by Tammy Klein (Future Fuel Strategies) ... Items I selected this month include: • Solar Costs Declining Quickly: More quickly than even the IEA has projected. That will have consequences in transport that includes cheaper EV charging, green hydrogen and electrofuels.
Legislation-Federal
Back TO HOMEBiofuels Supporters Criticize Zero-Emissions Vehicles Bill
by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) ... The Zero-Emissions Vehicles Act of 2020 would end sales of new vehicles with internal combustion engines by 2035 and boost the market for electric vehicles. Monte Shaw with the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says, as
October 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Overview of 2020 Cannabis Ballot Measures: Potential to Add 21 Million as Legal Consumers in the U.S.
by Martin Wahl (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) This is the first in a series of articles being prepared by Lee Enterprises Consulting experts addressing opportunities and concerns for the growing hemp and cannabis industries. Topics will include cultivation, feedstock management, project
October 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Senator Merkley, Congressman Levin Introduce Legislation to End U.S. Sale of Gasoline-Powered Vehicles by 2035
(Office of Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)) The Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2020 will position U.S. to lead global auto industry -- Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Mike Levin (D-CA-49) today introduced in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House
October 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Biden Win Could Be Net Positive for Metals and Mining, Observers Say
by Jacob Holzman and Gaurang Dholakia (S&P Global Platts) ... As a result, observers have predicted that producers of battery and base metals such as lithium and nickel could benefit from a Biden victory. ... The benefits to metals producers from a
October 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Biden Eyes Trade Agenda to Combat Climate Change
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Joe Biden and key Democrats in Congress say they want to use the trade agenda to fight global warming if they win the White House and Senate next month, POLITICO's Gavin Bade reports .
October 15, 2020 Read Full Article
Shaheen, Lankford & King Introduce Bipartisan ‘DRIVE LESS’ Act to Reduce Federal Spending on Government Vehicles, Save Taxpayer Money
(Office of Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)) U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), James Lankford (R-OK) and Angus King (I-ME) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to save taxpayer dollars by reducing the federal funding available for the acquisition and leasing of new federal vehicles.
October 08, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA Applauds Movement toward COVID Relief for Ethanol Producers
(Renewable Fuels Association) Late Thursday, the House of Representatives passed another COVID economic relief package, the HEROES Act II, which provides for $2.2 trillion in coronavirus relief and includes an important provision for the renewable fuels industry. The following is a
October 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Signs Government Funding Bill Including CCC Replenishment
by Larry Lee (Brownfield Ag News) ... President Trump signed a continuing resolution funding the government after returning from campaign stops in Minnesota, about an hour after Washington officially ran out of money. Farm Bureau economist John Newton tells Brownfield the continuing
October 02, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA: New University Study on COVID-19 Impacts Underscores Need for Emergency Aid
(Renewable Fuels Association) As Congress and the administration continue negotiations on another potential COVID-19 relief package, a new study by university economists finds that ethanol producers will experience roughly $8 billion in losses this year due to the pandemic’s impact on
September 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Signal to Noise: Oil and Biofuels Must Work Together
by John Herath (Farm Journal Ag Web) ... They (Pro Farmer's Jim Wiesemeyer and Farm Journal's John Herath) also lay out how the oil and biofuels industries need to work together if they want to preserve a future for liquid
September 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Ag Policy Blog: House Democrats Get Aggressive on Biofuels
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) ...What did become clear was Democrats in both the House and the Senate are paying more attention to biofuels at the moment. And yet, given that Congress is going to pass a temporary funding
September 28, 2020 Read Full Article
House Legislation Includes RFS Integrity ACT
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act passed by the U.S. House includes provisions of the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act put forth by Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN). The provisions set an annual deadline for refiners to request exemptions from
September 25, 2020 Read Full Article
Bustos Introduces Next Generation Fuels Act
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., on Sept. 24 introduced the Next Generation Fuels Act, a bill that establishes a minimum octane standard for gasoline and requires sources of added octane value to reduce carbon emissions by
September 25, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump's Trade and Coronavirus Aid to Agriculture Could Hit $50 Billion
by Chuck Abbott (Successful Farming) ... Trump administration could spend $50 billion — quadruple the cost of the auto industry bailout — in less than three years to buffer the impact of trade war and pandemic on agriculture. Farm groups
September 23, 2020 Read Full Article
House Ag Committee Chair Says Ethanol Is Priority
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson puts ethanol second only to the hog industry in priority to get some kind of assistance to mitigate losses this year due to coronavirus restrictions. “Because of the price of oil collapsing
September 23, 2020 Read Full Article
House Ag Plans Detailed to NFU Pelosi: House Will Bring Up Biofuels Integrity Bill
by Jerry Hagstrom (DTN Progressive Farmer) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday that the House will take up the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act sponsored by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., just as the House Energy and Commerce
September 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Virtual Biofuel Summit Connects Growth Energy Members with Lawmakers
by Amie Simpson (Brownfield Ag News) Growth Energy members are talking with lawmakers about issues impacting the biofuel industry this week during the virtual Biofuels Summit. CEO Emily Skor says it’s especially important to have these conversations now because of the demand
September 17, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA Applauds Congressional Efforts to Enhance Transparency of Small Refinery Waiver Process
(Renewable Fuels Association) The House Committee on Energy and Commerce today unveiled the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, which contains provisions requiring more transparency and accountability in EPA’s process for evaluating small refinery exemption requests under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The provisions
September 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Considers Cash Aid for Refineries Denied Biofuel Waivers
by Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Trump administration officials are developing a plan to offset the potential economic damage of denying dozens of refineries waivers from biofuel-usage mandates: giving them financial aid. The approach is actively being discussed by top Environmental Protection Agency officials
September 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Democrats Unveil New Agenda for Economic Recovery and Climate Action
by Justine Calma (The Verge) Democrats will commit today to a wide-ranging new progressive agenda that simultaneously tackles pandemic recovery, climate change, and systemic injustice. They’re calling the agenda THRIVE, which stands for “Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a
September 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Proactively Leveraging Ethanol’s Low-Carbon Value
by Brian Jennings (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Merely playing defense on the RFS does not constitute a plan to expand ethanol demand. We need to go on offense because it is a matter of when, not if, Congress
September 07, 2020 Read Full Article
The Case for Climate Action: Building a Clean Economy for the American People
(Senate Democrats' Special Committee on the Climate Crisis) ... In the near term, we must continue to significantly grow solar and wind energy, energy storage, and electric vehicles while conducting more research into new technologies, advanced biofuels, and smaller and
August 31, 2020 Read Full Article
Senate GOP Mulls Skinny Aid Package without Ag Funding
by Philip Basher (Agri-Pulse) Senate Republicans are circulating a trimmed down coronavirus aid package that leaves out additional aid for farmers as well as the $1,200-per-person stimulus checks included in their earlier, $1 trillion HEALS Act. The new proposal includes business
August 20, 2020 Read Full Article
US Fuel-Makers Could Face 'Irreparable' Damage from Demand Collapse and the Move to Green Policy
by Josh Siegel (Washington Examiner) ... “Thankfully, I am not invested in refineries,” said Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at IHS Markit and founder of Oil Price Information Service. “They are having a pretty miserable year. They don't
August 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuel's Uphill Battle for More Coronavirus Relief
(RFD TV) ... The head of the Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, says that ... USDA Secretary Perdue has made his position clear on using unspent CCC money for pandemic-crippled biorefineries. "Secretary Perdue has said pretty bluntly, 'look unless Congress
August 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Committee to Review Wyo. Carbon Capture, Utilization
by Jeremy Dillon (County 17/E&E News) The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will head to Wyoming this week for a field hearing to analyze the state’s efforts on carbon capture and sequestration.The hearing is likely to provide another opportunity for
August 19, 2020 Read Full Article
U.S. Fossil Fuel Sector Has Come Out Far Ahead of Renewables in Pandemic Relief, Recent Policies
by Lisa Martine Jenkins (Morning Consult) Energy Policy Tracker: Since March, U.S. has devoted more to its fossil fuel sector than any other G-20 country -- At least $71.6 billion in federal funds has been allocated directly or indirectly to
August 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Biogenic Emissions: Credit Where It’s Due
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The push to alter biogenic emissions regulations could boost corn farming and ethanol production while cementing the role of biobased solutions in the fight against climate change. Political inertia, however, remains the primary barrier
August 17, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA ‘Reset’ Recommendation Addresses RFS, LCFS
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A group of six former U.S. EPA administrators representing both republican and democratic administrations are calling for a “reset” of the agency as it approaches its 50th anniversary. The Renewable Fuel Standard and a potential federal
August 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Joe Biden Picks Kamala Harris as Running Mate and What This Means for Climate in 2020
(Our Daily Planet) ... (U.S. Senator Kamala) Harris has been a steady champion of climate action in the Senate but perhaps her strongest stance has been her newly-released landmark legislation called the Climate Equity Act which would ensure that any environmental regulation or
August 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Durbin Introduces Bill To Fund A Clean Climate Future
(Office of Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)) Today (August 7, 2020), U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced the introduction of America’s Clean Future Fund Act, a bill that would spur job creation by investing in a clean energy economy, achieve critical reductions in
August 12, 2020 Read Full Article
ACE: Legislation Would Require EPA to Update GREET
(American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Today (August 6, 2020), Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., introduced the Adopt GREET Act, which would require U.S. EPA to update its decade-old greenhouse gas lifecycle modeling for ethanol and biodiesel. American Coalition for Ethanol
August 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Building a Biobased Economy: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to BIO in a Post-COVID-19 World
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC Digital in July, Stephanie Batchelor, Vice President of the Industrial & Environmental Section at Biotechnology Innovation Organization shared this illuminating slide guide on how BIO is advocating for a resilient future, promoting LCFS
August 07, 2020 Read Full Article
Peterson Working to Make Sure HEROES Act Ag Provisions Make It in Final Bill
by Mark Dorenkamp (Browfield Ag News) House Ag Committee chairman Collin Peterson says he and his colleagues are working to make sure ag provisions included in the HEROES Act are put in the next round of coronavirus relief. “Currently being negotiated
August 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Climate Crisis Staff Report Aims to Build Back a Cleaner, More Resilient Aviation Sector
by Jeff Overton (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On June 30, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis released its staff report, Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just
August 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Murkowski: Carbon Management Has Significant Promise
(U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources) U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing focused on the development of carbon removal technologies in the United States. Murkowski also highlighted the introduction of the CREATE Act, a new bill she is cosponsoring to
August 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Ag Policy Blog: Ethanol and Politics 2020
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) Ethanol is undoubtedly playing a role in 2020 politics in Iowa, including the presidential race. Getting the word "ethanol" into the next aid package also might become a tipping scale in the Iowa U.S. Senate race. The
August 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Border Adjustments in a Carbon Tax
by Shuting Pomerleau (Niskanen Center) The paper reviews the principles of border adjustment, the principal design choices policymakers would face when establishing a border adjustment for a carbon tax, and the implications of different design choices. It also provides a
August 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Webinar: 95 RON Octane Perspective -- Starting the Conversation about a 95 RON Octane Standard
(Urban Air Initiative) This is a conversation related to ethanol and octane. The Urban Air Initiative presents its perspective on a 95 RON Octane Standard and the value it can bring to the corn ethanol industry. Urban Air President Dave
July 29, 2020 Read Full Article
U.S. Biofuel Industry May Depend on Agriculture Secretary Perdue for Aid, Senator Says
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The U.S. biofuel industry may have to depend on Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for aid, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa said on Tuesday, after Senate Republicans unveiled a coronavirus relief package without specific appropriations for the
July 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Senate GOP Unveils Coronavirus Relief Package with $20B in Ag Aid
by Philip Basher (Agri-Pulse) Senate Republicans unveiled a coronavirus relief package Monday that would give the Agriculture Department broad authority to spend an additional $20 billion to compensate agricultural producers and processors for the impact of the pandemic. The money would augment
July 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Omar, Sanders, Merkley, Markey, Barragán Introduce Bill to End Corporate Handouts to the Fossil Fuel Industry
(Office of Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)) Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) together with Sen. Merkley (D-Ore.), Sen. Markey (D- Mass.) and Rep. Barragan (D-Calif.) introduced legislation to close tax loopholes and eliminate other federal subsidies for the
July 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Washington Week Ahead: Senate GOP Set to Unveil Pandemic Aid Plan
by Philip Brasher (Agri-Pulse) ... Republicans had hoped to release their plan last Thursday, but (Senate Majority Leader Mitch) McConnell (R-KY) announced instead that leaders of key committees would roll out portions of the plan, expected to cost about $1
July 27, 2020 Read Full Article
In Virtual Hill Visits, RFA Hears from Lawmakers, Administration Officials
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association’s summer Board of Directors meeting concluded Wednesday with more than a dozen virtual Capitol Hill visits. Board members had the chance to hear from senators, House members and administration officials. Discussions covered a broad
July 23, 2020 Read Full Article
Inside the DNC's Draft Climate Platform
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The drafting of the Democratic Party's platform was "the latest front in a tug-of-war between moderates and progressives over the direction and breadth of the party's agenda," POLITICO's Holly Otterbein reports. A draft of the 80-page platform obtained
July 23, 2020 Read Full Article
The Battle Over ‘Clean Energy’ Estimates
by Aman Azhar (The Real News) With 17% of US energy jobs gone in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a recent industry report suggests that over half a million ‘clean energy’ workers are unemployed despite nationwide efforts to jumpstart the economy. Released
July 21, 2020 Read Full Article
U.S. Iowa Senators Hope to Include Biofuels Aid in Next Coronavirus Relief Package
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) U.S. lawmakers from Iowa are trying to add aid for the biofuels industry into a pending coronavirus relief package in the Senate, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley said on Friday. Grassley and his Iowa colleague, Senator Joni Ernst, hope
July 20, 2020 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Michael McAdams
“The forward-thinking climate plan recently released by House Democrats acknowledges the important role liquid transportation fuels will continue to play in these areas, so it is disappointing to see the Biden campaign miss the mark," said Michael McAdams, president of
July 17, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA Analysis: Ethanol Industry’s COVID-Related Economic Losses Already Top $3.4 Billion, Could Reach Nearly $9 Billion by 2021
(Renewable Fuels Association) The COVID-19 crisis has already led to more than $3.4 billion in lost revenues for the U.S. ethanol industry, according to an economic analysis released today by the Renewable Fuels Association. Based on the latest projections from the
July 17, 2020 Read Full Article
COVID-19 Response and November Election: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to 2020 Biofuel Issues to Watch
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Michael McAdams from Advanced Biofuels Association shared this short but illuminating slide guide at ABLC Digital last week to look at the big 2020 issues to watch affecting the biofuels industry. From tax credits, regulatory
July 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Sustainable Aviation Fuel’s Affordability: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Airlines for America’s Viewpoint
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC last week, Airlines for America’s Nancy Young shared this illuminating presentation that outlines what airlines need to deploy sustainable aviation fuel as well as progress, gaps, opportunities and action to scale up supply and
July 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Prophet Tilts at Petroleum
by Mikkel Pates (AgWeek) South Dakota ethanol promoter Orrie D. Swayze likes to hear promotions for 30% ethanol blends in gasoline but thinks 50% would be better for the environment and human health. -- ... Swazey, 76, ... became worried
July 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Bustos Secures Agriculture Wins for Rural America in $152 Billion Appropriations Bill
(Office of Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL)) Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL) helped pass a comprehensive Agriculture and Rural Development funding bill out of the powerful House Appropriations Committee that would deliver more than $152 billion in agriculture and rural support. “Democrats are building up
July 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuel Elements of Bipartisan EICDA: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Energy Innovation & Carbon Dividend Act
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) You’ve heard of BioPreferred and Renewable Fuel Standard, but what about the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act? Find out all about EICDA in this slide guide from Business Climate Leaders that was shared at a
July 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Rebuilding Minnesota's Ethanol Industry
by Timothy J. Rudnicki (Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) ... That is why it is imperative for the Senate to include the financial aid package for the ethanol industry that was introduced by Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Amy Klobuchar in the next
July 01, 2020 Read Full Article
The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America Majority Staff Report: Is It Worth Supporting?
by Robert Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA/Atlantic Biomass, LLC) Today the US House of Representatives Democratic Select Committee on Climate Change released their ideas for a “Clean Energy Economy.” Interestingly, this document is not proposed legislation. Instead, it is simply a
June 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Select Committee Democrats Releases 'Solving The Climate Crisis', A Congressional Roadmap For Ambitious Climate Action
(House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis) Plan Would Put Americans Back To Work, Save Lives, And Help the United States Reach Net Zero By 2050 -- On Tuesday, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Chair Kathy Castor (D-FL), members of the House Select Committee
June 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Bamboo Forests in the Desert
David Liepman (Disruptive Nation) ... Strong commercial applications of bamboo include sustainable branded products such as pulp paper, timber, lumber and textiles. And, in line with tissue and textile major brand owner concerns, bamboo is twice as soft as cotton and
June 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuel Groups Urge Congress to Extend Tax Biofuel Credits
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Advanced Biofuels Business Council, Algae Biomass Organization, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Growth Energy, National Biodiesel Board and Renewable Fuels Association sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee on June 19 expressing support
June 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Republicans Back Bill to Help Oil Sector
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) REPUBLICANS BACK BILL TO HELP OIL SECTOR: Texas Sen. John Cornyn introduced legislation on Tuesday to help the hard-hit oil sector during the coronavirus pandemic by reducing the royalty rate for payments due from oil, gas, minerals and coal
June 24, 2020 Read Full Article
NACSAA Submits Policy Recommendations to Senate Climate Crisis Panel
(North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) The North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance (NACSAA) submitted last week a detailed set of policy and program recommendations to the Senate Democrats' Special Committee on the Climate Crisis. The submission, which was made in response
June 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Democrats Unveil $1.5 Trillion Infrastructure Plan
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) House Democrats unveiled a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan Thursday that calls for a huge increase in funding to repair roads and bridges while expanding broadband access in rural areas. Democrats described the bill as the biggest legislative
June 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Slip-up Reveals Chevron Ties to Architect of Climate Attack
by Corbin Hiar (E&E News) It was an audacious messaging campaign: White environmentalists are hurting black communities by pushing radical climate policies that would strip them of fossil fuel jobs. The email to journalists, sent by a public affairs firm at the
June 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Bill Would Push Biofuels Innovation
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Sen. John Thune (R-SD) has introduced legislation, together with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), to approve some advanced biofuel pathways under the Renewable Fuel Standard, which have been delayed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Under the legislation, EPA would also be
June 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuels Caucus Town Hall Talks Ethanol Issues
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Members of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus held a virtual town hall Wednesday to discuss the challenges currently facing the ethanol industry and what can be done to help. Participating in the meeting were caucus members including Reps. Collin Peterson (D-MN),
June 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Committee Leaders Unveil the INVEST in America Act, a Transformational Surface Transportation Bill to Bring Nation’s Infrastructure into a New Era
(U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure) Chair DeFazio: “The INVEST in America Act is our opportunity to replace the outdated systems of the past with smarter, safer, more resilient infrastructure that fits the economy of the future,
June 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Thune Introduces Bill to Support Hand Sanitizer and Ethanol Production By Extending FDA Guidance
(Office of Senator John Thune (R-SD)) U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced legislation that would extend for two years The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) “Temporary Policy for Preparation of Certain Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer Products During the Public Health Emergency.” Extending
June 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Fugitive Methane, Eating Elephants, and Brewing Quarantine Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... We left the discussion with a hint about the potential conversion of methane to methanol, which can serve as a powerful chemical building block or, in China most prominently, as a fuel. We’ll pick up from that
June 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Continues to Seek COVID-19 Assistance
(Red River Farm Network) Renewable Fuels Association CEO Geoff Cooper says the U.S. ethanol industry is still a long way from normal operations. “We are beginning to climb out of the hole that COVID-19 put us in, but we’re still
June 09, 2020 Read Full Article
In Rare Bipartisan Bill, U.S. Senators Tackle Climate Change via Agriculture
by Valerie Volcovici (Reuters/Yahoo!) U.S. senators on Thursday introduced a bipartisan bill that would direct the Agriculture Department to help farmers, ranchers and landowners use carbon dioxide-absorbing practices to generate carbon credits, a rare collaboration on climate change. The proposed Growing Climate
June 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Inside the House's Infrastructure Bill
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The House Transportation Committee's five-year surface transportation bill — expected to be unveiled later this week — will include a hefty focus on climate mitigation, as House leadership had previously promised. The major themes
June 03, 2020 Read Full Article
At Last, a Climate Policy Platform that Can Unite the Left: The Factions of the Democratic Coalition Have Come into Alignment on Climate Change.
by David Roberts (Vox) ... Robinson Meyer captured it well in a 2017 piece in the Atlantic: “Democrats Are Shockingly Unprepared to Fight Climate Change.” But something different has been happening lately, as groups across the left come together to hash
May 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Oil Firms See Relief from Stimulus Tax Provision
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) Oil and gas companies that have struggled for years under low crude prices are reaping hundreds of millions of dollars in tax refunds under a provision of the $2 trillion stimulus package passed by Congress
May 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Senate Committee Passes Gardner Bills to Strengthen Cybersecurity and Bioeconomy
(Office of Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO)) Today (May 20, 2020) the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation passed S. 3712 and S. 3734, two bipartisan bills cosponsored by U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) and designed to strengthen our nation’s cybersecurity
May 22, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA Thanks Sens. Grassley, Klobuchar for Renewable Fuel Feedstock Reimbursement Act of 2020
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association today thanked Sens. Chuck Grassley and Amy Klobuchar for introducing bipartisan legislation to provide much needed emergency relief to ethanol producers hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new bill would reimburse renewable fuels producers for
May 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuel Backers' Zoom Fly-In
by Ryan McCrimmon (Politico's Morning Agriculture) Growth Energy, which represents ethanol producers and supporters, is hosting its first “virtual fly-in” this week to press Midwestern lawmakers on their coronavirus relief efforts, along with trade barriers and other biofuel issues, starting
May 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Report 5-15-20
(Ag NewsWire) The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on the U.S. ethanol industry, slashing production by half and leading to the idling of scores of plants across rural America. But there are positive signs that demand is starting
May 18, 2020 Read Full Article
'The Worst May Be behind Us': U.S. Ethanol Industry Says Inching Back from Collapse
Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The U.S. ethanol industry is showing some signs of recovery as government officials ease stay-at-home orders that depressed fuel demand, while a vote Friday in Congress could bring the industry one step closer to federal aid, industry
May 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Carper, Alexander Bill Would Spur Clean Refueling Growth
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Appropriations Energy-Water Subcommittee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) will introduce legislation today to expand the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Investment Tax Credit and encourage private investment in clean
May 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Help for Coronavirus-Stricken Biofuel Industry and Others is Needed Now!
(Solutions from the Land) ... Compared to the relief that is being considered for the oil industry, it is still a meager response. Changes made late last month by the Federal Reserve to a $600 billion loan program created to help small- and
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
This Is Not the Green Stimulus You're Looking for
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) House Democrats unveiled a $3 trillion package on Tuesday to respond to the coronavirus crisis that they're planning to vote on at the end of the week. The 1,815-page measure is largely a messaging bill with
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Ag Groups Ask Congress to Address GHG Emissions from Annual Crops
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Biogenic CO2 Coalition sent a letter to Capitol Hill on May 11 asking lawmakers to direct the U.S. EPA to promptly publish a rule that states neither agricultural biomass nor woody biomass contribute to
May 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Groups Ask Congress to Provide COVID-19 Relief for Biofuels
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A group of 11 ag and biofuel groups sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on May 11 asking congress to provide COVID-19 relief for ethanol and biodiesel
May 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Electric Cooperatives Ask Congress to Provide Aid for Ethanol
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Three dozen Midwestern electric cooperatives and rural electric associations send a letter to 20 federal lawmakers on May 7 asking Congress to provide much-needed economic relief for rural America, which continues to suffer from
May 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Don’t Lose Heart or Courage
by Brian Jennings (Ethanol Producer Magazine/American Coalition for Ethanol) ... I encourage us to consider something Winston Churchill said during World War II that has resonance now. “It would be foolish to disguise the gravity of the hour. It would be
May 07, 2020 Read Full Article
Dems on COVID-19 Relief: Leave Fossil Fuels out of This
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin led 60 Democratic lawmakers in a letter to House leadership Monday opposing any efforts by the fossil fuel industry to use Covid-19 recovery legislation to "confer immunity" for climate change or pollution, citing efforts that
May 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Midwest Lawmakers: Biofuel Producers Need Relief Aid
(Nexstar Media Wire/Fox40) Midwest lawmakers say biofuel producers should be getting the same support and protection as oil companies. Coronavirus shutdowns have slashed the demand for gasoline, and while the White House is pledging to buy 75 million barrels of oil, ethanol
May 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Vilsack Warns Administration Continues to Ignore Biofuels
by Jacqui Fatka (Feedstuffs) ... (Former Agriculture Secretary Tom) Vilsack said the biofuel industry hasn’t been invited to the White House like the airline or oil industries have to discuss ways to help cover their losses. A number of conservative
April 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Bill Authorizes $600 Million to Support Biofuel Infrastructure
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rep. Abby Finkenauer, D-Iowa, on April 28 announced the introduction of the Clean Fuels Deployment Act of 2020. The bill aims to provide funding for installing and converting fuel pump infrastructure to deliver higher blends
April 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Work Continues on Developing a Low Carbon, High Octane Fuel Standard
by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) ... “Working with Congress to find a pathway forward to come up with a minimum octane standard with some sort of carbon metric is what we believe to be the next step,” Palmer (Mark Palmer,
April 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Conservative Youth Climate Group Seeks to Move beyond Green New Deal
by Abby Smith (Washington Examiner) The American Conservation Coalition, a conservative youth climate group, unveiled a climate policy framework Tuesday that offers a guide to Republican lawmakers as they try to message their budding climate policy agenda. The group also hopes its
April 21, 2020 Read Full Article
USDA Prepares Aid Package: Perdue Says Aid Coming 'Very Soon' as Groups Highlight Struggles for Industries Such as Ethanol
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) ... Regarding ethanol, (Agriculture Secretary Sonny) Perdue talked about helping the export market, but he did not talk about providing direct aid to ethanol. On a webinar Wednesday with a Democratic-leaning group, "Focus on Rural,"
April 17, 2020 Read Full Article
PODCAST: Ethanol: The Future of the Fuel Industry, with RFA's Bob Dinneen and NCGA's Mark Palmer
(National Corn Growers Association) This may be a tumultuous time for corn farmers and ethanol producers. But then again, the ethanol industry's entire history has been a roller coaster ride. In this episode, NCGA CEO Jon Doggett revisits the battles that got us
April 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Ahead of Stimulus Talks, Voters Back Relief for Renewables More Than for Oil and Gas
by Lisa Martine Jenkins (Morning Consult) -- 38% of voters support a bailout for the oil and gas industry, compared to 54% backing for a renewables industry bailout. -- Republicans are nearly as supportive of a renewables bailout (49%) as
April 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Plastics Industry Oversold Recycling to Americans, Now What?
by Zoey Shipley and Miro Korenha (Our Daily Planet) NPR and PBS Frontline recently announced a new joint investigation which has revealed that since the 1980s, “the plastics industry spent tens of millions of dollars promoting recycling through ads, recycling projects, and public relations, telling people
April 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Action Needed – 37 “Industry-Critical” Federal Programs Have Been Proposed for Severe Cuts or Elimination in the President’s Fiscal Year 2021 Federal Budget
by C.J. Evans (Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition/American Diversified Energy/Biofuels Digest) The Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition (AFCC) has been working on Capitol Hill for the past two months to advocate for FY2021 federal programs and funding that are of importance to the
March 31, 2020 Read Full Article
Efforts to Link US Airline Rescue Package to Carbon Targets Resisted as Industry Faces Unprecedented Times
(GreenAir Online) Attempts have failed to link the future carbon emissions performance of US airlines to the rescue package aimed at helping the beleaguered sector through the coronavirus crisis. Congress voted last Friday to provide the US aviation industry around
March 30, 2020 Read Full Article
What's Lining up for Phase Four?
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) ... Both the House and Senate have begun work on surface transportation bills ahead of a September deadline to act, but lawmakers haven't been able to settle on how to pay for the legislation, Pro's
March 30, 2020 Read Full Article
From the 3 E's to the 3 C's
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Touting ethanol as a source of clean octane, it's ability to reduce carbon, and allowing consumer choice in the marketplace. -- For decades, ethanol advocates have used the “Three E’s” to describe
March 27, 2020 Read Full Article
FJ Live: Farmers, Ethanol Plants Should Look at Small Business Aid
by John Herath (Farm Journal/AgWeb) There could be an opening for relief for farmers and ethanol refiners under the small business provisions of the COVID-19 aid plan passed by the Senate late Wednesday according to Pro Farmer policy analyst Jim Wiesemeyer. The
March 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Senate Passes Emergency Package without Green Provisions
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) SENATE PASSES RELIEF PACKAGE: The Senate last night unanimously passed a mammoth $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package, POLITICO's Melanie Zanona, Sarah Ferris and Heather Caygle report. The measure, which is the biggest economic rescue package in
March 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Coronavirus Stimulus Would Provide Indirect Help for Biofuels
by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) The head of the Renewable Fuels Association says although there’s no direct assistance for biofuels, the economic stimulus package would help ethanol plants. Geoff Cooper tells Brownfield several measures benefit producers. “There’s some small business relief, loans
March 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Deal in Congress Axes Funding to Fill SPR with US Crudes
by Meghan Gordon and Brian Scheid (S&P Global Platts) Trump administration sought $3 billion to buy US crudes; Analyst sees market hit from US failing to take 'no-brainer policy' -- The Trump administration's plan to fill the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve with
March 25, 2020 Read Full Article
A Moderate Proposal: Nationalize the Fossil Fuel Industry
by Kate Aronoff (The New Republic) ... For the last week, the White House has reportedly been exploring low-interest loans to a struggling fossil fuel industry. Talk of a bailout is in the air, spurred on in part by longtime Trump ally and fracking
March 18, 2020 Read Full Article
House Democrats Warn against Oil Industry Bailout
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) A growing number of Democrats are voicing concern that the White House may pursue broad relief for the oil and gas industry amid sinking prices and the coronavirus pandemic. Twenty House Democrats sent a letter to President Trump on
March 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Prices Hit All-Time Low, Unconfirmed Reports of Plant Shutdowns
by Jerry Perkins (Successful Farming) ... The downturn in demand for ethanol, which is blended at a 10% rate in almost every gallon of gasoline consumed in the U.S., is coming at a time when ethanol plants were already economically
March 18, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA Calls on Trump Administration to Help Struggling Biofuels Industry
by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) ... With many ethanol plants on the verge of shutting down, we implore the Trump Administration to take action that equitably supports all liquid fuel industries—including ethanol producers—during this time of unprecedented market uncertainty and
March 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: Inhofe Amendment Would Cap Biofuels Credits Price at 10 Cents
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, has offered an amendment to an energy bill to cap the price of Renewable Identification Numbers, or RINs, at 10 cents, as time is running out on the EPA to make
March 06, 2020 Read Full Article
UPDATE 2-U.S. EPA Mulls Ways to Stabilize Biofuel Costs for Refiners, with Waiver Program at Risk
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday it is mulling new measures to help oil refiners cope with the cost of complying with the nation’s biofuel policy, as the agency faces a sweeping legal challenge
March 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Restored Biodiesel Blender Credit Boosts TravelCenters Of America Q4 Profits
by Alan Adler (Freight Waves) ... TravelCenters of America Inc. (NASDAQ: TA) reported higher fourth-quarter net income Tuesday from the restoration of the federal biodiesel blending tax credit and selling 5.3% more diesel fuel and gasoline. ... The blender’s credit,
March 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Congresswoman Pingree Introduces the Agriculture Resilience Act to Promote Farmer-Driven Climate Solutions Legislation Sets Goal of Reaching Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions in U.S. Agriculture by 2040
(Office of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine)) Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), comprehensive legislation that sets a bold vision of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. agriculture by the year 2040. “Farming has always been a
March 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Energy Bill Finally Here
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Pulling from numerous existing proposals ranging from energy efficiency, carbon capture and storage, Energy Chairman Lisa Murkowski and ranking member Joe Manchin released their long-awaited energy bill on Thursday, Anthony reports. The measure marks the latest attempt to pass sweeping energy legislation after more
March 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Congresswoman Angie Craig Leads Letter Reiterating Support for Biofuels, Reducing Carbon Emissions
(Office of Congresswoman Angie Craig (D-MN2)) Today, U.S. Reps. Angie Craig (MN-02) and Dave Loebsack (IA-02) delivered a letter signed by 11 members on the bipartisan Congressional Biofuels Caucus urging the Select Committee on Climate Crisis to include biofuels as a
February 27, 2020 Read Full Article
45Q, the Tax Credit That’s Luring US Companies to Capture CO2 -- Cement, Ethanol, and Ammonia Makers Are among Those Looking to Convert Waste Carbon to Cash
by Melody M. Bomgardner (Chemical & Engineering News) ... The most effective policies, economists and industrialists agree, are those that put a price on carbon. Doing so with a tax could make for a potent policy, but the idea doesn’t
February 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Udall, Grassley Introduce Bill to Ensure Taxpayers Get Fair Share for Public Lands Leasing
(Office of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)) On the 100 year anniversary of the Mineral Leasing Act, senators introduce the Fair Returns for Public Lands Act of 2020 to modernize the country’s antiquated public lands royalty system, increase return to federal
February 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Rep. McEachin and Chair Grijalva Unveil Landmark Environmental Justice Legislation Following Year-Long Collaborative Effort
(Blue Virginia) Great work by Rep. Donald McEachin (D-VA04) on the landmark Environmental Justice for All Act, which they introduced at a at a press conference earlier today on Capitol Hill. As Rep. McEachin said, “With today’s introduction of the Environmental Justice
February 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Fracking Ban Hits House
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Darren Soto led the introduction of a nationwide fracking ban, H.R. 5867, in the House on Wednesday. The measure is a companion to a bill, S. 3247 (116) , introduced
February 13, 2020 Read Full Article
25th Annual National Ethanol Conference Welcomes President George W. Bush
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association was honored to welcome George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, to the 25th Annual National Ethanol Conference today in Houston. By championing an all-of-the-above approach to domestic energy production while in
February 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Budget Slashes Environmental, Clean Energy Funding
(Our Daily Planet) Yesterday, President Trump released his FY2021 budget, and the proposed cuts to federal agencies and research programs were severe.As Science Mag summarized, Trump’s budget proposes the following cuts: National Institutes of Health: a cut of 7%, or $2.942 billion,
February 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Withholding $823 Million for Clean Energy, Democrats Say
by Ari Natter (Bloomberg) Unspent funds earmarked for electric cars, energy efficiency; Energy Department vows to spend funding at House hearing -- The Trump administration is withholding nearly a billion dollars for a clean energy program it has unsuccessfully tried to
February 06, 2020 Read Full Article
NRDC: DOE Is Flouting the Will of Congress by Delaying Clean Energy R&D
(Natural Resources Defense Council) The Department of Energy is flouting the will of Congress by delaying clean energy R&D and Congress should act quickly to prevent such ideologically driven efforts that thwart action to combat climate change, a Natural Resources Defense
February 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Time for a Price on Carbon
(Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL-22)/OurEnergyPolicy.org) You don’t have to search hard to find an American community already experiencing, firsthand, the devastating impact of climate change. The question is no longer if, but how to respond. For too long, damaging carbon emissions
February 04, 2020 Read Full Article
How House Republicans Won over Conservatives to Gain Consensus on a Climate Agenda
by Josh Siegel (Washington Examiner) House Republicans have convinced their most conservative members to support a forthcoming plan for the federal government to address climate change. Republicans have long been skeptical of federal efforts to curb climate change. But now, even conservative
January 31, 2020 Read Full Article
Carbon Emissions Will Fall Just 4 percent by 2050, According to Government Projections
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) ... Though a number of states have set goals to have their electric sector be carbon neutral by 2050 or sooner, the report suggests those efforts could be derailed by growing transportation emissions, which are
January 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Iowans Push 2020 Candidates to Focus on Climate Change
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) ... While climate change has been given short shrift on the debate stages, it’s been widely discussed as the state races toward its first-in-the-nation caucuses on Monday. Record-setting flooding devastated nearly every corner of the state
January 29, 2020 Read Full Article
E&C Leaders Release Draft Clean Future Act Legislative Text to Achieve a 100 Percent Clean Economy
(U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce) Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chairman Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) today released legislative text of the draft Climate Leadership and
January 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Democrats' Infrastructure Proposal Gets Green Tint
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) DON'T CALL IT INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK... But House Democratic leaders are expected to roll out their own infrastructure framework today with a particular focus on climate change. The framework comprises a mix of transportation and water
January 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Plant Reopens Thanks to Biodiesel Blenders Tax Credit
by Marjorie Kulba (Farm Journal's Ag Pro) An Iowa biodiesel plant is reopening after it shut down late last year. The Western Dubuque Biodiesel plant in Farley, Iowa started up production at the plant last week after shutting down for most of December
January 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Senate Refers Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2019 to Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
(Bergeson & Campbell) On December 10, 2019, the U.S. Senate received and read twice the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2019 (Act). Passed by the U.S. House of Representatives one day prior to the Senate’s review, the Act --
January 28, 2020 Read Full Article
How Plastic Can Fit in a Circular Carbon Economy: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Recycling and Upcycling Plastics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We’ve seen the staggering numbers, 78 million tons of annual plastics production, 98% virgin feedstock, and only 14% gets collected for recycling. So what do we do about it? Jay Fitzgerald from the Bioenergy technologies
January 24, 2020 Read Full Article
At the Table, or On the Menu?
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) As discussions about climate change ramp up, ethanol and its impact on emissions and the environment should be top of mind. -- We’re only halfway through the 116th Congress and, already, there have been
January 23, 2020 Read Full Article
Military Researching Ways to Suck Carbon From Air to Make Fuel
by Bobby Magill (Bloomberg) Military could use carbon captured from the air and sea water to make fuel; Pentagon involvement could speed up commercialization of technology -- Technology that would suck carbon dioxide from the air and ocean water could be
January 22, 2020 Read Full Article
IRS Publishes Guidance on Claiming 2018-’19 Biodiesel Tax Credit
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The Internal Revenue Service published guidance Jan. 15 for companies seeking to claim the biodiesel and renewable diesel tax credit for 2018 and 2019. The $1 per gallon tax credit expired Jan. 1, 2018, and remained expired until Dec.
January 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Heard on the Floor: Alleluias and Vision 2020 at the National Biodiesel Conference
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... They have been three years in the valley of the shadow of Death, and have emerged on the other side with huge wins in recent weeks on tax credits, progress on Argentine and China
January 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Exclusive: What’s in Republicans’ New Climate-Change Push
by Amy Harder (Axios) Trees, plastics and favorable tax policy are at the core of House Republicans’ new push on climate change — an effort to reassure voters they care about the problem after a decade of dismissing it. Why it
January 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Senate Passes USMCA
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Senate passed legislation implementing the revised U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement on Jan. 16 by a vote of 89 to 10. The legislation will now be sent to President Trump for his signature. The USMCA trade
January 17, 2020 Read Full Article
USDA Seeks Input on New Ethanol Sales Infrastructure Incentive Program DEADLINE January 30, 2020
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking public input to help with the creation of the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), a new program that will expand the availability of domestic ethanol and biodiesel by incentivizing the expansion
January 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Payments for Ecosystem Services Key to Enabling Agricultural Solutions to Sustainable Development Goals, Ag Renaissance
(Solutions from the Land) As discussions on climate change, clean water, hunger, poverty and biodiversity grow both on the domestic and global stages, the role of agriculture in addressing these mega-challenges is filling a growing role at the policy table. Statewide
January 16, 2020 Read Full Article
A Vision for Biodiesel
by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) ... NBB undertook a formal strategic planning process in the second half of 2019 to ask the tough questions, define the challenges and opportunities, and to lay out a roadmap to achieving those
January 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Dems Tee up Climate Plans
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The legislative framework that senior Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee want to move this year to combat climate change calls for reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the building, industrial, transportation
January 09, 2020 Read Full Article
What's Looming in 2020?
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) ... Another looming fight: EPA's proposals to weaken rules on greenhouse gas emissions from cars. The Trump administration has revoked California's waiver authority, but its sweeping rollback of federal emissions standards has stalled ahead
January 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Cutting Edge Funding: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Debt and Equity Financing Mechanisms for Bioeconomy Projects
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Money, money, money – a growing bioeconomy needs lots of it. But with so many challenges like a lack of certainty in government programs or a perceived lack of funds at the company and project levels,
January 02, 2020 Read Full Article
Valuable and Viable: Changes to the 45Q Tax Credit Increase the Monetary Value of Carbon Dioxide for Ethanol Producers.
by Andrew Duguid (Battelle/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Changes to Section 45Q of the U.S. tax code have made it easier for ethanol producers to take advantage of tax credits for capturing and storing carbon dioxide emissions. However, producers must act fast
December 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Finding Environmental Markets Carbon Credits, Water Quality Markets Rebuild for Farmers
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) When Ohio farmer Fred Yoder testified last month before the House Select Committee on Climate Change, the long-time no-till farmer and champion of climate-smart farming practices told lawmakers one of the best things that could
December 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Economics, Expectations and Exports
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol Producer Magazine talked to three experts about the past year, and what they see moving into 2020. -- 2019 brought a Reid vapor pressure waiver for E15, but it also brought excessive small
December 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Bill Would Create ARPA–Terra, a New Research Agency to Invest in Early Stage Research on Innovative Agricultural Technologies that Enhance Environmental Sustainability, Export Competitiveness, and Crop Resilience
(Office of Senator Michael Bennet, D-CO) Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and U.S. Representative Cindy Axne (IA-3) announced they have introduced new legislation to create the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Terra (ARPA–Terra), a new agency at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to
December 20, 2019 Read Full Article
House Passes Reworked North American Trade Deal in Victory for Trump, Democrats
by Erica Werner (Washington Post) The bill passed by a vote of 385 to 41 and is expected to pass the Senate early next year. -- The House of Representatives voted Thursday in favor of a new trade deal for
December 20, 2019 Read Full Article
The Bioeconomy Christmas: Uncle Sam puts $12B+ for Biomass-Based Diesel, Action on Biointermediates, Cellulosics, and Small Refinery Waivers into the Stocking This Year
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, Congressional leaders announced a five-year extension of the biomass-based diesel tax credit as part of a year-end tax extenders package. As Christmas gifts go, the importance and value of this to the biomass-based diesel
December 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Spending Bills Sent to Senate ... Included in the Deal Is a Year-End Compromise on Tax Extenders
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) ON TO THE SENATE: The House passed the $1.4 trillion spending deal on Tuesday that would give federal agencies $49 billion in extra cash this fiscal year and avert a government shutdown ahead of
December 18, 2019 Read Full Article
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