(American Soybean Association) The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) this week filed a legal brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit regarding their petition for review of EPA rules on Argentinian biodiesel imports under the Renewable Fuel
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
Back TO HOMEThis Couple Is Driving Cross-Country To Return Their Polluting Jetta To VW Headquarters
by David Tracy (Jalopnik) Upset that Volkswagen deceived them into buying a not-so-clean diesel, Marcus Moench and Elisabeth Caspari are driving from Colorado to VW’s headquarters in Virginia to return their Jetta SportWagen TDI and drop off 20,000 petitions. ... ... You see,
January 18, 2016 Read Full Article
New White Paper Identifies Opportunities for Increased Ethanol Demand: Growing Beyond the RFS Keys on Regulatory Relief
(Ethanol Across America) Despite the effectiveness of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in providing an entry ramp to the fuel market, the potential for corn ethanol to contribute to meeting a range of public policy objectives has only scratched the
January 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Greens: Gas Developers Aren’t Telling Investors of Methane Leaks
by Devin Henry (The Hill) Natural gas developers are providing very restricted information about their methane emissions to investors, according to a report released Monday by a green group. According to an Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) analysis, only 18 of 65 major
January 17, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol, RFS Are Points of Contention in Ag States
by Gene Lucht (Iowa Farmer Today) A pair of volunteers holds up a sign near a rally for Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz. It says “I’m caucusing for ethanol in 2016.” The message is clear. Ethanol supporters would like to remind farmers
January 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Questioning The Final RFS Rule, Part 2: The Meaning Of The Word 'Supply'
by Jonathan Coppess (Farms.com/Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois) This article looks specifically at EPA's interpretation of the word 'supply' in the waiver provision 'inadequate domestic supply' and what Congress intended it to mean. ... The waiver authority includes when
January 15, 2016 Read Full Article
The Candidates and Media Are Getting the Iowa Ethanol Debate All Wrong
by Michelle Ye Hee Lee (Washington Post Fact Checker) ... The Fact Checker will explore an important distinction in the rhetoric over the ethanol mandate that has been mischaracterized by politicians, including Cruz, and even members of the media. The premise set
January 15, 2016 Read Full Article
American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers Files Motion to Intervene in Ethanol Industry Lawsuit
(American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers) American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) President Chet Thompson announces the association’s decision to intervene in the lawsuit brought by the ethanol industry against the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) use of its general waiver authority
January 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Invisible Disaster of Aliso Canyon Leak May Give Methane Rules Momentum
by Eric Wolff (Politico Morning Energy) The massive methane spill at the Aliso Canyon storage field has pumped out at least 77,500 metric tons of gas since Oct. 23, and it will be months before the spill can be closed.
January 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Anti-Cruz Campaign Could Backfire on Ethanol, Backer Says
by Philip Brasher (Agri-Pulse) The ethanol industry risks losing its long-standing political clout in presidential elections if Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wins the Iowa caucuses despite the industry's attacks on him, says Iowa Rep. Steve King. “If they fall short, then
January 14, 2016 Read Full Article
CORRECTED: Cruz Still Favors Slashing Ethanol Mandate Every Year for Five Years
by Timothy P. Carney (Washington Examiner) With some hasty blogging — and exacerbated by an Iowan's mistaken assertion about the ethanol mandate, Ted Cruz's shrewd answering, and the ethanol lobby's odd response — I contributed to some confusion about Ted
January 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Opportunities Abroad
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Several U.S. producers, including Genuine Bio-Fuel, Hero BX and the now-defunct Promethean Biofuels, in addition to Miami-based biodiesel exporter and hopeful technology provider Lagosur, sketch out overviews of international developments. ... “Taxation, regulation, cost of production, market
January 13, 2016 Read Full Article
New Biofuels Could Cut Emissions and Preserve Land Used to Grow Food
by Nathan Collins (Pacific Standard) Researchers combine ecological and economic models to examine the benefits of growing grass as fuel. --- ... Fortunately, corn isn't the only source of ethanol—in particular, there are perennial grasses like switchgrass and miscanthus. Those options
January 13, 2016 Read Full Article
Economist: Blend Wall Debate Might Help Sluggish Crop Prices
by Nat Williams (The Southern News Services) ...The reasons include the Great Recession and falling gasoline prices, among a few other things. At issue is the federal mandate for ethanol inclusion as a component of motor fuels, according to Scott Irwin.
January 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Pushmi-Pullyu: How Do Carbon Prices and Fuel Mandates Work Together in Breaking through a Fossil Fuel Monopoly? Or, Do They?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sometimes, the set-up of the transition from fossil fuels is as pretty and impractical as Dr. Doolittle’s Pushmi-Pullyu. The Digest investigates. -- ... For example, a renewable fuel does not qualify under the Renewable Fuel Standard
January 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Study: Second-Generation Biofuels Can Reduce Emissions
(EurekAlert!/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Second-generation biofuel crops like the perennial grasses Miscanthus and switchgrass can efficiently meet emission reduction goals without significantly displacing cropland used for food production, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Illinois
January 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Facing U.S. Storm, VW Set for Easier Ride in Europe on Emissions Scandal
by Barbara Lewis and Kirstin Ridley (Reuters) Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) is unlikely to face U.S.-style fines in Europe over its emissions scandal because of a softer regulatory regime and its home country Germany's determination to protect its car industry, EU sources and
January 11, 2016 Read Full Article
UPDATE 1-Groups Kick off Legal Challenge to U.S. Biofuels Standard
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) Jan 8 Seven biofuel and agriculture groups have asked a U.S. court to a review the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standards for 2014, 2015, and 2016, according to a court filing on Friday, kicking off a widely-expected
January 11, 2016 Read Full Article
‘When Ethanol Attacks,’ Starring Ted Cruz
by David Weigel (The Washington Post) (Wednesday, January 6, 2016) 11:45 a.m. ... "Because of this EPA wall, the market is currently dominated by low-level ethanol blends, such as 'E10' (10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline)," Cruz writes. "That has prevented
January 08, 2016 Read Full Article
USDA Highlights 2015 Bioeconomy Achievements
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Several of the achievements listed by the USDA benefited the bioenergy and biofuels sectors. Under the category of climate change achievements, the department highlighted its work with the U.S. EPA to set the first-ever
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
United States Files Complaint Against Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche for Alleged Clean Air Act Violations
(U.S. Department of Justice) The Department of Justice, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), today filed a civil complaint in federal court in Detroit, Michigan, against Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, Volkswagen Group of America Inc., Volkswagen Group of
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
IFES 2015: The Outlook for Conventional Biofuels Is Brighter than You Think
by Scott Irwin (FarmDocDaily) This is a presentation summary from the 2015 Illinois Farm Economics Summit (IFES) which occurred December 14-18, 2015. A complete collection of presentations including PowerPoint Slides (PPT) and printable summaries (PDF) are available here. The EPA released
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Top 10 Bioeconomy and Biofuels Predictions for 2016
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we reach the end of 2015? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and peer into tomorrowland. As the sunset of 2015 gives way
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuels as Seen by OPEC: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Biofuels in the World Oil Outlook
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In this year’s World Oil Outlook, OPEC writes: The prospects for first generation biofuels are constrained by factors such as land use changes, excessive water usage, and the impact on food production and prices from
December 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Paper, Wood Products Manufacturers File Biomass Litigation on CPP
(American Forest & Paper Association, American Wood Council/Biomass Magazine) American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman and American Wood Council President and CEO Robert Glowinski have issued the following statements after filing a joint petition for review in the
December 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Record Production Propels Industry in Face of EPA Rule
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) EPA needs to stop micromanaging the RFS—allow the program to work as intended—and the record-setting ethanol industry will continue to perform for American consumers, writes Bob Dinneeen. -- ... The high came
December 28, 2015 Read Full Article
RISC Notice Includes Projected 2017 RFS Rulemaking Timeline
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A notice published in the Federal Register by the Regulatory Information Service Center includes a projected timeline for the U.S. EPA’s rulemaking for the 2017 renewable fuel standard (RFS) volume obligations. In mid-December, the RISC
December 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels Move From Lab to Frying Pan
by Amy Harder (Wall Street Journal/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) Solazyme Inc., a company founded 12 years ago to make car and truck fuel from algae, is vigorously pushing a new product. But this time, it is fuel for the body: cooking oil, based
December 23, 2015 Read Full Article
E15 Acceptance Hits 70% Mark for 2016 Model Year Vehicles in US: Report
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, an analysis of 2016 model year warranty statements and owner’s manuals conducted by the Renewable Fuels Association shows that auto manufacturers explicitly approve E15 (15 percent ethanol 85 percent gasoline) use in more than 70
December 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Re-Thinking the Carbon Reduction Value of Corn Ethanol Fuel
by Ron Alverson (Ethanol Across America) It has been seven years since Argonne National Labs (ANL), as part of the Energy Security and Independence Act requirements, first determined the Life Cycle Carbon Intensity of mid-west corn ethanol fuel. ANL, using
December 23, 2015 Read Full Article
The 7 Flying Reindeer: Renewable Fuel Myths that Continue to Defy Gravity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Food vs Fuel, biofuels causing corn planting to skyrocket, low oil prices killing off renewable fuels, the subsidy myth, the emissions myth, the “people won’t buy the fuels” myth, and the Insanity myth. ... In the world
December 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Lehigh Valley Biofuel Entrepreneurs Charged in $50M Federal Scam
by Kurt Bresswein (Lehigh Valley Live) The owners of a Lehigh Valley company are accused of scamming taxpayers out of about $50 million in payments, subsidies and other benefits paid out for purportedly turning cooking oil into biofuel. David Dunham, 35,
December 22, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Stands by Biofuels’ Greenhouse Gas Benefits
(OntarioFarmer.com) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's final rules on the volume of biofuels that must be produced from 2014 to 2016 shows the agency is convinced that biofuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared with fossil fuels, says Purdue University energy
December 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Cheap Gas Spurs SUV Sales and Puts U.S. Climate Goals at Risk
by David Shepardson and Paul Lienert (Reuters) Surging demand for trucks and SUVs fueled by cheap gasoline is holding back improvements in U.S. fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions, a government report due out on Wednesday is expected to show. The
December 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Federal Agencies Release Update on National Biogas Activities
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) In support of the Obama Administration's Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) jointly released the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap Progress Report today
December 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Pacific Ethanol (PEIX) Begins Production of Cellulosic Ethanol at Stockton Facility
(Street Insider) Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEIX) announced it is now producing cellulosic ethanol at its Stockton, CA facility using Edeniq, Inc.’s Pathway Technology. Neil Koehler, the company’s president and CEO, stated, “We are now commercially producing cellulosic ethanol using Edeniq’s
December 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Tyner: Decision on RFS Is Statement on Greenhouse Gas Emissions
(Farmers' Advance) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's final rules on the volume of biofuels that must be produced from 2014 to 2016 continues the current policy thrust that biofuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared with fossil fuels, Purdue University energy
December 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Grassley Expects Challenges to EPA's RFS Ruling
by Mike Peterson (KMALand) The Environmental Protection Agency faces congressional and legal action following its recent decision on the Renewable Fuel Standard for 2016. That's according to Iowa Senator Charles Grassley, who is among those not happy with the EPA's
December 14, 2015 Read Full Article
New Study Finds Oil & Gas Methane Emissions in the Barnett Shale Almost Twice What Official Estimates Suggest
by Steven Hamburg (Environmental Defense Fund) A new scientific study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, coordinated by EDF, reports findings from the most comprehensive examination of regional methane emissions completed to date. Focused on
December 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Obama's Climate Change Hypocrisy
by Paul Alexander (Huffington Post) Some commentators have argued President Barack Obama suffers from a failure of leadership. That was evidenced once again last week when he traveled to Paris to demand the world cut greenhouse gas emissions on the
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Corn, Soybean Leaders Differ on RFS Perspectives
by Megan Johnson (Nebraska TV) Lots of agriculture groups are meeting during the time between harvest and planting to talk about things impacting their crops and industries. A topic coming up often: the renewable fuel requirement numbers recently set by the
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
How Much Corn for Ethanol? USDA Takes Cautious Approach to Corn Use in New Ethanol Mandate
by Alan Brugler (DTN The Progressive Farmer) USDA on Wednesday increased projected 2015-16 corn use for ethanol by 25 million bushels from its November World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report. Was this enough to reflect the additional blending required by
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
SDFU Delegates Vote to Take Pro-E30 Challenge
by Mikkel Pates (Agweek) The South Dakota Farmers Union celebrated its 100th annual meeting by taking another step forward in history by unanimously passing a resolution that dedicates its members to use a 30 percent ethanol blend in all of
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
VW Staff Began Working on Cheat in 2005 to Break into U.S. Market
by David Rising and Kerstin Sopke (The Washington Post/Associated Press) A small group of Volkswagen engineers began working as early as 2005 on emissions cheating software after they were unable to find a technical solution to U.S. emissions controls as
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA’s Contradictory Rule Is a Gut Punch to Advanced Biofuels
by Brent Erickson (Biofuels Digest/Biotechnology Industry Organization) After a painful and damaging two-year delay, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week published Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) for 2014, 2015 and 2016. Unfortunately, the agency finalized a rule riddled with contradictions and
December 10, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Won't Compel Biofuel Market Changes: Update
(Argus Media) The Environmental Protection Agency expects sales of high-ethanol gasoline blends to climb next year but will not use federal mandates to compel retailers to offer the fuels. The distinction, laid out in a lengthy explanation of mandates finalized last
December 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Why Algae Could Be the Greatest—and Trickiest—Fuel Source of All
by Bryan Lufkin (Gizmodo) From powering airplanes to replacing nuclear energy, algae has been touted as a green energy miracle. So if our waterways are already filled with the stuff, why isn’t it filling the world’s skies with biofueled planes?
December 09, 2015 Read Full Article
RFA to EPA: New Gasoline Volatility Regulations Needed
(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) In a letter submitted Dec. 8 to the U.S. EPA, the Renewable Fuels Association urged the agency to take immediate administrative action to eliminate an arcane regulatory barrier that is impeding growth in the use
December 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Key United States Cities’ Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies Rely on New Diesel Technology & Renewable Fuels
(Diesel Technology Forum) New York City Joins San Francisco and Oakland In Embracing New Blends Of Biodiesel & Renewable Diesel Fuels -- In light of the COP21 Paris Climate Conference, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced a major initiative to reduce
December 09, 2015 Read Full Article
RINs Behavior after EPA Rule Shows Ethanol-Biodiesel Relationship
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The release of the U.S. EPA’s final rulemaking for the renewable fuel standard (RFS) was a shock to the RINs market—the renewable identification numbers used by obligated parties to demonstrate compliance. Biodiesel, D4
December 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Does This Really Make Us More Secure?
by Gary Truitt (1010WCSI) ... Yet, the biggest indication that the President’s comments were flimflam came from within his own administration. Within hours of Mr. Obama’s remarks in Paris, the EPA announced the final rule on the blend levels of ethanol
December 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Keeping America Fueled by South Dakota
by Rep. Krisit Noem (Argus Leader) ... Today, about one-third of the petroleum used in the United States is imported from foreign countries, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Most of this petroleum is refined into gas or diesel. Especially
December 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Michigan Corn Growers Disappointed with New Ethanol Limits
by Andy Balaskovitz (MiBiz) ... “Any reduction in the statutory amount is a roadblock to biofuels like ethanol,” said Jim Zook, executive director of the Michigan Corn Growers Association. “By failing to set (blend) levels at the statutory amount, it appears the
December 07, 2015 Read Full Article
The Petrified Forest, or Who Moved my $80 Oil?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Are high prices good for renewable fuels? The hard data actually goes the other way. The Digest investigates. ... What we can see from the following chart is confirmation that fracking and other enhanced oil
December 07, 2015 Read Full Article
RINs Gone Wild? (round 2)
by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (FarmDocDaily) The EPA released the final rulemaking for 2014-2016 RFS standards on Monday, November 30. This release follows preliminary rulemaking released on May 29 of this year. Figures 1 and 2 are based on
December 07, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Challenge Aims to Recycle Nutrients from Manure
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA has opened a competition for technologies to recycle nutrients from livestock manure on Challenge.gov. The competition is being held in partnership with the USDA. The American Biogas Council is among the project’s
December 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Abengoa Shuts Down Hugoton, Colwich, St Louis HQ
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Kansas, Abengoa has decided to suspend production at its new cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton as well as its corn-based ethanol plant in Colwich as part of the recent financial troubles the company is
December 04, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Rule Recognizes Biogas's Leading Role in the Advanced Biofuel Industry
(American Biogas Council) Rule falls short of recognizing biogas industry's full potential. -- The EPA released its long anticipated final rule for the renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for the years 2014-2016. The action recognizes the
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA's Final Renewable Fuel Standard Concerns Iowa Lawmakers
by Peter Zampa (KFYR TV) ... The RFS program comes up billions of gallons short of the ethanol consumption requirements laid out under the original RFS plan. "With corn prices being down as they are, with the ag economy in Iowa being in
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
RFS Rule Undercuts U.S. Commitment to Reducing GHGs
(25 x '25) It was with some ironic bemusement that biofuel advocates read the headlines from the mainstream media that said the Obama administration “raised’ the biofuel blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) rule announced this week by
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
The 2016 US Outlook for Ethanol and Biodiesel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... “In the old days, ethanol was a political commodity,” Informa Economics Senior VP Scott Richman told the crowd assembled at the Canadian Bioeconomy Conference in Vancouver this week, organized by the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association. “Now, it’s
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Misleading about Ethanol
by Brooke Coleman (Advanced Biofuels Business Council/Times Argus) In “Ethanol is a bad deal for Vt.” (online Nov. 21), a group called the American Council for Capital Formation argues that ethanol is a bad deal for Vermonters economically and environmentally. The allegations
December 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Diverse Parties Say Federal Biotech Rules Confusing
by Pat Rizzuto (BNA) The federal approach to regulating bioengineered products is a confusing labyrinth, according to companies, trade associations, advocacy groups and scientists. Companies must follow a maze to identify which agencies may have jurisdiction over a bioengineered product and
December 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Why Ethanol Makers Are Actually Relieved With New EPA Cuts
by Robert Hackett (Fortune) ... Farmers and ethanol companies welcomed the change, according to the Wall Street Journal, since the cuts laid out earlier this year were originally more severe. But they were still dissatisfied that the requirement did not meet
December 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Jeb Bush Responds to New Ethanol Mandate
by Jason Nobel (Des Moines Register) Jeb Bush faulted the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to provide “clarity” with the updated ethanol mandate released on Monday, but was generally supportive of the levels prescribed. The Republican presidential candidate has targeted 2022
December 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Will Congressional Opposition to RFS Rule Lead to Reform?
by Tiffany Stecker (E&E/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) The ink on U.S. EPA’s final rule for the renewable fuel standard is barely dry, but long-standing foes in Congress are already aiming to block the biofuels program. Yesterday, Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas), who spearheaded
December 01, 2015 Read Full Article
Obama Dials Back Ethanol Fuel Standard
by Tim Devaney (The Hill) The Obama administration set new standards Monday for ethanol levels in fuel, enraging competing industries that had battled for months to influence the contentious regulations. The final renewable fuel standard (RFS) unveiled by the Environmental Protection Agency
December 01, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Bumps up US Renewable Fuel Standard Volumes for 2015-2016, in Final Ruling
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced final volume requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard program today for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016, and final volume requirements for biomass-based diesel for 2014 to
December 01, 2015 Read Full Article
2015: A Missed Opportunity for Biofuels
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) To say that 2015 was an overall disappointment for the biofuels industry would be an understatement. With the price of oil hovering from the high $30s to the mid-$50s all year long, the
November 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuel Producers Applaud EPA’s Final Rule, Continue Push for RFS Reform
(Advanced Biofuels Association) In response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) release of final renewable volume obligations for 2014 through 2016 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA) has issued the following statement attributable to Michael
November 30, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Improves Final RVOs
(Growth Energy) Final rule breaks through so-called blend wall -- Growth Energy and its members are pleased to see that the President and the Environmental Protection Agency have recognized the need to move the renewable fuel industry past the so-called blend
November 30, 2015 Read Full Article
RFA: EPA’s Final RFS Rule Puts Future of Biofuels & Climate Policy in Hands of Oil Industry
(Renewable Fuels Association) Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for 2014, 2015 and 2016 that refiners have to meet in blending biofuels with gasoline. The agency increased the blending
November 30, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Finalizes Increases in Renewable Fuel Levels
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced final volume requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program today for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016, and final volume requirements for biomass-based diesel for 2014 to 2017.
November 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Association Welcomes Renewable Fuels Announcement
(National Biodiesel Board) The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) applauded the Obama administration Monday for reducing America’s dependence on high-carbon fossil fuels by raising biodiesel volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “This decision means we will displace billions of gallons of
November 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Production Hits Record as Distillers Are Flush with Corn
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg News/Milwaukee, Wisconsin Journal Sentinel) Flush with grain from the third-largest U.S. corn harvest, ethanol distilleries are cranking out unprecedented amounts of the biofuel. Ethanol production last week reached a record 1 million barrels a day, for an annualized
November 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Ensyn Receives Key Regulatory Approval for Its Renewable Gasoline
(Ensyn/Biomass Magazine) Robert Graham, chairman of Ensyn Corp., is pleased to announce that Ensyn has been granted a key regulatory approval from the U.S. EPA for its renewable gasoline product, RFGasoline. This approval, pursuant to Title 40 CFR Part 79
November 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Obama Set to Issue Ethanol Fuel Mandate
by Devin Henry (The Hill) ... Pro-ethanol forces say concern over the “blend wall” is overblown and that cars manufactured today are certified to run on higher-blend fuels. In their ads — in Washington and around the country — they say
November 27, 2015 Read Full Article
It’s In the Plan: EPA Offers Clues on Woody Biomass Utilization
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Over the past several months, biomass stakeholders have expressed frustration at the administration’s failure to label the use of biomass feedstocks as carbon neutral. The pellet industry and biomass advocates argue, that so long as
November 27, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Expected to Nudge Higher Biofuels Mandates: Sources
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is widely expected to increase requirements for biofuels use through 2016 due to higher total fuel demand, when it publishes a final Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) rule in the coming
November 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Low Gas Prices Good for Ethanol Industry and Farmers
by Chuck Abbott (Agriculture.com) Americans are back on the road for the first time since 2008, lured, in part, by low gasoline prices expected to persist through the new year. Travel is forecast to exceed 3.1 trillion miles this year –
November 24, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Review Raises Alarm in Maine over Potential Increase of Ethanol in Gasoline
by Whit Richardson (Portland Press Herald) Critics say the change would cost drivers, farmers, fuel sellers and small-engine equipment owners. ... But that report is clearly politically motivated to sway the EPA’s decision and its conclusions are unreliable, said Jonathan
November 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Banks: Ethanol Is a Bad Deal for Vt.
by David Banks ( American Council for Capital Formation/Times Argus) Not a single gallon of fuel ethanol is produced in Vermont, and almost none of the corn harvested in the state is used for commercial purposes, according to USDA data. ... The
November 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Algae: 2015, the Year in Review
by Matt Carr (Algae Biomass Organization/Biofuels Digest) ... Low oil prices, company mergers or evolving business strategies may be easily spun by the skeptics as reasons to fret, but in the case of our industry they are almost all illustrations of
November 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Oil and Biofuels Lobby White House on Renewable Fuel Standard Ahead of Nov. 30 Deadline
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) In the lead-up to the administration’s release of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), it’s been a veritable who’s who of renewable fuels and petrochemical refiners visiting the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
November 20, 2015 Read Full Article
GHG Emissions Reductions Due to the RFS2
by Susan Boland and Stefan Unnasch (Life Cycle Associates) The RFS2 has resulted in aggregate GHG emissions reductions from the use of biofuels, which exceed the original projections from the final Rule. The RFS2 has resulted in significant GHG reductions, with
November 20, 2015 Read Full Article
What a Weakened RFS Program Means for the State of Iowa and this Country
by Joe Hrdlicka (Biofuels Digest/Iowa Biotechnology Association) Iowa’s investment in biofuels, driven by the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), has brought the state new business and job opportunities. Iowa is home to three of the first-in-the-nation cellulosic biofuel refineries that
November 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Play All Our Cards on Climate, Including Biodiesel
by former Sen. Byron Dorgan (The Hill) ... Like a smart poker player, we have to capitalize on the good cards we have. One of those is biodiesel, a renewable fuel made from recycled cooking grease, plant oils, and animal fats that
November 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Proponents Speaking up as EPA Decision Draws Near
(Ohio's Country Journal) National Corn Growers Association President Chip Bowling has urged President Obama to reverse the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed cuts in the Renewable Fuel Standard’s volume obligation and adhere to the statute of the law itself. ... “Contrary to
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Issues Cellulosic Waiver Credit Price at $1.33
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Environmental Protection Agency has issued Cellulosic Waiver Credit Price Calculation for 2016 as laid out by EPA must reduce the required volume of cellulosic biofuel for that year to the projected volume,
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA’s Final RVO Rule and the Myth of Falling Gasoline Demand
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) One of the oil industry’s favorite talking points in its campaign to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is the argument that “gasoline demand is falling,” and thus refiners have fewer gallons of gasoline
November 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Federal Ethanol Mandate Imposes $42 Billion Fuel Tax on California
(Center for Regulatory Solutions) San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer and other national political figures have sold out California’s economy by supporting the federal government’s corn ethanol mandate. The mandate has already imposed $13.1 billion in higher fuel costs on Golden
November 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Should the U.S. End the Ethanol Mandate?
by Margo Oge & Robert Bryce (The Wall Street Journal/Governors' Biofuel Coalition) ... Robert Bryce, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, says the ethanol mandate is bad for consumers and the environment. Margo T. Oge, a former
November 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Sit on the RINs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The US Environmental Protection Agency has discovered the following way of interpreting Energy Independence and Security Act. To wit, if the transportation fuels supply chain — controlled by guess whom — does not build renewable
November 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association Formally Opposes EPA RFS Proposal
(UNICA/Green Car Congress) Breaking with its past support of EPA’s RFS implementation decisions, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) is formally opposing EPA’s proposal—due to be released in about two weeks—to reduce RFS volume targets for 2014, 2015, 2016 (earlier
November 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Fuels America Launches TV Campaign to Counter Anti-RFS Letter
(Fuels America/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Fuels America is announcing a significant television campaign today calling out Rep. Peter Welch (VT-AL) for signing on to a Congressional letter that was authored by oil industry lobbyists. The first phase of the campaign includes 250
November 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Is Obama Doing Inhofe's Dirty Work on Biofuels?
by Paul Alexander (Huffington Post) ... "That's the biggest risk we face -- not acting," Obama said. "Today, we're continuing to lead by example. Because ultimately, if we're going to prevent large parts of this earth from becoming not only inhospitable but
November 12, 2015 Read Full Article
Anti-Ethanol Group Expands National Ad Buy
by Devin Henry (The Hill) A group opposing the federal ethanol mandate has extended its advertising campaign against the rule into several corn-growing states. The American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF), a D.C.-based free market group, is hitting the airwaves
November 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Don’t Weaken the RFS
by Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (R-N.J.) (The Hill) ... The RFS is Congress’s answer to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and expanding the nation’s renewable fuels sector while reducing reliance on imported oil. The RFS is the most successful law on the books
November 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Oil Lobby Had Hand in House Lawmakers’ Anti-Ethanol Note to EPA
by Mark Drajem (Bloomberg) An odd-bedfellows group of lawmakers — led by an oil-industry ally from Texas and a progressive Vermonter — raised a familiar-sounding concern about ethanol in a letter this week to EPA chief Gina McCarthy. Their argument that the Environmental
November 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Boston-Area TV Ad Campaign Urges Federal Action on Corn Ethanol Mandate
by Shannon Young (MassLive) A Washington D.C.-based group launched a television ad campaign in Boston this week that takes aim at the federal corn ethanol mandates and calls on congressional lawmakers to end them. The 30-second ad, sponsored by American Council
November 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Groups Pressure EPA On Biofuels Mandate
by Melody M. Bomgardner (Chemical & Engineering News) Supporters and opponents of biofuel mandates are ramping up pressure on EPA in hopes of influencing a rule, due on Nov. 30, on how much corn ethanol and advanced biofuel will be blended
November 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Strong RFS Support Offers Low-Risk Opportunity for Democrats to Connect with Voters They Need to Retake Majority
by Ryan Fitzpatrick (Third Way) Although relatively obscure by Washington standards, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) carries a unique level of importance and visibility in many rural states. The fact that the RFS invariably becomes a priority campaign issue for
November 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Will the Renewable Fuel Standard Impact the 2016 Elections?
by Jonathan H Harsch (Agri-Pulse) The escalating battle over the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) added another front Thursday. National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson warned President Obama that lowering the RFS volume requirements could result in Democrats losing otherwise winnable congressional
November 09, 2015 Read Full Article
New CRS Report: How Corn Ethanol Mandates Have Hurt Ohio’s Environment and Economy
(Center for Regulatory Solutions) Washington-imposed mandates that have forced increasing volumes of corn ethanol to be added to Ohio’s and our nation’s fuel supply have produced an additional 1.92 million metric tons of CO2 emissions in Ohio alone since 2005,
November 06, 2015 Read Full Article
184 Lawmakers Want EPA to Reduce 2016 Biofuel Mandate
by Kyle Feldscher (Washington Examiner) Almost 200 House members want the Environmental Protection Agency to halt its plan to increase the amount of biofuels required in gasoline next year. The 184 lawmakers from both parties sent a letter to EPA Administrator
November 06, 2015 Read Full Article
All Auto Owners Can Choose Premium E30
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Back in September I brought you a story about Orrie Swayze, an active ethanol advocate, who wants all drivers to use E30 in their cars. At the time, there was a special order in front of
November 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Obama's Climate Plan Is a 'Fantasy Document'
by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) ... "If you add them up, we are way, way, way short to what we committed to in Paris," said David Bookbinder, former counsel for environmental group Sierra Club and a leading figure on environmental
November 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Payne Leads House Members in Calling on EPA to Protect Biofuels Volume Requirement
(Office if Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr.) As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalizes proposed rules under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) and 15 of his House colleagues urged the agency not to
November 03, 2015 Read Full Article
CBC to EPA: Commit to the RFS
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Sixteen members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today calling on the agency to get back on track with the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) and strengthen the
November 03, 2015 Read Full Article
How Gas-Guzzling Americans Are Aiding the Call for More Biofuels
by Mario Parker (BloombergBusiness) Obama administration may increase biofuel consumption targets; U.S. gasoline demand this year to reach highest since 2007 -- More demand means more gasoline being blended. And more blending means more ethanol potentially getting added to the mix.
November 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Better Biofuels Ahead: The Road to Low-Carbon Fuels
by Emily Cassidy (Environmental Working Group) Biofuels produced from switchgrass and post-harvest corn waste could significantly reduce the emissions that contribute to climate change, according to an analysis by EWG and University of California biofuels experts. EWG’s analysis found that the life
November 03, 2015 Read Full Article
In Search of 100 Million (Truly?) Clean Cookstoves
by Marc Gunther (Nonprofit Chronicles) ... “Why exactly are we ahead with 100 million more wood burning stoves in the world? It’s an output metric and not an impact metric,” says Kevin Starr of Mulago, who wrote a pointed 2014 essay
November 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Automobile Fuel Economy Standards in a Lower-Oil-Price World: A CFR Discussion Paper
by Varun Sivaram and Michael A. Levi (Council on Foreign Relations) Corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards, which require automakers to achieve government-mandated targets for the efficiency of the vehicles they sell each year, can reduce U.S. reliance on oil,
November 03, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Says Volkswagen Cheated a 2nd Time on Pollution Tests
by Matthew Daly and Tom Krisher (Associated Press/Washington Post) ... The Environmental Protection Agency, along with the California Air Resources Board, said Volkswagen installed software on thousands of Audi, Porsche and VW cars with six-cylinder diesel engines that allowed them to emit
November 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Poll: 80% of Voters Support a US Renewable Fuel Standard
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, 80 percent of US registered voters support a renewable fuel standard today and just 10 percent oppose. The remaining 9 percent are unsure. Moore Information conducted an online survey of registered voters nationwide on
November 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Fuels America: How Did the Oil Industry Suddenly Become Obama Administration Climate Policy Advisors?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, Fuels America will launch a seven-figure TV and digital ad campaign Friday morning depicting President Obama’s choice of who to listen to when it comes to the Renewable Fuel Standard: his own experts
November 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuel Groups Debate Fate of Renewable Fuel Standard
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) Agreeing to respectfully disagree was one of very few assenting points reached by association heads representing the biodiesel, ethanol and advanced biofuel groups during a candid debate about the renewable fuel standard (RFS), policy amendments
October 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol from Corn Stalks: A Cure for Climate Change?
by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) ... "This is one of the core technologies that we need to cut oil use and reduce emissions from transportation," said Jeremy Martin, a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "It would be great if we
October 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Sen. Charles Grassley: It’s No Trick: Cellulosic Ethanol a Treat for Iowa Economy
by Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) (Ames Tribune) ... Iowa’s new cellulosic facility also will help dry up the crocodile tears spilled by Big Food that tries to assign blame to corn-based ethanol for rising food prices. Don’t forget, the facility in
October 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Oil Lobby Launches New Campaign against Ethanol Mandate
by Devin Henry (The Hill) The American Petroleum Institute (API) will run a “multifaceted advocacy campaign” against the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for the next month ahead of a deadline for the Obama administration to finalize three years of standards
October 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Bumper Corn Crop Good for Ethanol Industry and RFS Argument
(WNAX) A near record corn crop in the U.S. and a record crop in Nebraska is good news for the ethanol industry. USDA recently projected U.S. corn yields at 168 bushels per acre, the second highest average yield on record,
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Soapbox: Obama’s EPA Needs to More Aggressively Support Biodiesel
by Lisa Mortenson (Community Fuels/Sacramento Bee) California took a major step forward in the fight against climate change recently by adopting an aggressive new low carbon fuel standard that will sharply reduce carbon pollution from our state’s famously car-crazy culture. It’s
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Kyle Nixon: EPA Biofuels Rule Could Hurt Economy
by Kyle Nixon (Novozymes/Omaha.com) Opinion: Instead of sending money to overseas oil producers, the biofuels sector has provided financial stability for rural farming communities right here at home. At the end of November the Environmental Protection Agency is due to issue
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
President Obama Is Turning His Back on the Renewable Fuel Standard
by former Senator Jim Talent (The Gazette) I’m old enough to remember when energy first became a national security issue during the original energy crisis in the early 1970s. That was the first time America realized that we were dependent
October 27, 2015 Read Full Article
ACE Members Pressure EPA, White House; Promote Octane Benefits of Ethanol
by Brian Jennings (Ethanol Producer Magazine/A,merican Coalition for Ethanol) ACE members will keep working to help the EPA get the RFS on track will also continuing to work on other strategies to increase ethanol use, writes Brian Jennings. -- ...
October 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Volkswagen’s Woes Could Affect Ethanol Plants
by James L. Pray (Ethanol Producer Magazine/BrownWinick Law Firm) ... Diesel-powered Volkswagen cars and ethanol plants share more than their common tie to the auto industry. Both must meet rigorous emission standards: For Volkswagen cars, it is the exhaust from the
October 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Carbon Offset Trading – Managing Risk in a Time of Regulatory Uncertainty
by Joshua Belcher and David McCullough (Sutherland Asbill & Brennan/Biofuels Digest) Over the past decade, the market for carbon offsets has waxed and waned with the likelihood of a mandatory greenhouse gas reduction program being passed into law. Carbon offsets
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
EPA's RFS Proposal Risks Ending America's Rural Renaissance
by Jonathan H Harsch (Agri-Pulse) When President George W. Bush signed the law creating the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in 2005 to support biofuels production, he explained that “Using ethanol and biodiesel will leave our air cleaner. And every time we use
October 23, 2015 Read Full Article
A Message For EPA: Get Real on Emissions and Clean Fuels!
by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Biofuels Digest) In the aftermath of revelations of how Volkswagen had their thumb on the scale as they cheated not just the EPA, but all of us who breathe the air, it raises serious
October 23, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA OIG Plans to Look at RFS Lifecycle Impacts Should Be Good for Biofuels
(25 x '25) The announcement by EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) that it will begin preliminary research on lifecycle impacts of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) should be good news for the biofuels industry, providing the agency’s investigators
October 23, 2015 Read Full Article
How Could Volkswagen’s Top Engineers Not Have Known?
by DuneLawrence, Benjamin Elgin, Vernon Silver (Bloomberg Business) ... From February through April 2013, they (researchers from West Virginia University's Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions) tested three diesel cars: a Volkswagen Jetta, a Volkswagen Passat, and a BMW SUV. Besch took
October 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Government Confuses Me
by Mike Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The purpose of good government has gotten all tangled up in political posturing and a seemingly single focus on getting re-elected, writes Mike Bryan. It seems to me that governments work in conflict with their
October 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Woody Biomass Converted to Gasoline by Five-Company Team
by Elliot Levine (US Department of Energy) A five-company team led by Haldor Topsoe, and funded in part by the Energy Department, produced 10,000 gallons of gasoline from woody biomass, which included trees and wood waste. -- The purpose of
October 22, 2015 Read Full Article
BIOFUELS: DuPont's Koninckx Says RFS Uncertainty Driving Investments Abroad
by Monica Trauzzi (E&E TV) As the renewable fuel standard faces continued regulatory and legislative uncertainty, DuPont Biofuels is set to open the world's largest cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Iowa at the end of the month. How will the uncertainty impact
October 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Lack of Strong RFS Policy Could Put Michigan Jobs at Risk
(Farmers Advance) Jeff Sandborn, a Portland farmer and member of the board of the National Corn Growers Association, highlighted a new nationwide study demonstrating the economic impact of ethanol production, noting that ethanol is tied to more than 22,000 Michigan
October 21, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA: Jatropha-Based Biofuels Could Qualify as Biomass-Based Diesel or Advanced Biodiesel under RFS
(Green Car Congress) Based on its analysis of the production and transport components of the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of biofuel made from jatropha oil, the US EPA anticipates that biofuels produced from jatropha oil could qualify as biomass-based diesel
October 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Watchdog to Study Ethanol’s Environmental Impact
by Timothy Cama (The Hill) The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) internal watchdog is launching a project to analyze the environmental impact of the federal ethanol mandate. The EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) sent a letter to agency officials Thursday
October 17, 2015 Read Full Article
8 Ways around the Big, Bad Oxygen Problem in the Advanced Bioeconomy Parts 1 and 2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the terrestrial world, oxygen is colorless, odorless, and try to get through an hour without some. In the Bioeconomy Cinematic Universe, oxygen is harder than steel, heavier than a black hole, and higher than
October 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Not Just about Bin-Busting
by Tom Doran (AgriNews) ... “When it comes to growing corn, no one does it better than America’s family farmers,” National Corn Growers President Chip Bowling said at a Farm Progress Show press conference. “But our challenge today is two-fold: First, we must
October 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Biotechnology: OSTP Seeks Comment on Clarifying Current Roles and Responsibilities Described in the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology
(Bergeson & Campbell, PC) On October 6, 2015, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit relevant data and information, including case studies that may assist in the development of
October 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Dozens of Deaths Likely from VW Pollution Dodge
by Seth Borenstein (Associated Press/Detroit News) Volkswagen’s pollution-control chicanery has not just been victimless tinkering, killing between five and 20 people in the United States annually in recent years, according to an Associated Press statistical and computer analysis. The software that the
October 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Greater Biodiesel Adoption Would Lower Costs
by Tom Steever (Brownfield Ag News) The cost of biodiesel would be lower if more of the U.S. production capacity was put to use. National Biodiesel Board Sustainability Director Don Scott tells Brownfield the country could be producing three billion gallons
October 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Emissions Testing Is Broken, and Other Lessons from the VW Scandal
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... How do you create clean vehicles that consumers want to buy? All of the automakers are currently focused on this question. The Department of Energy’s Quadrennial Technology Review calls for the co-optimization of fuels and
October 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Joule Achieves U.S. EPA Registration for CO2-Recycled Ethanol
(Joule/BusinessWire) Joule, the pioneer of liquid fuels from recycled CO2, today announced that its fuel grade Sunflow®-E ethanol has been registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for commercial use in E10 and E15 gasoline blends. “We are approaching commercialization
October 02, 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
EPA Holds Workshop For Input On Risk Assessment Of Genetically Engineered Algae
(The Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®)) On September 30, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a workshop on genetically engineered (GE) algae to give stakeholders an opportunity to hear about EPA's plans for improving its risk
October 02, 2015 Read Full Article
New Ozone Regulations Ignore Tailpipe Exhaust
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) welcomes new ozone standards that will further protect public health from the negative respiratory, developmental, and other health effects of ozone exposure. The new standards, set at 70
October 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Ex-Sen. Talent Launches Advocacy Group to Boost RFS
by Amanda Reilly (E&E/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) Former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) today will launch a new group to boost the nation’s biofuel policy. The group, Americans for Energy Security and Innovation, will seek to mobilize elected officials in support of the renewable
October 01, 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