(South Dakota Farmers Union) Following yet another disappointing announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on their management of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke said it’s time to recognize the RFS Is broken. "The
Regulations-Federal
Back TO HOME“EPA Reneges on Trump’s Biofuels Deal”: Shocker Details Emerge on US Oil Industry Waivers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “EPA Reneges on Trump’s Biofuels Deal”, said the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association in reacting to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s new plans for fulfilling federal renewable fuel requirements. EPA released a proposed supplemental rule for the Renewable Fuel
October 16, 2019 Read Full Article
The Most Detailed Map of Auto Emissions in America
by Nadja Popovich and Denise Lu (New York Times) Transportation is the largest source of planet-warming greenhouse gases in the United States today and the bulk of those emissions come from driving in our cities and suburbs. The (interactive) map ... shows
October 10, 2019 Read Full Article
National Voter Poll Shows Strong Support for RFS, Biodiesel Use
(National Biodiesel Board) The National Biodiesel Board released results Oct. 9 of an annual national poll of registered voters designed to measure awareness of and attitudes toward biodiesel and federal policies that support the industry. The results show a candidate’s support
October 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: Governors Ask Trump to Take Executive Actions on Biofuels
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) First and foremost, the group asked Trump to expedite any new rulemaking process aimed at the waivers issue. ... As part of the biofuels announcement last week, the Trump administration also directed EPA and USDA to
October 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Industry Veterans Introduce Comprehensive Market, Policy Analysis
(Rock House Advisors and Playmaker Strategies/Biodiesel Magazine) Over the past three years Playmaker Strategies, based in Washington, D.C., and Rock House Advisors of Jefferson City, Missouri, have teamed up to write and produce “Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Policy, Regulatory and
October 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Investors Ask GM to Join in
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) A group of large investors is calling on GM to join a voluntary emissions deal struck between California, Ford and three other automakers — a deal that's currently the subject of a Trump administration
October 09, 2019 Read Full Article
President Trump's 'Giant' Biofuels Package Is Decidedly Small
by Tristan R. Brown (Seeking Alpha) Summary -- The "giant package" that President Donald Trump had promised to the U.S. biofuels sector back in August was finally unveiled late last week. While the plan's details continue to be scarce, those
October 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Rep. Axne, Sen. Klobuchar Urge USDA to Conduct Economic Impact Report on EPA Biofuel
(Office of Representative Cindy Axne (D-IA-3) Axne, Klobuchar express concern regarding recent EPA statement claiming “zero evidence” that biofuel waivers are hurting ethanol producers, request USDA conduct an economic impact report -- Today (October 3, 2019), U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne (D-IA-03)
October 08, 2019 Read Full Article
US Voters Show Strong Support for Ethanol, Renewable Fuel Standard
(Biofuels International) A new nationwide US survey conducted by Morning Consult has found strong support for ethanol and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Support for the latter has reached its highest level since the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) began polling
October 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Ya Happy Now? Trump Administration Reveals Grand Bargain on Biofuels Volumes, E15, Small Refinery Waivers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In today's Digest, the 4-Point Agreement, the backstory, the Glad Tidings, the Unfinished Business, and reaction from the stakeholders as we parse out the impact on future volumes, waivers, backfills, RINs, E15, blender pumps and
October 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Court: EPA Must Consider Environmental Impact When Setting Ethanol Mandate
by Chuck Abbott (Successful Farming) The U.S. appeals court in Washington unanimously ordered the EPA to reconsider its Renewable Fuel Standard for 2018 because it failed to account for the potential impact of full-throttle corn production on endangered species and
October 04, 2019 Read Full Article
White House Nixes Climate Change Language from Vehicle Emissions Proposal
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) The White House removed language calling climate change a “serious challenge” from a proposal that limits California’s ability to set tougher vehicle emissions standards, according to reporting from E&E News. A draft of the document obtained by E&E
October 04, 2019 Read Full Article
President Trump Delivers on a Key Promise to American Farmers as EPA, USDA Announce Agreement on Promoting Biofuels
(Environmental Protection Agency) Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue issued the following statements after President Donald J. Trump successfully negotiated an agreement on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): “President Trump’s leadership
October 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Survey Finds Strong Opposition to EPA Oil Refinery Waivers, Strong Support for RFS
(Renewable Fuels Association) Registered voters oppose the Trump administration’s actions to exempt oil refineries from renewable fuel blending obligations by a margin of nearly two to one, according to new polling data released today by the Renewable Fuels Association. The nationwide
October 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol’s Impact Lauded in Wake of Saudi Attack
by Candace Krebs (Ag Journal) ... “What people don’t realize is that shale provides a particular very light type of oil, and we can’t use that exclusively with the way our refineries are configured,” explains Scott Richman, chief economist for the
October 03, 2019 Read Full Article
An Identity Crisis—Ethanol Blending is a Refinery?
by Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative/Biofuels Digest) ... (A)nyone who owns a blender pump woke up one day in June to find out they were a refiner! Actually, a “fuel manufacturer” to be exact, with all the numbing, strangling regulations that
October 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Small Refineries Petition Courts: Agriculture, Biofuel Groups Await Announcement on White House RFS Deal
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Two small refiners not receiving exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard in EPA's latest round of waivers announced on Aug. 9, continue to fight the agency's rejection in federal court. At the same time, agriculture
October 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Cruel Summer
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) A series of unfortunate events this summer—all caused by U.S. government action or inaction—has led to a precarious situation in the biodiesel sector, but there may be a silver lining. -- ... The volume of
October 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Farm-State Fury Creates Pressure for Trump as Trade, Energy Pain Collide
by David J. Lynch (Washington Post) ... After two decades, Siouxland (Energy Cooperative) this month halted operations following the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to exempt 31 small oil refiners from a federal law requiring them to blend ethanol in their
October 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Daschle, Sombke Call Pending SAFE Rule the Path to Higher Ethanol Volumes
(Safe Gasoline Campaign) In a wide-ranging interview on a popular South Dakota Business Radio program, Sombke and Daschle stressed that moving to high octane gasoline is a way to build on the success of the Renewable Fuel Standard. The path to get there
September 30, 2019 Read Full Article
Corn and Soybean Leaders Compel Lawmakers to Stop EPA’s Anti-Biofuels Actions
by Dave Blower Jr. (The News Gazette) The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) and the Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) along with 12 other Indiana farm, ethanol and biodiesel plants and allied industries wrote to Indiana’s congressional delegation expressing frustration with
September 27, 2019 Read Full Article
Farmers Urge Trump to Address ‘Economic Crisis’ Facing Biofuels Industry
by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) Leaders in the renewable fuels industry say it’s urgent that President Trump fix the demand destruction and “economic crisis” created by RFS waivers. Ron Heck of Perry, Iowa, secretary of the National Biodiesel Board, says there’s
September 27, 2019 Read Full Article
Wondering What If -- Real-World Fuels Are Needed as Part of Real-World Testing to Prove Ethanol's Worth in Helping to Boost Octane and Lower Emissions.
by Steve Vander Griend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Urban Air Initiative) ... While we are all glad Reid vapor pressure (RVP) relief for E15 was finalized, limiting us to E15 makes this a small victory rather than the game-changer it could have
September 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Report: U.S. Biofuels Help Drive Environmental Progress
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest association of biofuel producers, released a new report examining the potential impact of a growing role for U.S. biofuels in America’s clean energy future. The report was authored by Ramboll, a global research and management firm
September 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Prospects for Biofuels Use by Other Transportation Modes
by Stephanie Mercier (Farm Journal AgWeb) ... While supporters of the U.S. biofuel industry will no doubt continue to advocate for some remedial action by the administration on the SRE/RFS issues, they should not overlook the fact that the U.S.
September 26, 2019 Read Full Article
RFA Corrects Wheeler’s Misstatements about Ethanol Demand, SREs
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Renewable Fuels Association sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler Sept. 25 criticizing statements he made during a Sept. 19 congressional hearing where he claimed small refinery exemptions (SREs) are not impacting
September 26, 2019 Read Full Article
New Mexico Commits to Climate Action in the Face of Trump Administration’s Attack on Clean Car Standards
(Sierra Club) Today, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that New Mexico will join 14 other states in adopting clean car standards requiring new cars sold in the state to emit fewer greenhouse gases. They also mandate an increasing percentage of cars
September 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Minnesota Releases Plan to Reduce Harmful Vehicle Emissions
by Kim Wynn (Grand Forks Herald) The Department of Transportation aims to tackle vehicle pollution in an attempt to bolster use of electric cars and increase biofuels infrastructure. -- As Minnesota has failed to meet its goal of a 15% reduction
September 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Administration to Take Away Transportation Funding for CA Due to Its Dirty Air
(Our Daily Planet) Looking to take further action against the State of California, the Environmental Protection Agency under the guise of enforcing the state’s non-compliance with the Clean Air Act (CAA) says it will take away billions in federal funds provided
September 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Market Movers
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Projections for E15 have been inconsistent since the May 31 Reid vapor pressure waiver. Ethanol Producer Magazine explores some of the factors that will influence the blend's trajectory in the coming years. ... Before the waiver,
September 24, 2019 Read Full Article
RFA to Lawmakers: Thanks for Letter to EPA
by Carrie Muehling (Energy.AgWired.com) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is applauding lawmakers for support of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). RFA thanked a bipartisan group of 25 members of the U.S. House of Representatives for asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to prospectively restore
September 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Your Vegan Diet and Paper Straws Aren’t Going to Save the Planet, But These Three Policies Can
by John Cumbers (Forbes) When it comes to action on climate change, what’s good for the planet must also benefit the economy and the livelihoods of people, which are more often than not at the forefront of the minds of voters
September 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: Economist Proposes Two RFS Changes to Appease Oil, Ethanol
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) With a reported big deal for biofuels in flux, an economist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign put forward a plan on Thursday to account for more than 4 billion gallons of biofuels exempted
September 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump’s Billion-Dollar Gambit: An Ethanol Deal to Meet the Demands of Farmers and Big Oil
by Tim Mullaney (CNBC) President Trump is planning an ethanol deal to please U.S. farmers angry that many oil refiners have been freed from obligations to use oil-based fuel. The deal, still not yet reduced to a written bill, is
September 23, 2019 Read Full Article
GZ Energy to Launch Digital Credit-Trading Platform in Q4
(GZ Energy LLC/Biodiesel Magazine) Physical commodities brokerage GZ Energy LLC plans to launch its groundbreaking digital trading platform, GZX, in October. GZX will provide renewable fuel market participants with a means to discreetly trade separated (K2) renewable identification numbers (RINs), California Low
September 23, 2019 Read Full Article
'Very Engaged' Trump Talks Biofuels Policy with U.S. Oil-State Senators
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) President Donald Trump on Thursday discussed biofuels policy with senators from U.S. oil states, including Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, who said the president was engaged on the issue that has pitted Big Oil and Big Corn
September 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Administration Announces One National Program Rule on Federal Preemption of State Fuel Economy Standards
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) President Trump promised the American people that his Administration would address and correct the current fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards, and today (September 19, 2019), his Administration is taking steps to fulfill this promise. Today, the
September 20, 2019 Read Full Article
California Sues Trump Administration over Revoking Authority to Limit Car Pollution
by Dino Grandoni and Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) 22 other states, plus D.C., Los Angeles and New York City, joined in the lawsuit -- California and 22 other states filed a lawsuit in federal court Friday against the Trump administration,
September 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Market Outlook for Low Carbon Fuels
by Nora Goldstein (BioCycle Magazine) Overall, demand for RNG is strong in spite of an oversupply of D3 RINs in 2018. -- In 2018, cellulosic biofuel producers, including those making renewable natural gas (RNG), outperformed the annual Renewable Volume Obligation
September 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Davis Introduces Pro-Ethanol Legislation
(The Telegraph) Local ethanol officials are lauding the Small Refinery Exeption Fairness Act of 2019 introduced Wednesday by U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville. Davis introduced the bill after the EPA continues to increase the number of small refineries exempted from the Renewable
September 19, 2019 Read Full Article
New Study Stresses Ethanol’s Benefits for Energy Security
(Renewable Fuels Association) A new study shows that the Renewable Fuel Standard not only saves drivers money at the gas pump every day, but also enhances energy security by greatly reducing or even eliminating the blow to our nation’s drivers when
September 19, 2019 Read Full Article
NBB Member Testifies on Biodiesel’s Clean Energy Contribution
(Biofuels International) A member of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) has testified to the House Small Business Committee on Rural Development on the contribution of biodiesel to the clean energy economy. Thomas Brooks, general manager of Western Dubuque Biodiesel, spoke at
September 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Tweets He's Revoking California's Tailpipe Emissions Waiver while Visiting State
by Miranda Green (The Hill) President Trump announced on Wednesday that his administration will be removing California's tailpipe emissions waiver under the Clean Air Act, a decision likely to face fierce backlash in courts. Trump made the announcement via Twitter while touring
September 18, 2019 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
"I've been hoodwinked so many times, not just by the EPA on this issue, but by other bureaucracies as well, so I'm going to see if what we talked about is the end product," Senatory Chuck Grassley (R-IA) told reporters
September 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Will the RFS Deal Protect Innovation and Our Planet?
by Stephanie Batchelor (Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)/Biofuels Digest) As we speculate on the details and implications of the administration’s renewable fuels deal, the future of an entire green industry hangs in the balance. The debate over the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has
September 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Administration to Revoke California’s Power to Set Stricter Auto Emissions Standards
by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The Trump administration will revoke California’s right to set stricter air pollution for cars and light trucks on Wednesday, according to two senior administration officials, as part of a larger effort to
September 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Forest Products Industry Barriers to Producing Biofuels
(Biorenewable Deployment Consortium) BDC is a 501c3 organization focused on education and brokering partnerships in order to accelerate the deployment of economic bioprocesses and assist the forest products industry to get the most value from the tree. BDC membership represents
September 16, 2019 Read Full Article
USDA Numbers Confirm Declining Demand For Ethanol
by Amy Mayer (Iowa Public Radio) The national average price for corn this season is back to $3.60 a bushel, about where it’s been most of this year except for an early-season spike ($4.16 in July) before the size and quality of the
September 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Weighs Boosts to Biofuels
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The White House is considering a plan that could limit the number of small refinery exemptions to the RFS, increase the volumes of biofuels that must be blended into gasoline and boost the spread
September 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Manager Says EPA’s Waivers “Ironic”
by Julie Harker (Brownfield Ag News) An Iowa biodiesel business manager has testified at a House subcommittee hearing that his business is contributing to the clean energy economy, saying strong consistent federal policy is needed, “It’s ironic that the EPA
September 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Cooperative Relies on RFS Waivers: CountryMark Sits on Both Sides of Small-Refinery Waiver Controversy
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) The farmer-owned CountryMark cooperative and fuel refinery is caught in the middle of the small-refinery exemption controversy. The company operates in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky -- most of its customers at more than 100
September 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Science and Technology Policy Office Request for Information on the Bioeconomy DEADLINE: October 22, 2019
(Federal Register) The Office of Science Technology and Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on the U.S. Bioeconomy. The Bioeconomy represents the infrastructure, innovation, products, technology, and data derived from biologically-related processes and science that drive economic growth,
September 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Oil Refining Representatives to Rally in Toledo against Trump Biofuels Policy
by Jon Chavez (The Blade) Members of Ohio’s oil refining industry will rally in Toledo Thursday at One Government Center downtown to urge President Trump not to tamper with laws regulating U.S. biofuels policy, because doing so could put smaller refineries,
September 12, 2019 Read Full Article
White House Presses Biofuel, Oil Executives for Compromise
by Mario Parker and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg/Investors Business Daily) Discussions aimed at breaking logjam over biofuel plan; Friday deadline issued for ideas on potential compromise -- Trump administration officials are squeezing biofuel and oil refining executives to agree to
September 12, 2019 Read Full Article
White House to Meet With Biodiesel Producers in Quest for a Deal
by Mario Parker and Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Trump administration officials are set to meet with renewable fuel producers on Wednesday, as they seek to entice industry endorsements for a plan to bolster corn-based ethanol and soy-based biodiesel. The meeting is slated
September 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Advocate & Former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle Meets with Farmers Union Members in D.C.
(South Dakota Farmers Union) It’s a critical time for the ethanol industry said former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle today, Sept. 9, 2019, when he met with more than 300 farmers, ranchers and agriculture supporters in D.C. as part of the National Farmers
September 10, 2019 Read Full Article
King Willing to Debate Feenstra, Taylor
by Ty Rushing (NWestIowa.com) ... During his town hall, King addressed multiple topics including immigration, trade negotiations and the struggles of the agricultural renewable fuels community. POET Biorefining, the nation’s largest ethanol producer, has a plant south of Ashton, which King made
September 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Arnold Schwarzenegger: Trump Can’t Erase a Decade of Clean Air Progress with a Sharpie
by Arnold Schwarzenegger (Washington Post) California has been a leader in the fight to clean our air since one of my heroes, Ronald Reagan, was our governor. The Trump administration, for some reason, is hellbent on reversing decades of history and progress.
September 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuel Plan Faces Fresh Backlash from U.S. Agricultural Trade Groups
by Chris Prentice, Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) U.S. agricultural trade groups on Friday told the Trump administration a proposed biofuel reform package falls short of expectations, four sources familiar with discussions said, complicating plans the administration had for
September 08, 2019 Read Full Article
California, Trump Clash over Cars
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) California and the Trump administration will duke it out in court today over EPA's initial decision to undo Obama-era auto emissions standards. ... It's California vs. Donald Trump today at the D.C. Circuit in an
September 06, 2019 Read Full Article
National Chicken Council Submits Comments to EPA on the RFS Program Standards for 2020 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2021
(Biobased and Renewable Products Update) On August 30, 2019, the National Chicken Council submitted a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expressing concerns with the proposed required volume obligations (RVO) for 2020 combined with the recent waiver that will increase
September 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Petroleum Industry Warns Trump It Will Fight Ethanol Moves
by Dave Boyer (The Washington Times) A leading trade group for the petroleum industry warned President Trump on Tuesday to ditch his plan to boost ethanol production, saying it would be a “disastrous political decision.” ... He (Frank Macchiarola, a vice
September 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump, Biofuels, 2020 and the Prospect of a Farmer Flip
by Matt Carr (Biofuels Digest/New Energy America) ... President Trump has repeatedly buckled under pressure from fossil fuel interests and their Wall Street backers, giving an unprecedented number of “small refinery waivers” to oil refiners that have reported record profits year
September 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Circuit Court Rejects Challenges to EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standards
by Tim Ryan (Court House News) The D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s renewable fuel standards in the face of challenges from energy companies, biofuel producers and industry groups. Under longstanding EPA policy, the burden of introducing more
September 03, 2019 Read Full Article
View from a Former Fed: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Multi-Slide Guide to Policy Nexus Advisors’ Federal Programs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s nothing like a former fed to give a unique perspective on federal programs and policy. Paul Argyropoulos, President of Policy Nexus Advisors, gave this illuminating overview of what he thinks the future holds, influencing
September 03, 2019 Read Full Article
What’s the Plan to Increase Ethanol Use? Low Carbon Octane Standard Could Be the Way to Increase Ethanol Use beyond E15.
by Brian Jennings (Ethanol Producer Magazine/American Coalition for Ethanol) ... Are we simply going to play defense on the RFS and hope the E15 market develops quickly, or can we turn the page, go on offense and initiate a new
September 03, 2019 Read Full Article
E15 Rewards For Hopkins Drivers
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) and KS95 FM teamed up today to reward consumers who fueled up with Unleaded Plus (E15) at Hopkins Express Minnoco. During the hour-long promotion from 12 pm to 1 pm, consumers who
September 03, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA’s Final 2020 Volume Obligations Must Restore Lost Gallons
(Renewable Fuels Association) In formal comments submitted today (August 30, 2019) in response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed 2020 renewable volume obligations, the Renewable Fuels Association called on the EPA to follow the law and make up for the
September 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Renewable Natural Gas: The Climate Change Solution with Limited Awareness of Its Potential
by Michael Bakas (Utility Dive/Ameresco) When it comes to addressing climate change, we must pursue the many diverse approaches for reducing carbon emissions. One of the most overlooked opportunities in our arsenal today is renewable natural gas (RNG). It's simply not getting
September 02, 2019 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- American Petroleum Institute
In a February 2018 letter to the EPA from the American Petroleum Institute: “…RIN costs are largely recovered by refineries, both large and small, through the increased value of gasoline and diesel fuel they supply to the market.” ... “These
September 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Five Reasons Why Big Oil Is Wrong
by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) On Wednesday, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and the American Petroleum Institute sent a letter to President Trump in response to reports that the administration is considering measures to mitigate the harm that the
September 01, 2019 Read Full Article
A Farmer's Plea to the President: Fix our Fuel
by Doug Sombke (The Hill/Farmers Union Enterprises and the South Dakota Farmers Union) ... I recently wrote a letter to the president suggesting a pathway out from under the proverbial rock. I urged him to direct the EPA to enforce the mandatory provision
September 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Teases Work on Policy Package to Boost Ethanol
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) President Donald Trump issued a tweet Aug. 29 suggesting his administration is working on a “giant package” to boost demand for ethanol. He did not indicate what the timeframe for the release of that
September 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Association Letter to EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory RE: F-Factor Guidance
(Renewable Fuels Association) While the U.S. ethanol industry appreciates the guidance you provided this week on EPA’s F-factor for model year 2019 flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs), I am writing to implore you to move more expeditiously on guidance for future
August 30, 2019 Read Full Article
Costs Inhibit Government Purchases of Electric Vehicles: GAO
by Maxine Joselow (E&E News) Federal agencies have been reluctant to buy electric vehicles because of high prices and a lack of charging infrastructure, the government's internal watchdog said in a report released yesterday. READ MORE FEDERAL VEHICLE FLEETS: Agencies Have
August 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Iowa Governor Planning DC Meeting over ‘Short Term Crisis’ in Ethanol Industry
by O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa) Governor Kim Reynolds and Midwest governors are planning a trip to Washington, D.C. to talk with President Trump about unrest in farm country. “Let him know first-hand what’s happening on the ground,” Reynolds said this morning. The
August 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Klobuchar: In First 100 Days as President, Pledges Moratorium on Oil Refinery Waivers, Restoration of Renewable Fuels Tax Credit and More
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Klobuchar says “I will stop the oil refinery waivers”: In Iowa, US Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said that, if elected President in 2020, would in her first 100 days in office order a moratorium on oil
August 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Internal White House Documents: EPA Ignored Trump Administration Recommendations to Redistribute Small Refinery Waived Volumes
(Renewable Fuels Association) Documents obtained by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) show that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ignored strong recommendations from within the Trump Administration to redistribute Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blending obligations lost to small refinery exemptions in the
August 27, 2019 Read Full Article
ACE Conference: An Update on Litigation Affecting the Industry
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Bryan Stockton gave attendees of the American Coalition for Ethanol’s annual conference in Omaha, Nebraska, an update on some of the litigation affecting the ethanol industry. Stockton is an attorney at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
August 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Orders Biofuel Boost in Bid to Temper Farm State Anger
by Jennifer A Dlouhy and Mario Parker (Bloomberg) 2021 quotas will jump to make up for oil refinery exemptions; Move could alienate Rust Belt refinery workers in Pennsylvania -- President Donald Trump, seeking to tamp down political fallout in U.S.
August 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Set to Discuss Biofuels Thursday with USDA, EPA: Sources
by Humeyra Pamuk and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) President Donald Trump, faced with mounting anger in the farm belt over policies that allowed oil refineries to use less corn-based ethanol, is set to meet with cabinet members on Thursday to discuss ways to
August 22, 2019 Read Full Article
2020 Dems Aim to Capitalize on Trump’s Ethanol Policy
by Brian Dabbs (National Journal) Democratic presidential candidates are exploiting a controversial White House ethanol policy to try to generate support among President Trump’s staunchest backers. The Environmental Protection Agency waived ethanol blending requirements for more than 30 petroleum refiners earlier
August 22, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Mulling Ethanol Reallocation, Sources Say
by Alex Guillén (Politico's Morning Energy) The Trump administration is considering reallocating the volumes of ethanol that were reduced when it allowed dozens of refineries to waive their Renewable Fuel Standard requirements to blend the biofuel with gasoline, four industry
August 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuel Lobby Sues EPA Over Renewable Fuel Standard Exemptions
by Michael McGrady (Inside Sources) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing a legal challenge from a coalition of biofuel and agriculture industry groups regarding the agency’s proposal for reduced renewable fuel volumes. According to a press release from the coalition, the organizations filed a
August 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Governors Ask EPA to Clarify Biogenic CO2 Not Regulated under CCA
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Governors representing Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska and North Dakota recently sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler urging the agency to clarify biogenic CO2 is not a pollutant subject to regulation under the Clean
August 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Wound up over Waivers
by Alex Guillén (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA's internal watchdog is being asked to determine how the agency decided to grant the vast majority of exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard that oil refiners have requested. EPA approved 31 petitions for waivers
August 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Addressing Two Objections to My Midwest Ethanol Plan
by Robert Rapier (Forbes) ... My proposed solution is for the Midwestern states to band together to provide sufficient state incentives to develop a major Midwest corridor where E85 -- a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline -- is
August 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Facts Not Furor: What the 2020 Candidates Should Be Focused On
by Daniel Gage (ACT News/NGV America) ... One candidate said we have less than 10 years to act. Many candidates agree that we don’t have time to wait. So why then are we waiting for large scale light-duty electric vehicle adoption
August 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Report: Trump Ordered Waivers: Ongoing Court Challenges May Be Only Avenue Left for Biofuels
by By Todd Neeley and Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) ...The president sided with oil refiners over ethanol producers and corn farmers, just two months after reiterating his support for ethanol at a rally held at Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy
August 19, 2019 Read Full Article
E15, E30, and Blender Pumps May Become Generally Available, but Refinery Exemptions Make the RFS Irrelevant
by Doug Root* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Farm Fest in southern Minnesota is always a forum on the health of the agriculture sector of the economy and biofuels. This year was no exception as Rep. Colin Peterson hosted a listening session
August 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Intervention Triggered EPA's Surprise Biofuel Waiver Decision: Sources
by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) A phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump last week ended a nearly two-month-long review of the nation’s biofuels program, three sources familiar with the matter said, with the White House siding in favor of oil refiners over
August 16, 2019 Read Full Article
How to Fix the Ethanol Industry
by Robert Rapier (Forbes) ...In this model, the entities that control the model are the same as those that benefit from it: The Midwestern states that produce essentially all of the nation's ethanol. The key goal here is to get the federal
August 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Small Refinery Waivers: Is EPA Breaking The Law?
by Anna-Lisa Laca (Farm Journal's Ag Pro) For the past two years the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been issuing small refinery hardship waivers, which allow the awarded refiners to forgo blending ethanol with their fuels. Is EPA breaking the
August 15, 2019 Read Full Article
O’Brien: Retailers, Prime the Pump Set the Stage for E15 Adoption
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) For retailers who are still looking to add E15 to their product mix, Growth Energy’s vice president of market development, Mike O’Brien believes there’s no better place to learn about and ask questions than the
August 14, 2019 Read Full Article
Jobsites and Machines of the Future: Diesel, Hybrid, Renewable, Connected, Autonomous and Electric
by Allen Schaeffer (Construction Executive/Diesel Technology Forum) ... Achieving the U.S. EPA Tier 4 emissions requirements means near-zero particulate matter (PM 2.5) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. This performance is accomplished through a combination of strategies, ranging from selective catalytic
August 14, 2019 Read Full Article
Innovate AND Implement: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to ICM’s Ethanol and Biorefining
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Innovation is great but without implementation, the story ends there. Not so for ICM, a Kanasas-based company that took its small business roots in a farming community and an idea and turned it into 1/3 of
August 14, 2019 Read Full Article
City in Colorado Develops Innovative Biogas Plant & CNG Station Project
(City of Longmont/NGV Journal) Steel rising on a site at the northwest corner of the city of Longmont’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is a sign of the future. The steel provides the frame for an approximately 23,000-square-foot building for Longmont’s Biogas
August 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Coalition Pushes EPA to Reconsider Limits on Higher Ethanol Blends
(Urban Air Initiative) In a joint petition filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals, a broad alliance of ethanol, agriculture, and clean fuel organizations requested judicial review of a recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rulemaking that would limit ethanol blending and
August 12, 2019 Read Full Article
The Problem with the Ethanol Industry
by Robert Rapier (Forbes) ... The ethanol industry would argue that if refiners weren't being forced to blend ethanol, they wouldn't. That's mostly true. Ethanol has a significantly lower energy content than gasoline, but ethanol is used to increase octane. Thus, refiners would
August 12, 2019 Read Full Article
The Real Fuel Issue
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Washington Post) I was surprised to see in Catherine Rampell’s July 26 op-ed, “The Grand Old Socialist Party,” a line about “big fat federal government subsidies for corn ethanol.” The last tax credit for ethanol, the
August 12, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Strikes Icy Blow to Ag & Biofuels: 31 Waivers Hit Heart of American Farmers and Biofuels
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) EPA might have a new name in some circles – Exemptions for Petroleum Agency – thanks to the 31 small refinery waivers issued on Friday which has the biofuels and agriculture industries reeling after promises
August 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Managing LCFS Credits and Risk in Uncertain Times
by Michael Newman (Parhelion Underwriting Inc./Biofuels Digest) Trading in the climate finance market – the systems designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – sometimes create areas of uncertainty. The risk of invalidation of credits worry market participants – but insurance risk
August 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Administration Moves to Finalize Weakening of Car Efficiency Standards: The White Houes’s Rule Would Cost the Economy $400 Billion by Midcentury, According to a New Analysis from Energy Innovation.
(GreenTechMedia) An analysis published Wednesday by clean energy advocacy group Energy Innovation found that if the administration does eliminate California’s waiver, costs from the rule change would total $400 billion in 2018 dollars by 2050. By 2035, Energy Innovation projects that
August 08, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA’s Final SAFE Vehicles Rule under OMB Review
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA submitted its final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks to the White House Office of Management and Budget on Aug. 2. OMB review
August 06, 2019 Read Full Article
A 'Golden Triangle': In Nebraska, Ethanol, Cattle and Agriculture Are Intertwined, with Major Impacts on the State's Economy.
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) It’s fitting that the Cornhusker State should be an important player in the nation’s ethanol industry. Second only to Iowa in production, Nebraska’s ethanol industry has a big impact on the state’s economy. In addition to
August 06, 2019 Read Full Article
RNG Stakeholders Speak out on EPA’s 2020 Renewable Fuel Proposal
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) More than two dozen representatives from the renewable natural gas (RNG) industry spoke at Wednesday’s public hearing in Michigan to provide feedback on 2020 biofuel volumes proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the
August 06, 2019 Read Full Article
States Sue Trump Administration for Reduced Penalties on Fuel Efficiency
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) Thirteen states filed suit against the Trump administration Friday, arguing it was breaking the law by cutting penalties for automakers that do not meet Obama-era fuel efficiency standards. The suit, led by California's and New York’s attorneys general, goes
August 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Dennis Lundell: Ethanol Is Vital to Rural America
by Dennis Lundell (The Cap Times) Dear Editor: With the recent move to lift restrictions on E15 by President Trump, the agricultural community has an opportunity to build America’s economy with more renewable biofuels. And that means less reliance on
August 02, 2019 Read Full Article
South Dakota Farmers Union Meets with EPA Director to Discuss E30
(South Dakota Farmers Union/Farm Forum) South Dakota Farmers Union, together with leaders from 13 South Dakota agriculture organizations, sat down with Gregory Sopkin, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional administrator for District Eight to discuss challenges facing South Dakota farmers and
August 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Letter: Protect Renewable Fuels
by Jim Lykam (Quad City Times) I respectfully disagree with Kerry Etringer’s July 18 letter in which he described homegrown ethanol as a "sop" to farmers rather than a "good renewable source of energy." The truth is that Iowa farmers deserve credit
August 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuel Industry Testifies on Proposed RFS Levels -- Small Refinery Exemptions Still Main Point of Contention with Renewable Fuel Producers.
by Jacqui Fatka (Feedstuffs) The Environmental Protection Agency hosted an annual hearing in Ypsilanti, Mich., on next year’s biofuel targets under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Many members of the biofuel industry pushed for higher levels and for the agency to correct
August 01, 2019 Read Full Article
New York Publishes Proposed Rule to Allow E15 Sales
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The New York Department of Agriculture and Markets published a proposed rule July 24 to allow E15 sales within the state. The move will soon open the nation’s fourth largest gasoline market to sales of
August 01, 2019 Read Full Article
SAF Update: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to FAA
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Federal Aviation Administration is a governmental body of the United States with powers to regulate all aspects of civil aviation in that nation as well as over its surrounding international waters and have been working
August 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Standard Program: Standards for 2020 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2021, Response to the Remand of the 2016 Standards, and Other Changes Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0136 COMMENTS DEADLINE: August 30, 2019
Under section 211 of the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to set renewable fuel percentage standards every year. This action proposes the annual percentage standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable
July 31, 2019 Read Full Article
RFA Urges EPA To Address RFS Small Refiner Waivers and Court Remand
(Renewable Fuels Association) In oral testimony presented at a public hearing today in Ypsilanti, Mich., the Renewable Fuels Association urged the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that its 2020 Renewable Fuel Standard final rule prospectively accounts for expected small refinery exemptions
July 31, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Regional Eight Supervisor Greg Sopkin Visits Watertown Ethanol Plant
by David Law (MyKXLG) Cooperative board members and company employees spent most of Tuesday morning at the Glacial Lakes Energy plant in Watertown educating region 8 EPA head Greg Sopkin about the importance of ethanol to the state’s farm economy. Leading
July 31, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Chief Defends Biofuel Waivers in Meeting with Farm Senators: Sources
by Humeyra Pamuk and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defended his agency’s expanded use of waivers exempting refineries from the country’s biofuel law during a closed-door meeting with farm state senators last week, arguing the program
July 31, 2019 Read Full Article
An Answer to “Hard to Find” Equity – Opportunity Zone Funds
by Mark Riedy and Eddie Wang (Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP/Biofuels Digest) The recently-established Opportunity Zone Program offers developers, including start-up technology companies attempting to develop and commercialize new technologies in the energy, chemical, and infrastructure industries, an exciting, new opportunity to
July 31, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Posts Call-in Information for July 31 Hearing on RFS Proposal
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has posted call-in information for its July 31 hearing on the proposed rule to set 2020 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) and the 2021 RVO for biomass-based diesel under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The
July 30, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Report on Current Issues
(AgNewsWire/Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association is having a busy summer keeping up with the latest EPA actions impacting ethanol. In this edition of “The Ethanol Report,” RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper discusses preparing for the July 31 public hearing on the proposed 2020
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
An Agenda for Rural Communities
by John Hickenlooper (The Gazette) ... The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has been vital for rural economic growth. In Iowa alone, there are nearly 50,000 jobs related to ethanol production and nearly 40 percent of all Iowa corn is used
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
U.S. Ethanol Industry Nearing Breaking Point: Green Plains CEO
by Jarrett Renshaw, Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The U.S. ethanol industry is about to break under the weight of the Trump Administration’s trade war with China and the surge in the number of small refineries exempted from the nation’s biofuel laws, said Todd
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol vs. Environment: Democratic Hopefuls Campaign on Clashing Agendas
by Jarrett Renshaw and Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) Democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren is a champion of the corn-based ethanol industry when she campaigns in rural towns dotting the U.S. Farm Belt. But in Washington, the U.S. senator from Massachusetts is among the co-sponsors
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
RFA Extends Ethanol Invite as EPA Head Visits Oil Refinery
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association has invited U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler to visit an ethanol plant as a follow-up to his tour of a Pennsylvania oil refinery. Wheeler was scheduled to visit Monroe Energy’s plant in Trainer,
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Bill from U.S. Sens. Toomey, Feinstein Would Abolish Ethanol Mandate
by J.D. Prose (The Times) U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey is working to repeal the ethanol mandate with California Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The Restore Environmental Sustainability to Our Renewable Energy (RESTORE) Act would abolish the corn ethanol mandate in the Renewable
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
American Coalition for Ethanol : ACE Calls on EPA to Rely on the GREET Model as It Considers Future RFS Volumes
(American Coalitin for Ethanol/Market Screener) American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings highlighted the important role corn ethanol could have in further reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions if properly valued under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in a letter to Environmental Protection
July 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Rules and Regulations: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Regulatory Landscapes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) How chemical products and novel substances are regulated in the U.S. has a huge impact on the bioeconomy and the companies that are producing bioproducts today. Bergeson & Campbell shares their thoughts on the Toxic Substances
July 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Major Automakers Strike Climate Deal with California, Rebuffing Trump on Proposed Mileage Freeze
by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The agreement could have vehicles hit 50 miles per gallon on average by 2026 -- Four automakers from three continents have struck a deal with California to produce fleets that are more fuel-efficient in
July 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Energy Department Says EPA Issued RFS Exemptions Against DOE Advice
(Office of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)) Contrary to assertions by the EPA, the Energy Department confirmed in a letter to Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that the EPA has issued so-called “economic hardship” exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to small refineries, often
July 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Negatonnes: Beyond the ZEV, the Negative Emission Vehicle and Its Amazing Hydrogen Fuel and Electric Drive
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... There’s the technically tougher path, which is to split ethanol and make CO2 and hydrogen. The point source, high-grade CO2 has value. The bio-based hydrogen has even more value than the ethanol. Conceptually, the recipe is
July 23, 2019 Read Full Article
MN Biofuels Releases 2019 First Half Report
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels) released its 2019 First Half Report to its members at a networking event in Prior Lake yesterday. The report gave its members an overview of Minnesota's ethanol industry in the first six months
July 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Refiners: Cutting Ethanol Mandate Won't Hurt Corn Farmers
by Marc Heller (E&E News) Eliminating federal biofuel mandates wouldn't be the disaster for corn farmers that ethanol advocates predict, a study commissioned by petroleum refiners said. READ MORE An Assessment of the Renewable Fuel Standard Using EVA‐NEMS (Energy Ventures Analysis/The Fueling American
July 22, 2019 Read Full Article
These Candidates See Farming as a Climate Solution. Here’s What They're Proposing.
by Georgina Gustin (Inside Climate Change) ... Sen. Michael Bennet, like Biden, writes about voluntary markets to support better soil carbon practices. South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg talked at the first debate about climate change and farming's role, and how "the right kind of soil management and
July 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Small U.S. Refiners Vow to Sue EPA If It Fails to Issue 2018 Waiver Rulings in 60 Days
by Humeyra Pamuk (National Post/Reuters) Small U.S. refineries plan to sue Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 60 days, if the agency by then fails to issue its decisions on 2018 petitions for waivers from the nation’s biofuel laws, refiners said in a
July 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Gillibrand Tours Plant
by Mike Putz (Dyersville Commercial) Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand might be trailing in the polls both in Iowa and nationally, but she believes stops like the one she made to Big River Resources in Dyersville will convince Iowans to send
July 17, 2019 Read Full Article
New University and Government Reports Set the Record Straight on Ethanol’s GHG Benefits
(Renewable Fuels Association) Two new academic studies released this week provide further evidence that grain-based ethanol is significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and call into question the reliability of recent “land use change” analyses based on flawed satellite imagery-based methodologies. These studies
July 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Admin Abandons Fast Timeline for Rollback — Sources
by Maxine Joselow (E&E News) The Trump administration appears to have abandoned its initial strategy for defending the rollback of Obama-era clean car rules from court challenges, according to three people with knowledge of the situation. The administration was previously rushing to finalize
July 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Diesel Technology Forum Responds to House Select Committee Hearing on the Climate Crisis, “Solving the Climate Crisis: Cleaning Up Heavy Duty Vehicles, Protecting Communities”
(Diesel Technology Forum) The new generation of diesel technology is helping ports, cities, communities and entire nations meet climate and clean air challenges of today and tomorrow, according to a statement submitted today by the Diesel Technology Forum, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising
July 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Harmful Gasoline Emissions Threat to Public Health
by Doug Durante (Morning Consult/Clean Fuels Development Coalition) ... But what if there is research illustrating that some of these toxins — specifically ultrafine toxic particulates that often come from additives in gasoline — are not only a known danger
July 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Law Firm Urges EPA to Keep Petitions Secret; Republican Senators Call on Trump to Keep Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue from Intervening
(Farm Progress) Perkins Cole, a law firm representing small U.S. refineries has urged the Environmental Protection Agency to keep refiners’ applications for waivers from the Renewable Fuel Standard secret from USDA, arguing that the petitions include confidential business information, according to BusinessWorld. A dozen Republican
July 16, 2019 Read Full Article
RFS Reset Plan from EPA Still Not Coming Soon
(DTN Progressive Farmer Washington Insider) The notice of proposed rulemaking for the reset of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is still a ways off as there are now additional meetings scheduled on the topic at the Office of Management and Budget
July 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum of Ethanol Opposition at It Again
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) ... Last October 18th, the Washington Examiner published an editorial written by Carter and Miller titled, "Consumers Will Suffer The Hangover From Trump's Ethanol Binge." Two days later I responded with an editorial titled, " Failed Ethanol Critic
July 15, 2019 Read Full Article
A Political 'Fight to the Knife' over Ethanol Comes to Wisconsin
by Chris Hubbuch (Wisconsin State Journal) ... “There’s (a) civil war within the Republican Party,” said Scott Irwin, chairman of agricultural marketing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “It’s pitting two significant Republican constituencies of the president and neither one
July 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Administration Suspends Obama-Era Fuel Efficiency Penalties
by Jessica Campisi (The Hill) The Trump administration announced late Friday that it will formally suspend an Obama-era regulation that penalized automakers that didn’t meet fuel-efficiency requirements, Reuters reports. After Congress ordered federal agencies to adjust existing penalties in 2015, the National Highway
July 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards / Greenhouse Gas Standards
by Caitlin McCoy, Robin Just (Harvard University Environomental and Energy Law Program) The Environmental & Energy Law Program is tracking the environmental regulatory rollbacks of the Trump administration. ... The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the Department of Transportation (DOT)
July 15, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA to Hold Hearing on 2020 RFS Proposal July 31 in Michigan
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has announced plans to hold a public hearing July 31 in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on its proposed rule to set 2020 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) and the 2021 RVO for biomass-based diesel under
July 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Republicans Form Conservation Caucus to Take on Environment, Climate Change
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) Republicans on Wednesday launched an environment-minded conservation caucus aimed at battling the perception that their party doesn’t care about climate change. Dubbed the Republican Roosevelt Conservation Caucus after National Park Service founder President Teddy Roosevelt, the bicameral
July 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Intervention Delaying EPA Biofuel Waiver Action, Sources Say
by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump’s request for a review of the administration’s expanded use of biofuel waivers for oil refiners is holding up its decisions on 2018 applications, according to three sources familiar with the matter, two of
July 11, 2019 Read Full Article
NBB Tells EPA, Stop Damaging the Biodiesel Industry
by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board/Biofuels Digest) This year has been brutal for the biodiesel industry. As if the absence of the biodiesel tax credit wasn’t enough of a challenge, these unjust retroactive small refinery waivers are destroying the biodiesel market