D-CA) and Matt Salmon (R-AZ) for introducing a bill designed to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that would spur
July 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Study Gets a Handle on Gas Leaks: 80 Billion Cubic Feet
by Katherine Bagley (InsideClimate News) Four percent of the facilities surveyed accounted for 23 percent of the leaked natural gas, worth about $240 million -- About 80 billion cubic feet of the potent greenhouse gas methane escapes into the air each
July 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Algae Biomass Organization Hails Carbon Utilization Language in Senate Energy Legislation
(Algae Biomass Organization) Latest bill to encourage using carbon dioxide as a feedstock for valuable products -- The Algae Biomass Organization, the trade association for the algae industry, hailed language included in the energy reform package released last Wednesday by the Senate
July 28, 2015 Read Full Article
American Energy Alliance Scorecard
(American Energy Alliance) The American Energy Scorecard educates lawmakers about the most important energy votes of the year and empowers the American people to hold their elected officials accountable for the decisions they make in Washington. ... Eliminating the Wind Production Tax Credit
July 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Germany's Obligation to Reduce GHGs Drives Competition
(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP)) With an average greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction of 60 percent, the competition for the highest GHG efficiency is starting. This was confirmed in the first quarterly report by the German Federal
July 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Treat Climate Change as Seriously as National Security: Report
by Alister Doyle (Reuters) Governments should treat climate change as seriously as threats to national security or public health, partly by focusing more on the worst scenarios of rising temperatures, an international report said on Monday. Crop failures, extreme heat waves
July 15, 2015 Read Full Article
It's Time for a Non-Renewable Carbon User Fee for Fuels -- Press Release
“If we’re serious about reducing Climate Change caused by Green House Gases, then we need serious actions,” said Joanne Ivancic, Executive Director of Advanced Biofuels USA on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. “The first steps are including the price of
July 14, 2015 Read Full Article
It's Time for a Non-Renewable Carbon User Fee for Fuels
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Advanced Biofuels USA introduced a new idea for capturing externalities of non-renewable fuels at the Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO + Forum held in the Caucus Room of the US House of
July 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Estimating the Benefits from Carbon Dioxide Emissions Reductions
by Howard Shelanski and Maurice Obstfeldb (The White House) ... The social cost of carbon (SCC) is a tool that helps Federal agencies decide which carbon-reducing regulatory approaches make the most sense—to know which come at too great a cost and
July 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Fossil Fuel Industry Must 'Implode' to Avoid Climate Disaster, Says Top Scientist
by Damian Carrington (The Guardian) ‘The age of carbon is over’ and a transition to a greener economy is inevitable, says Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, adviser to the German government and Pope Francis ... Professor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, an adviser to the German government
July 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces New Initiatives as Part of Administration’s Clean Energy Investment Summit
(US Department of Energy) The Department of Energy announced several new and expanding initiatives as part of the Administration’s Clean Energy Investment Summit, including the launch of a Clean Energy Impact Investment Center (CEII), which will work to make the
July 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Why the Saudis Are Going Solar
by Jeffrey Ball (The Atlantic) ... Saudi Arabia produces much of its electricity by burning oil, a practice that most countries abandoned long ago, reasoning that they could use coal and natural gas instead and save oil for transportation, an application
July 06, 2015 Read Full Article
OMB Weighs in on Biomass Language Included in Appropriations Bill
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The White House Office of Management and Budget has published a statement of administration policy that details its opposition to several components of an appropriations bill pending the in the U.S. House of Representatives,
July 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Washington Should Help Capitalize Green Banks
by Mark Muro and Reed Hundt (The Brookings Institution) ... While the federal government has not been able to lead on the design of modern clean energy and infrastructure finance entities, it now has the opportunity, with its billions of underutilized
July 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewables Critical for Island Economies: IRENA Report
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Brussels, International Renewable Energy Agency released three reports today for Fiji, the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu, concluding that a combination of solar, wind, geothermal, marine, biomass and biofuel could meet domestic energy needs while
July 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Food in the Age of Biofuels
by Jose Graziano da Silva (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization/Project Syndicate) ... But this is a false dichotomy. The choice cannot be between food and fuel. We can make good use of both. Given the right conditions, biofuels can be an effective means
July 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Nearly Half of Senate Writes Urging for Streamlined Support for Forest Bioenergy
by Megan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, nearly half of the US Senate has written to the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Energy and the EPA administrator strongly urging the agencies to streamline support of biomass for energy across all
July 02, 2015 Read Full Article
ACORE Releases Public Policy Insights and Recommendations for Renewable Energy
(ACORE) Policy Pack recaps ACORE’s 2015 Renewable Energy Policy Forum recommendations; warns of a serious market cliff for new investments absent policy action by Congress As the Obama administration announces a 20 percent national goal for renewable electricity generation by 2030,
July 01, 2015 Read Full Article
The Inevitable Battle
by Tom Portz (Biomass Magazine) ... Ours is an industry looking to take market share, often in declining markets, from well-entrenched incumbents who can only be expected to rabidly defend their enviable market position. In nearly every category, industry groups are
June 30, 2015 Read Full Article
European Biomass Conference and Exhibition 2015: Biomass: Challenges and Promises
by Maija Sihvonen* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The 23rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (EUBCE) held in Vienna 1-4 June was a massive event with nearly 1300 participants from 76 countries and some 800 presentations. The event consisted of multiple parallel
June 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Bulgaria Is Falling Behind National Biofuel Targets – Audit Office
(Novinite.com) ... In order to comply with EU rules, Bulgaria has set itself the following mandatory national biofuel targets: 10% share of renewables and biofuels in transport and 6% share of the total greenhouse gas savings, taking into account only biofuels
June 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Thompson, Coons, Moran, Poe Bill Will Level the Playing Field for Renewable Energy
(Real Estate Rama) Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act would give renewable energy projects access to a tax advantage currently available only to oil, gas, and coal projects U.S. Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA-05) and Ted Poe (R-TX-02), and Senators Chris Coons (D-DE)
June 25, 2015 Read Full Article
Under Secretary of Energy Franklin Orr: Keynote Address at the DOE Bioenergy 2015 conference
by Franklin Orr (Biofuels Digest/Bioenergy 2015) Biofuels are a very important part of America’s economic and energy future. On the geopolitical side, from Ukraine to the Middle East we see events that threaten energy stability. We see domestic manufacturing fighting its
June 25, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Energy Shows Record Growth in Power Sector, but Few Gains in Heating and Transport
(Associated Press/Fox Business) The growth of renewable energy outpaced that of fossil fuels in the electricity sector last year, with a record 135 gigawatts of capacity added from wind, solar, hydropower and other natural sources, a new study shows. That's more than
June 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Martin O'Malley: Zero out Fossil Fuels by 2050
Martin O'Malley (USA Today) ... New technologies now put an independent clean energy future decidedly within our reach as a nation. ... I would keep domestically produced oil and gas in the U.S. READ MORE
June 22, 2015 Read Full Article
EU Set to Meet Green Energy Goal but UK, Netherlands Trail
by Susanna Twidale and Barbara Lewis (Reuters) * Renewable energy to account for 15.3 percent in 2014 * France, Malta, Belgium and Spain also need to boost efforts * Transport challenge proving difficult (Adds reaction, detail on transport sector) The European
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Pope Blames Climate Change on Humans in 183-Page Call for Action
by Devin Henry (The Hill) Global warming is happening, human activity is causing it and more needs to be done, especially by the world’s governments and policymakers, to stop it, Pope Francis writes in his landmark encyclical on the environment,
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Key Excerpts Related to Fossil Fuels from Pope Francis' Encyclical on the Environment
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) The following are key excerpts from Pope Francis' Encyclical, “Laudato Si,” or “Praised Be,” in which he calls for renewable fuel use, energy efficiency, transition from harmful, smoky cooking fuels that foster deforestation, and other
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Big Oil Companies Want a Price on Carbon. Here’s Why.
by Ben Geman (National Journal) Natural-gas profits have Shell and BP, among others, calling for increased use of carbon-emissions fees ahead of a make-or-break climate summit in Paris. Six oil and gas giants based in Europe have delivered an unusual joint
June 02, 2015 Read Full Article
How Europe’s Climate Policies Led to More U.S. Trees Being Cut Down
by Joby Warrick (The Washington Post) ... Soaring demand for this woody fuel has led to the construction of more than two dozen pellet factories in the Southeast in the past decade, along with special port facilities in Virginia and Georgia
June 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuel Research and Commercial Development in Denmark
(Task 39 Newsletter) General introduction - A fossil free energy supply by 2050 -- In 2012, the Danish parliament decided on a new climate act, which calls for an energy supply totally free of fossil fuels by 2050. This goal
June 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Under the Rug: How Governments and International Institutions are Hiding Billions in Support to the Coal Industry
(Shift the Subsidies, Natural Resources Defense Council, Oil Change International, and World Wide Fund for Nature) Over the last eight years, as the scope of the climate crisis has deepened, nations of the world and particularly of the G20 and G7,
June 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Illovo Says Policy Certainty Key to Unlocking Sugar’s Cogeneration Potential
by Terence Creamer (Engineering News) ... For Illovo, meanwhile, electricity generation forms part of a larger downstream diversification strategy, designed to lower the group’s reliance on sugar prices. Besides power, the JSE-listed group is also moving to expand its ethanol production
May 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Clinton: Invest in Rural Clean Energy
by Hilary Clinton (The Gazette) ... Domestic renewable fuel production has expanded by more than 350 percent over the past decade with enough supply in the market today to fuel more than 30 million cars. And today U.S. biofuels companies not
May 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Back 28.5. The EU Biofuels Regime Is Failing to Meet the Objectives Set in the Current Regulation
(University of Eastern Finland) ... Seita Romppanen presents in her doctoral dissertation that the European Union (EU) regulatory framework for biofuels has the potential to address its climate, energy and environmental objectives, but only if it is carefully tailored and
May 27, 2015 Read Full Article
New Statistical Analysis: Retail Gas Prices Unaffected by Renewable Fuel Standard RIN Credits
(Renewable Fuels Association) Retail gasoline prices from 2013 through the first quarter of 2015 were unaffected by prices for “RIN credits” (Renewable Identification Numbers) that are used to demonstrate compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), according to a new
May 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Your Illustrated Guide to the Next World Crisis, Its Energy Roots, the Issues, the Players, the Steps, and Remedies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest’s guide to the links between terror, petroleum dependence, economic stability, and military build-ups, as nations bear down in pursuit of energy security. In March 2014, Truman National Security Project executive director Mike Breen warned,
May 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Sustainable Bioenergy High-Impact Opportunity Launches
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In Denmark, Novozymes and partners including the FAO, Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Carbon War Room, KLM and the UN Foundation announced the launch of a multi-stakeholder coalition to scale up
May 21, 2015 Read Full Article
UN Sustainable Energy for All Announces Global Bioenergy Initiative
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) UN FAO, Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Carbon War Room, KLM, Novozymes and the UN Foundation partner to scale up the development and deployment of sustainable bioenergy solutions to meet the global need
May 20, 2015 Read Full Article
King Bill Establishes Biomass Emissions as Carbon Neutral
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, has introduced legislation that aims to ensure emissions generated from sustainably harvested biomass would be considered carbon neutral under the U.S. EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan. The bill, known as “The
May 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Sen. Ron Wyden Introduces Grant Program to Improve Biomass Innovation
by Jaclyn Brandt (Fierce Energy) Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has been working to increase the use of biomass in his state and the country, and has introduced another bill with the goal of improving technologies for woody biomass. The bill, the
May 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Fossil Fuels Subsidised by $10m a Minute, Says IMF
by Damian Carrington (The Guardian) ‘Shocking’ revelation finds $5.3tn subsidy estimate for 2015 is greater than the total health spending of all the world’s governments -- Fossil fuel companies are benefitting from global subsidies of $5.3tn (£3.4tn) a year, equivalent to $10m
May 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Odd Couple Asks EPA for Carbon Tax
by Zack Coleman (Washington Examiner) A riddle: A left-wing environmental organization and a free-market policy group enter the Environmental Protection Agency. What do they want? A national carbon tax. That's what environmental group Friends of the Earth and the free-market R Street
May 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Massachusetts Senators Ask Administration to Put Moratorium on Bioenergy Until 2020
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) In a May 8 letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, Senators Markey and Warren, both Democrats from Massachusetts, question the value of bioenergy, energy sourced from cellulosic and woody material, primarily wood waste from the
May 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Experts: Bioenergy Industry Has Potential to Bring Jobs to North Carolina
by Jeff Jeffrey (Triangle Business Journal) With crude oil prices hovering around $60 per barrel, policymakers may not feel as much pressure to embrace renewable forms of energy. But bioenergy experts say it would be a mistake for NorthCarolina to step
May 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Bioenergy & Sustainability: Bridging the Gaps
(SCOPE) Bioenergy & Sustainability is a collective effort with contributions from 137 researchers of 82 institutions in 24 countries. The volume is the outcome of an assessment that included a meeting held at UNESCO, Paris, in December 2013. Fifty experts
May 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Low Carbon Transport on the Move: What’s up in Australia?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Electrics, fuel cell vehicles, smart cars, biofuels for road and sky, and greening the grid come under the microscope Down Under. In Sydney this week, a number of US and Australian leaders gathered at the
May 15, 2015 Read Full Article
3 Steps to Decarbonizing Development for a Zero-Carbon Future
(World Bank) Getting to zero net emissions and stabilizing climate change starts with planning for the long-term future and not stopping at short-term goals. It means getting prices right as part of a broad policy package that can trigger changes in
May 14, 2015 Read Full Article
ABO Applauds Senators Manchin and Heitkamp on Introduction of Carbon Utilization Legislation
(Algae Biomass Organization) Addition of just 12 words could accelerate pace of large scale, emissions reducing algae projects at fossil fired power plants -- The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the US algae industry, today applauded new legislation
May 14, 2015 Read Full Article
State Releases Final Fracking Statement
by Scott Waldman (Capital New York) ... The Department of Environmental Conservation released the 2,000-page final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement for fracking, which opponents and proponents around the country have been awaiting since Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a ban on fracking
May 14, 2015 Read Full Article
US Taxpayers Subsidising World's Biggest Fossil Fuel Companies
by Damian Carrington and Harry Davies (The Guardian/MSN.com) The world’s biggest and most profitable fossil fuel companies are receiving huge and rising subsidies from US taxpayers, a practice slammed as absurd by a presidential candidate given the threat of climate change.
May 12, 2015 Read Full Article
Tory Victory Creates Storm Clouds for UK Renewable Target
by Sara Stefanini and Kalina Oroshakoff (Politico.EU) The Tories victory in the UK general election creates worries that the country will not reach its 2020 renewable energy targets. ... The cost of closing that gap in the next five years may be
May 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Washington Update: Carbon And Tax Policy
By Bob Cleaves (Biomass Magazine) Biomass Power Association President Bob Cleaves discusses ongoing policy and regulatory discussions affecting the industry. ... In late March, we testified at the EPA’s Scientific Advisory Board meeting to review the Framework for Assessing Biogenic CO2
May 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Schwarzenegger: Three Things Weightlifting and California Can Teach Us About How To Save the World
by Arnold Schwarzenegger (Time Magazine) ... When I praise Governor Brown, some people look at me like I’ve lost my mind. I’m a Republican, and he is a Democrat. In our current political climate, we are supposed to be mortal enemies. This
May 05, 2015 Read Full Article
California's New Goal: 40% Lower Emissions by 2030
(SustainableBusiness.com) ... California will cut greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030, below 1990 levels, making it possible to reach the ultimate goal of 80% cuts by 2050, he says. These goals are the same as the European Union and are what's needed to keep temperature
April 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Tribe to Convert Abandoned Ethanol Plant into Wood Pellet Production Facility
by Dave Flessner (Times Free Press) The Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut wants to turn one of Tennessee's biggest renewable energy failures into a business success with another type of renewable product in growing demand around the globe. Northeast Wood Products, a wood
April 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Algae Industry Moves Beyond Research to Commercialization
(SustainableBusiness.com) ... This crucial industry has the potential to address many of the challenges facing the world today - it can fuel vehicles and airplanes, recycle carbon, provide nutrition for animals and people and create jobs for millions of Americans. Substituting algae for palm oil would go a long
April 24, 2015 Read Full Article
American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) Ups Biofuels Presence at Policy Forum
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Over the past year, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) increased its work with the biofuels sector of renewable energy, upped its presence and activity at biofuels-related conferences and events, and got into
April 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Trash-to-Biofuel Takes New Turn in Marion
by Rick Smith (The Gazette) No one has claimed that making biofuel out of garbage is as simple as tossing leftovers into the trash. So it is that Craig Stuart-Paul, president and chief executive officer of the Maryland-based Fiberight LLC,
April 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Earth Day: 3 Big Reads for a Sustainable BioFuture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Three reports have arrived this week that help – especially in the corner of sustainability relating to biobased energy, fuels and products. One led out of Brazil, tapping the efforts of 137 researchers at 82
April 21, 2015 Read Full Article
The British Authorities Impose More Stringent Requirements for the Biofuel Use
(Ukrainian Biofuel Portal) In April 2015 the companies using biofuel set-ups will be obliged to prove that they use exclusively ecologically clean fuel. Otherwise, they will be deprived of the financial support. In the framework of this inspection, the Department
April 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Liberal Groups Aim to Register a Million Climate Voters
by Andrew Restuccia (Politico) A coalition of environmental, civil rights and progressive groups aims to register a million climate-conscious voters by Election Day. The goal, shared first with POLITICO, is the latest indication that liberals view climate change as a wedge
April 16, 2015 Read Full Article
54.5-mpg Rules Expected to Stick
by David Shepardson (Detroit News) A growing number of foreign automakers believes U.S. regulators won’t soften the planned 54.5-mpg fleet-wide average by 2025, and that could make it tougher for truck-heavy U.S. automakers to challenge the requirements. U.S. fuel efficiency standards will
April 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Billionaire Environmentalist Comes to Sacramento, Clashes with Businesses over Climate Change Bill
by Allen Young (Sacramento Business Journal) Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer came to Sacramento on Tuesday to promote a wholesale expansion of air quality regulations promoted by the governor and Senate leader Kevin de León. Asked point blank why Steyer approved of the
April 08, 2015 Read Full Article
In China’s Inner Mongolia, Mining Spells Misery for Traditional Herders
by Simon Denyer (The Washington Post) ... The vast, wind-swept grasslands of Inner Mongolia have been home to nomadic pastoralists for thousands of years, but the rich resources that lay under these rolling prairies have proved a curse to the people
April 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Industry Provides Input to SAB Biogenic Carbon Emissions Panel
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In late March, the U.S. EPA’s Science Advisory Board Biogenic Carbon Emissions Panel held a public face-to-face meeting to review the agency’s Framework for Assessing Biogenic CO2 Emissions from Stationary Sources. A public teleconference
April 06, 2015 Read Full Article
The Urban Air Initiative's Comments On EPA’s Proposal to Update the Air Quality Standards for Ground-Level Ozone Docket ID#: EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0699
(The Urban Air Initiative) UAI appreciates this opportunity to comment on EPA’s proposal to strengthen the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground level ozone, as set forth on November 25, 2014. As summarized here and developed more fully
April 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Obama to Order Emissions Cuts in Federal Agencies
by Timothy Cama (The Hill) ... A White House official said the order is a way for the government to “lead by example” by curbing emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases believed to cause global warming. ... Several major companies that
March 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Climate Change: UN Backs Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign
by Damian Carrington (The Guardian) Keep it in the ground. Framework convention on climate change says it shares aim for strong deal on fighting global warming at Paris summit. The UN organisation in charge of global climate change negotiations is backing the
March 17, 2015 Read Full Article
With “True Cost” Of Emissions Factored In, Gasoline Would Cost $3.80/Gallon MORE Than The Pump Price
by James Ayre (CleanTechnica) If the “true costs” of emissions — increased rates of premature death, illness, increased loads on the healthcare system, lowered crop yields, missed work days, higher insurance damages from extreme weather events linked to climate change,
March 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Find Policies & Incentives by State
(North Carolina State University/US Department of Energy) DSIRE is the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewables and energy efficiency in the United States. Established in 1995, DSIRE is operated by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology
March 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Waste-Biogas Is at Least Ten Times More Effective than Crop-Biogas at Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
(Bangor University) In a paper just released in the leading bioenergy journal Global Change Biology Bioenergy, researchers from Bangor University and the Thünen Institute in Germany conclude that crop-biogas and liquid biofuels are at best inefficient options for greenhouse gas
March 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Ag Leaders Call On Presidential Hopefuls To Support Clean Energy Future
by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today/25 x '25) Prominent leaders from agriculture’s diverse value chain issued an open letter to policymakers and presidential hopefuls attending the first ever Iowa Ag Summit, urging them to consider Iowa’s renewable energy record in