by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) A coalition led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and the California Air Resources board has announced plans to sue the U.S. EPA over its failure to enforce existing landfill methane regulations. The coalition announced its plans
Regulations-Federal
Back TO HOMECalifornia Says a Car-Emissions Deal With Trump Could Be Doable
by Mark Chediak, Ryan Beene, and John Lippert (Bloomberg) ‘Reason could prevail,’ chair of Air Resources Board says; State is considering a lawsuit to preserve its options -- California’s top air-quality regulator sees hope for a deal with the Trump administration over fuel
April 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Trump to Put Biofuel Reform Push on Ice, for Now: Sources
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The Trump administration will delay any moves to reform the nation’s biofuel policy for about three months, according to three sources briefed on the matter - a decision one of the sources said was meant to shield
April 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Trump Ethanol Moves May Be Worse for Farmers Than Soy Tariff
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Change to biofuel mandate may mean destruction of corn demand; Growers already dealing with trade concerns, crop gluts -- Based on his own back-of-the-envelope calculations, Minnesota farmer Kirby Hettver could lose tens of thousands of dollars of earnings because
April 10, 2018 Read Full Article
RFS Wrangling Continues: GOP Senators Ask for Small-Refiner Waiver Suspension
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Details have yet to emerge from a planned meeting at the White House on Monday between President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet regarding possible changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard. The meeting reportedly
April 10, 2018 Read Full Article
U.S. Ethanol Policy Under Siege
by Robert Rapier (Forbes) ... Mr. Constantine (Tim Constantine, a spokesperson for Rethink Ethanol) believes that we will soon see an announcement from the White House on the nation's ethanol program, and it's probably not going to be one the ethanol industry
April 09, 2018 Read Full Article
ACE: New Video Addresses Gasoline Retailer E15 Liability Concerns
(American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) A controversial new video was released today, addressing fuel retailer concerns about potential liability for vehicle damage from the new E15 fuel on the flexfuelforward.com website. The video features current E15 marketers talking openly about customer E15 complaints and
April 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Vehicle Transformation through New Fuels: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Clean Fuels Development Coalition
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It may be renaissance times for the Clean Fuels Development Coalition. Their long quest to upend proposed Obama-era vehicle efficiency rules that ignored the potential to improve efficiency and emissions via clear high performance fuels has
April 06, 2018 Read Full Article
White House Plans to Hold RFS Meeting Monday
by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) The White House plans to hold a Monday meeting to discuss possible changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Minnesota Corn Growers president Kirby Hettver says it appears EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt will present President Trump with
April 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Exclusive: Biofuels Battle - Senator Moves to Expand Small Refiner Exemption
by Jarrett Renshaw, Chris Prentice (Reuters) Lawmakers spearheading efforts to reform U.S. biofuels regulations are considering a blanket waiver for all small refineries, according to four sources familiar with their draft legislation. The move would save some refiners a fortune but would
April 06, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
The Houston Chronicle's James Osborne reported an unnamed executive for one refining company describing the feeding frenzy for exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard biofuels obligations, "Anyone with a brain submitted an application," the executive said. "The EPA was handing out
April 05, 2018 Read Full Article
U.S. Ethanol Groups Bristle as EPA Frees Refiners from Biofuels Law
by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved the request of 25 small refineries to be exempted from the nation’s biofuels laws, an agency source said on Wednesday, marking a big increase from previous years
April 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Investors Stunned over Oil Producer’s Climate-Change Exemption
by Amy Harder (Axios) ... Trillium proposed a resolution calling on EOG to set a target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. EOG complained to the SEC in late December that the proposal would micromanage the company, calling it a "rigid, time-bound" target, and asked
April 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Grassley Slams EPA RFS Waivers
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Sen. Chuck Grassley joined corn growers and ethanol producers in slamming a report Tuesday that refining giant Andeavor got a hardship waiver from the Renewable Fuel Standard for its three smallest refineries. Grassley said
April 04, 2018 Read Full Article
McConnell to Back Legal Hemp
by Bruce Schreiner (Arkansas Online/Associated Press) Senate leader’s bill will take it off controlled substance list -- The U.S. Senate's top leader said Monday that he wants to bring hemp production back into the mainstream by removing it from the controlled substances
April 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Rep. Collin Peterson Voices Support For Minnesota's Ethanol Industry
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Rep. Collin Peterson visited the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC) plant in Benson on March 28 to reiterate his support for Minnesota’s ethanol industry. “Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company is doing some exciting work and are continuing to find new
April 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Cleaner Cars Create Jobs -- New Study Shows Strong Vehicle Standards Boost Economy
(Union of Concerned Scientists) Vehicle efficiency and emissions standards are a remarkably successful policy, delivering cleaner cars every year, saving drivers money at the pump, and reducing the pollution that causes climate change. A new study has found another important benefit of the
April 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Trump to Roll Back Fuel Standards for Cars, Light Trucks -- Ford, GM Positions
by Todd Spangler and Eric Lawrence (Detroit Free Press) ... General Motors said that, regardless of what standard is ultimately set, it remained committed to "improving fuel economy, reducing emissions and an all-electric future," including working on shared and self-driving vehicles which
April 03, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Actions on the RFS are Destroying Demand for Ethanol and Corn
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Recent actions by EPA have effectively reduced the Renewable Fuel Standard conventional renewable volume obligation (RVO) for 2016 by more than 1 billion gallons, and the agency appears poised to take similar actions to effectively
April 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Calif. to Fight Trump’s ‘Politically Motivated’ Car Standards Plan
by Timothy Cama and Miranda Green (The Hill) California officials promised Monday to put up a fight against the Trump administration’s newly announced decision to lower standards for car tailpipe emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared Monday afternoon that the Obama-era greenhouse
April 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Recall Of CAFE Rule Is Opportunity To Improve Fuel Quality
(Urban Air Initiative) The announcement by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the fuel economy rules rushed through in late 2016 will be revised is an encouraging first step for high octane fuels to play a much bigger role, according
April 02, 2018 Read Full Article
RFA: EPA and NHTSA Should Consider Role of High Octane Fuels in Upcoming CAFE/GHG Rulemaking
by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) today encouraged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to strongly consider the role of high-octane fuels and higher compression ratio engines as the
April 02, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Orders Revised CAFE Targets, May Revoke California's Waiver
by Eric Kulisch (Auto News) Move applauded by auto industry, denounced by other businesses -- EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on Monday announced that aggressive light-vehicle fuel efficiency and emissions limits set under the Obama administration for model years 2022-25 are “not appropriate,” triggering
April 02, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Publishes CAFE Standards Mid-Term Evaluation Final Determination
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) On April 2, 2018, the Administrator signed the Mid-term Evaluation Final Determination which finds that the model year 2022-2025 greenhouse gas standards are not appropriate in light of the record before EPA and, therefore, should be revised.
April 02, 2018 Read Full Article
2018 ACE Fly-in
(AgNewsWire) American Coalition for Ethanol celebrates 10 years of taking the message of grassroots ethanol producers, retailers, farmers and consumers to Capitol Hill. This year’s theme is Ignite a Movement. This virtual ag newsroom includes links to photos and audio content available free
April 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Commentary: Biofuels Are Driving US Growth
by Jim Talent (Tribune News Service/Madison.com/Americans for Energy Security and Innovation) ... Biofuels are a target because they supply a full 10 percent of America’s motor fuel, and every extra gallon increases competition at the fuel pump, holding down prices
April 02, 2018 Read Full Article
How EPA Is Destroying Demand for Ethanol and Corn
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Recent actions by EPA have effectively reduced the Renewable Fuel Standard conventional renewable volume obligation (RVO) for 2016 by more than 1 billion gallons, and the agency appears poised to take similar actions to effectively reduce the
April 02, 2018 Read Full Article
BIO Comments on Proposed Settlement Agreement Between EPA and Philadelphia Energy Solutions on RFS Obligations
(Biotechnology Innovation Organization) BIO is greatly concerned by the Department of Justice's and Environmental Protection Agency's proposed Settlement Agreement to resolve a dispute about the PES Holdings' obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard. ... This Settlement Agreement undermines the goals of the
April 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Auto Exec: Raise the Octane Rating of U.S. Gasoline for Bump in Fuel Efficiency
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) At a recent American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers meeting, General Motors executive Dan Nicholson voiced the automaker’s support in raising the minimum octane rating of the U.S. gasoline pool from 87 to 91,
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Exclusive: Trump Weighs Dropping Personal Efforts on Biofuel Reform - Sources
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) President Donald Trump is seriously considering abandoning efforts to remake the nation’s biofuel laws after wading deep into an issue that divides some of his core constituencies, according to three sources familiar with the administration’s thinking. Advisers
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Regulatory Fixes Will Open the Market to Ethanol Quickly -- How EPA Could Easily Remedy Issues with RINs.
by Adam Gustafson (Boyden Gray and Associates/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Such short-term fixes to high RIN prices ignore their underlying cause—EPA’s artificial constraints on the volume of ethanol that can be blended into the nation’s fuel supply. Basic rules of supply
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Where’s Ethanol Going to Go?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... According to POET CEO Jeff Broin, there’s a deal on the table — changing almost by the hour, but a deal none the less. A deal on the table to provide year-round E15 approval for the biofuels industry
March 23, 2018 Read Full Article
RFA Leader: EPA Eroding RFS -- Assistant to President Says Search Continues for a Win-Win Proposal
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) A special assistant to President Donald Trump on agriculture said Wednesday, "the search for a win-win continues" in the debate over how to relieve oil refiners of their obligations under the Renewable Fuels Standard. Ray
March 22, 2018 Read Full Article
10-Day Comment Period on PES Settlement Agreement Closes March 26
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The public comment period opened March 16 after publication in the Federal Register on the proposed consent decree and environmental settlement agreement lodged by the U.S. Department of Justice with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of
March 21, 2018 Read Full Article
What Would a Bill Look Like?
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. John Shimkus have some ideas. The two have been working on a bill for well over a year to overhaul the Renewable Fuel Standard, a likely vehicle for the fixes Perdue
March 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Trump Administration Preparing List of Possible Biofuels Tweaks - Sources
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The heads of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Agriculture Department are scheduled to meet on Tuesday to winnow down proposals to lower the cost of the nation’s biofuels policy to oil refiners, according to two sources
March 20, 2018 Read Full Article
RFS Roundup: Potential Impacts of the GREENER Fuels Act on Cellulosic Fuels Development
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Riding the recent wave of Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) reform talks, Representative Welch (D-VT) and Senator Udall (D-NM) introduced the Growing Renewable Energy through Existing and New Environmentally Responsible Fuels Act (GREENER Fuels Act)
March 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Corn-State Senators Seek Trump Meeting as U.S. Biofuel Changes Loom
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) A group of senators from U.S. corn states have asked President Donald Trump for a meeting about the nation’s biofuels law, amid expectations the administration will soon act to lower the regulation’s costs to the oil refining
March 18, 2018 Read Full Article
The U.S. Is about to Be the World’s Top Crude Oil Producer. Guess Who Didn’t See It Coming.
by Charles Lane (Washington Post) ... Domestic crude production was not inherently “limited,” as O’Connell told Congress in 2011, it just needed a better mouse trap. Fracking was it. Entrepreneurs broke the oil-import addiction, even though the main thing they intended to
March 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Environmental Groups Back Ted Cruz, Republicans on Overhaul of Renewable Fuel Standard
by Ben Wolfgang (Washington Times) Green organizations back ending corn ethanol mandate -- ... The intense opposition to the RFS from environmental and conservation groups comes as the White House and congressional leaders work to craft the most serious reforms the program
March 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Oklahoma Cellulosic Diesel Facility Achieves D7 Q-RIN Status
by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) D7 renewable identification numbers (RINs) generated at a biorefinery in Oklahoma City producing cellulosic diesel fuel have been verified by Weaver and granted Q-RIN status. Weaver is an independent third-party auditor and U.S. EPA-approved RIN Quality
March 16, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Visual Guide to the Economics, Politics of Renewable Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Have you ever wondered why corn farmers march for the RFS, but Wall Streeters don't? Or why merchent oil refiners want the US Renewable Fuel Standard repealed but major oilcos generally support RFS reform? Why are biodiesel
March 16, 2018 Read Full Article
So-Called ‘Dem’ Ethanol Bill Has It All Wrong
by Doug Sombke (The Hill/South Dakota Farmers Union) As a card carrying Democrat, I resent the broad brush generalization of the Hill’s March 8 headline, "Dem Bill Would Overhaul Ethanol Mandate.” To imply to readers that the measure by Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and
March 15, 2018 Read Full Article
CON: Keep the Renewable Fuel Standard but Reboot It by Using Bio-Masses instead of Corn
by Michael E. Kraft (Tribune News Service/Bradenton Herald) ... Ideally, Congress would reboot the renewable fuel mandate in a new way for today's economy, and design it as one component of a comprehensive response to climate change. For starters, Congress could slowly transition
March 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Harmonizing a Three-Headed Regulatory Monster (EPA, NHTSA, CARB)
by Graham Noyes and Doug Durante (Low Carbon Fuels Coalition/Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Biofuels Digest) ... While not as entertaining to watch as a Godzilla film with a three-headed flying monster, the current regulatory struggle over national auto standards between the US
March 14, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Chief Signals Showdown With California on Fuel Emission Standards
by Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Ryan Beene and John Lippert (Bloomberg Politics) Pruitt warns California isn’t in driver’s seat on car rules; EPA faces April 1 deadline to decide on current requirements -- The Trump administration’s chief environmental regulator signaled a coming showdown with
March 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Refiners Try to Hold Trump's Attention
(Politico's Morning Energy) With a settlement between refiner Philadelphia Energy Solutions and EPA in hand and voting in the Pennsylvania special election over, some biofuels observers think the issue may fall off Trump's radar. A biofuels source told ME Tuesday they
March 14, 2018 Read Full Article
ACE Talks Opportunities, Challenges for Ethanol Demand in 2018
by Tim Albrecht (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The American Coalition for Ethanol hosted a webinar Feb. 20 titled “Opportunities and Challenges to Increasing Ethanol Demand in 2018.” The webinar focused on ACE initiatives designed to ensure ethanol continues to grow in the
March 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Let's Talk Technical -- Reid Vapor Pressure and E15 Choice -- What Roadblocks Limit Ethanol from Expanding into the Market Place?
(Urban Air Initiative) The ethanol industry faces several roadblocks, in particular we hear about the RVP relief, vapor pressure for blends higher than E10. We also have the MOVES model which is the Motor Vehicle Emissions simulator that the EPA uses to
March 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Pruitt Looks to Stamp out RIN "Hoarding," Raises Possibility of Limits on Wall Street
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) EPA chief Scott Pruitt raised the idea Monday of limiting Wall Street's ability to trade the government-issued credits for ethanol and other biofuels in an effort to aid oil refineries. ... In a meeting with reporters at the Environmental
March 13, 2018 Read Full Article
GM Exec Wants To Make Premium Gas The New Regular Gas
by Jason Torchinsky (Japlopnik) ... See, he (GM Vice President of Global Propulsion systems Dan Nicholson) announced that he’d like to see all gas as high an octane as premium gas in a talk he gave to the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers. Why does
March 13, 2018 Read Full Article
White House Postpones Talks on US Biofuel Mandate: Refinery Source
by Meghan Gordon bankr(Platts) The White House has postponed a fourth round of talks between refinery and biofuel interests about reforming the US biofuel mandate, according to a refinery source close to the negotiations. The meeting set for Thursday may have been
March 13, 2018 Read Full Article
RIN Price Cap a Demand Cap: Oil Industry Study Makes Ethanol Industry's Case on Motive, Impact
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) A study commissioned by the country's largest oil refiner explains how a waiver credit would freeze ethanol demand. Ethanol industry groups are pointing to several statements in the oil industry's own report to make the
March 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Big This Week: Oil Execs to Huddle with Trump
by Amy Harder (Axios) Lots to discuss: Top oil-and-gas industry executives will meet Thursday with President Trump at the White House, according to sources familiar with the plan. Why it matters: The meeting arrives amid a rough patch in the industry's relationship with
March 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Update: White House Calls off Biofuels Meeting
(Agri-Pulse) Oil, biofuels interests were originally set to meet Monday morning. READ MORE BIOFUELS WHITE HOUSE MEETING SCRAPPED: (Politico's Morning Energy) MONDAY WHITE HOUSE MEETING ON RFS CALLED OFF (Brownfield Ag News; includes AUDIO) Ethanol Interests Shout Opposition to RIN Price Cap (Energy.AgWired.com;
March 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Plant Operators Say No to RIN Price Cap -- Comments from Renewable Fuels Association Member Companies
(Renewable Fuels Association) Another White House meeting has been scheduled for Monday, March 12, to continue discussions between oil refinery and biofuels interests over the price of Renewable Identification Numbers, or RINs, which were created under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)
March 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Long Road for Biofuels Industry
by Michael McAdams (Biomass Magazine) This year is setting up to be a long year for the biofuels industry. First on the agenda is the fate of the biofuels tax extenders, including the biodiesel blenders, renewable diesel credit, second-generation and alternative fuels
March 09, 2018 Read Full Article
A Straighter, Shorter Pathway
by Sue Retka Schill (Biomass Magazine) Seven years after the U.S. EPA published the final rule for administering the Renewable Fuel Standard, the path to getting corn kernel fiber-to-cellulosic ethanol approvals appears to be getting much shorter. Edeniq CEO Brian Thome reports
March 09, 2018 Read Full Article
UPDATE 1-White House Sets Biofuel Meeting; Trump Will Not Attend -Sources
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The White House has made preliminary plans for a meeting on Monday between rivals in the corn and oil industries to discuss potential changes to the nation’s biofuels policy, two sources familiar with the planning told Reuters. Unlike
March 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Analysis: Cap on Conventional Ethanol RINs Will Reduce Biodiesel Market By 100-300 Million Gallons Per Year
(National Biodiesel Board) A new analysis by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and the World Agricultural Economic and Environmental Services (WAEES) found that capping the price of conventional biofuels’ Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) will significantly harm the production of biodiesel and
March 09, 2018 Read Full Article
New Study: RIN Price Cap for E15 RVP Waiver “Deal” Would Cut Ethanol Consumption and Trounce Corn Prices
by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association) Any action to artificially cap Renewable Identification Number (RIN) prices in exchange for an RVP waiver allowing year-round sale of E15 would be a bad deal for rural America and the nation’s consumers, according to
March 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Letter: Don’t Be Misinformed about Renewable Fuel Standard by ‘Big Oil’
by Anngie Steinbarger (The Republic) I was dismayed to read the Feb. 16 letter from Mark Brown and Travis DeFries, managers at Valero, who want U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., to help oil companies gut the market for Indiana farmers by dismantling
March 07, 2018 Read Full Article
UPDATE 1-U.S. Refinery Workers Head to Washington to Urge Biofuels Reform
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) A delegation of workers from U.S. oil refining companies that oppose the nation’s biofuels policy will converge on Washington on Wednesday to lobby lawmakers to find a way to lessen the regulation’s costs without hurting corn farmers
March 07, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Unresponsive to Letter on Agency Position on RIN Prices
(Office of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)/Ethanol Producer Magazine) U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, today (March 1, 2018) issued the following statement on EPA’s official position, restated as recently as November 2017 that, “high RIN prices do not cause significant harm to
March 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Ag Policy Blog: Government Confusion Over Ethanol Might Demand Growing Locally
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) ... So you have USDA saying ethanol demand has basically peaked. The Department of Energy is saying ethanol is really the only fuel that can provide the energy and market demands needed in the
March 06, 2018 Read Full Article
New Study: Nearly 50,000 Iowa Jobs Tied to Biofuels
by Rod Swoboda (Wallaces Farmer) With a White House meeting being held last week to discuss the fate of the Renewable Fuel Standard, a new study finds nearly 50,000 Iowa jobs are tied to biofuels production. Efforts by Sen. Ted Cruz of
March 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Impressions of the State of the Industry from ABLC 2018
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) “A smidgen more hopeful that it has been for a few years,” said one advanced biofuels industry long-timer. “I don’t understand why it feels so pessimistic,” asked an attendee from the EU, noting that
March 06, 2018 Read Full Article
"That's Chuck Grassley. Should I Take the Call?" Klobuchar Keynote Ignites ABLC
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, an unplanned on-stage telephone conversation between Senators Amy Klobuchar and Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa was the highlight of ABLC 2018 as high drama at the White House over biofuels policy turned for
March 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Parts and Control Makers Team up on Vehicle Standards
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Groups representing auto parts makers and pollution control manufacturers will team up today for a new "informal alliance" to push for EPA and the Transportation Department to decide sooner rather than later about vehicle emissions standards
March 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Heard on the Floor at ABLC 2018
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There was high drama in Washington, DC as the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference got underway and President Trump readies to meet at the White House with a number of biofuels leaders about the RFS and bioeconomy policy
March 01, 2018 Read Full Article
ABLC 2018 Preview: Deployment Dawns, Products Proliferate, and Techs Land Major Venture Deals as the Bioeconomy Advances into a Big 2018
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, ABLC 2018 opens amidst a flutter of government rollbacks of deployment support but the hope of regulatory relief, breakthroughs in financial structuring, a decisive shift in early-stage projects to nutrition & health, and an
February 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Falling Far Short Of The Hype
by Robert Rapier (Forbes) ... This year begins the ninth year of cellulosic ethanol mandates in the U.S. Today I want to give a brief review of cellulosic ethanol, review the original targets, and examine the current status of the industry. ... The 2007
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
White House Pushes for More Talks after 'No Deal' on Biofuels
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump has asked for more talks between representatives of the oil and corn industries after a meeting on Tuesday failed to yield an agreement on how to help refiners cope with the country’s
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Farm Groups Urge Trump to Maintain the Integrity of the RFS
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Representatives of the U.S. farming community are speaking out ahead of a Feb. 27 White House meeting on the Renewable Fuel Standard, urging President Donald Trump to avoid seeking change that would weaken the nation’s
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Aviation Biofuels: 10 Years, 100,000 Flights and We’re Still Arguing about Feedstock – Why?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week marks the 10th anniversary of the first demo flight on biofuel which was done by Virgin Atlantic. LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren shared the factoid that, since that day, more than 100,000 commercial flights have used
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Exclusive: Trump Calls Meeting on Biofuels Policy after Refiner Bankruptcy
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump has called a meeting early next week with key senators and Cabinet officials to discuss potential changes to biofuels policy, which is coming under increasing pressure after a Pennsylvania refiner blamed the regulation
February 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Icahn’s Biofuel Fight Lives On
by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Ethanol industry and oil refiners both feel threatened; Biofuel mandate divides two states that voted for Trump -- Top Trump administration officials are planning two summits to discuss possible changes to the U.S. biofuel mandate, according to
February 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Former Trump Energy Adviser Sees No Easy Fix on Renewable Fuel Standard Reform
by Meghan Gordon and Brian Scheid (Platts) Reforming the US biofuel mandate will be tricky and will likely have to be done by Congress, not by the Trump administration, according to a recent top energy adviser to the White House. "I don't
February 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Carmakers’ 'Harmonization’ Push Could Soften Fuel Efficiency Gains (1)
by Abby Smith (Bloomberg Environment) Automakers seek consistency in EPA, NHTSA programs as agencies weigh standards’ future; Environmentalists say push is meant to soften vehicle limits -- Automakers may already get what they want this spring as the Trump administration eyes lower
February 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Speaks out against PES Anti-RFS Rally
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Feb. 21, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, spoke at a rally against the Renewable Fuel Standard hosted by Philadelphia Energy Solutions Inc., a refiner that recently blamed the RFS and renewable identification number (RIN) prices
February 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Letter: Renewable Fuel Standard Supports Domestic Biofuels
by Christiana Mayer (East Oregonian) We are continually bombarded with news about new oil drilling and fracking, but that’s not the only solution for domestic fuel production or the only path toward loosening OPEC and Russia’s grip on energy supplies —
February 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Refiner Goes Belly-up after Big Payouts to Carlyle Group
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) Throughout 2016 and 2017, a rail terminal built to accept crude oil for the largest East Coast refinery often sat idle, with few trains showing up to unload. Although little oil flowed, plenty of money did. Under a deal Philadelphia
February 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Expected Drop in Farm Income Highlights Need for Biofuels, RFS
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA’s February 2018 Farm Income Forecast predicts net farm income will decline by or 6.7 percent this year. According to Growth Energy, the expected drop underscores the need for a strong Renewable Fuel Standard. The
February 19, 2018 Read Full Article
The Wisdom of Thumper
by Ron Lamberty (Ethanol Producer Magazine/American Coalition for Ethanol) ACE's Ron Lamberty reviews a letter the Petroleum Marketers of America recently sent to the Federal Trade Commission. ... It’s reasonable to want to tear the letter apart and point out the pieces of
February 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Catalysts, Cleaning and Cook
by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) It’s not every day that scientists stumble upon novel ways to make biofuel, but that’s exactly what Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have done by discovering that a simple catalyst based on carbon, nitrogen and
February 19, 2018 Read Full Article
U.S. Senator's Biofuel Overhaul Faces Resistance
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) Texas Senator John Cornyn’s plan to overhaul U.S. biofuels policy faces resistance from the oil and ethanol sectors, reducing chances of a reboot to the controversial regulations, sources familiar with the matter said. The plan, which the sources said
February 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Analysis: RIN Prices of ‘Just a Few Cents’ are Coming—Without Changes to RFS
by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association) A new analysis from the University of Illinois shows that the conditions that caused high conventional biofuel (D6) RIN prices are changing rapidly and that “…it is not out of the realm of possibility for D6 RINs
February 16, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA RIN Market Data Poor: CFTC Can't Draw Conclusion on RIN Market Based on EPA Data Provided
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) The chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission told senators Thursday the Environmental Protection Agency hasn't been able to provide the CFTC with enough quality data on the biofuels trading market for CFTC regulators
February 16, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
In his article suggesting scrapping Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards in favor of a Clean Air Act life cycle analysis-based methodology for CO2 transportation emission reduction, Bob Kozak advised, "(I)f anyone asks what will be the economic incentive for a
February 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Let’s Regulate CO2 Emissions, and Forget the 55.4 MPG 2025 Corporate Annual Fuel Economy Standard: The Inexpensive Way to Quickly Reduce Green House Gases
by Robert Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The 2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard of 54.5 miles/gallon has become a significant issue since the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. Besides the Administration’s near religious fervor against
February 15, 2018 Read Full Article
API Urges EPA Not to Exempt Small Refiners from US Biofuel Mandate
by Meghan Gordon (Platts) The American Petroleum Institute has come out against a campaign by small refineries to avoid their obligations under the US biofuel mandate, according to a letter released Tuesday. More than two dozen refineries with throughput of less than
February 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Pruitt Commits to Creating Regulatory Certainty for Biomass
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On Feb. 13, U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt met with members of the forest products industry and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu to discuss a range of environmental issues. Pruitt also provided Sununu with a letter
February 14, 2018 Read Full Article
American Energy Dominance Won’t Come from Turning Back the Clock
by Mike Carr (The Hill/New Energy America) President Trump has pledged a theme of “energy dominance.” It’s not the first time Washington has had this thought. During the years I worked at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee we grappled with
February 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Grassley: RFS Has Minimal Impact on Success of Refineries
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has released a memo produced by his energy policy staff that finds that Renewable Fuel Standard blending requirements and the cost of renewable identification numbers (RINs) have little to do with
February 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog Harvard Professor: Year-Round E15 Sales Would Reduce Biofuel Credits Costs
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) As debate rages on about whether the price of biofuels credits in the Renewable Fuel Standard are putting small refiners out of business, a little-known analysis by a Harvard University economics professor last summer
February 06, 2018 Read Full Article
10 Years After: Advanced Biofuels’ Status, Opportunities and Challenges
by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) In 2007 the US government established a national strategy for the development of advanced biofuels made using non-edible biomass. After 10 years we are still short of achieving the targets of this plan
February 06, 2018 Read Full Article
California Gears Up for Trump Battle on Car-Emissions Rules
by Mark Chediak, Dana Hull and John Lippert (Bloomberg) Official sees ‘war’ if state’s rule-setting rights revoked; Air Resources Board planning zero-emissions bus proposal -- ... The state has special authority under the 1970 Clean Air Act to make its own pollution
February 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Over 30 States Broke Blend Wall in 2016
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The latest data from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) shows that gasoline consumed in 30 states and the District of Columbia in 2016 contained more than 10 percent ethanol on average, breaking through the so-called E10 Blend
February 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Bankrupt Refiner Made Missteps
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Washington Times) The oil industry’s campaign to undermine the growth of domestically produced renewable fuels such as ethanol has certainly been ramped up lately. Today they’re callously capitalizing on the financial woes of one of the
February 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Marathon Looks for Spring Fuel Mandate Change
(Argus Media) Marathon Petroleum said it expects US legislators to propose changes to federal fuel mandates this spring. Senators and US Representatives would soon propose changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), chief executive Gary Heminger said during a quarterly earnings call
February 02, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
The biofuels-related portion of the 2018 election campaign season is off to a quick start with Jeff Broin, founder and CEO of POET, making a case for including the expansion of ethanol markets via year-round consumer choice of E15 across the
February 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Broin Brings E15 Message to Pence Summit at Trump Hotel
(The Fence Post/Hagstrom Report) Jeff Broin, founder and CEO of POET, the South Dakota company that builds and manages ethanol plants, brought his view that the government needs to authorize the sale of E15 blend year-round to a State of the
February 02, 2018 Read Full Article
What’s the Real Story behind Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ Bankruptcy, Crude Oil, and the Renewable Fuel Standard?
by Joelle Simonpietri (Biofuels Digest) On Jan 21st 2018, Carlyle-backed Philadelphia Energy Solutions(PES), the largest refinery complex on the U.S. east coast at 335,000 barrels per day, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, blaming Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance costs. In the week since the filing, the Washington Examiner reports
February 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Refiner Bankruptcy Adds to Pressure to Overhaul Biofuel Program
by Jennifer A Dlouhy and Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Biofuel mandate overhaul mulled by Congress after bankruptcy; Unions and Pennsylvania politicians seek immediate action -- The bankruptcy of Philadelphia Energy Solutions LLC, the biggest refiner on the U.S. East Coast, has invigorated efforts to overhaul a 13-year-old federal
February 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Letter to the Editor: Renewable Fuel Standard Threatens New Jersey Wildlife & Worsens Climate Change
by Kelly M0oij (Audubon Society/Tap Into New Brunswick) ... A decade removed from RFS beginnings has given ample time for evaluation and it’s time to reform the program. As a start, Congress must work to promote biofuels made from sources other
January 31, 2018 Read Full Article
U.S. EPA Hopes to Decide Soon on Ethanol Waiver: Administrator
by Timothy Gardner (Reuters) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt said on Tuesday that his agency hopes to decide soon whether it has the legal authority to issue national waiver on selling of motor fuel containing 15 percent ethanol during
January 31, 2018 Read Full Article
Extraction of Valuable Oils from Algae and other Green Plants: Challenges, Opportunities and Commercial Landscape
by Brian Goodall (First Garden City Consulting/Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... (I)n the case of microalgae the oil has to coaxed out of the whole plant (typically single cells) using chemical or physical means to break open the cells and
January 31, 2018 Read Full Article
ACE Presents on Ethanol Markets at MN Ag Expo
(American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ron Lamberty, senior vice president of the American Coalition for Ethanol, updated attendees at the MN Ag EXPO in Mankato, Minnesota, on the changing landscape that allows retailers to offer ethanol-blended fuels at lower prices, highlighting
January 30, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Pushes Unified National Fuel Emissions Standard
by Miranda Green (The Hill) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pushing for a unified national fuel emissions standard for automobiles, a move that could significantly impact California's stringent car emissions standards. EPA air and radiation head Bill Wehrum, speaking at the Washington Auto
January 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Group Urges US EPA to Limit RFS Waivers to Small Refineries
by Meghan Gordon (Platts) A major US ethanol trade group is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to be more transparent in weighing requests from small refineries to get out of their obligations under the US biofuel mandate. EPA has reportedly received more than
January 26, 2018 Read Full Article
RFS Lawsuit Advances -- Refiners: EPA Required to Review Point of Obligation Annually
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) The biofuel and petroleum industries are back in court as both sides argue the Environmental Protection Agency should have implemented the Renewable Fuel Standard differently in 2017. Attorneys for biofuels and petroleum interests filed court
January 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Exclusive: U.S. Small Refiners Make Surge of Biofuel Waiver Requests - Sources
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) More than two dozen small U.S. refineries are seeking waivers from the nation’s biofuels law, an unusually high number that reflects growing oil industry resistance to the program, according to sources familiar with the matter. Prices of the
January 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Big Oil, Biodiesel Join Forces to Combat Electrification
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Even though the petroleum and biodiesel industries rarely see eye to eye on U.S. energy policy, the two factions find common ground in a new threat to all liquid fuels—electric vehicles. The opening general session of
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
In an Ethanol Producer Magazine article, Urban Air Initiative's David Hallberg explains how, with proper adherence to Clean Air Act regulations, ethanol can substitute for carcinogens in our fuel. "(I)t is increasingly clear that gasoline exhaust is the primary carrier
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Respecting the Law
by David Hallberg (Ethanol Producer Magazine) (T)he U.S. Department of Energy's adherence to laws, and a proposal from the Urban Air Initiative to escape the aromatics dilemma. -- ... Hopefully Pruitt has established a precedent that will apply to one of
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Unexpected Incentive
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) RIN values do affect fuel prices, but Ron Lamberty, senior vice president of the American Coalition for Ethanol, says it’s not the effect many assume. -- ... A higher RIN, they say, increases the price of
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Refiners Slam EPA Renewable Fuel Mandates In DC Circ.
by Adam Lidgett (Law 360) Refiners and a biodiesel trade group have taken aim at a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that set the levels of renewable fuel that must be blended into the nation’s fuel supply, with the refiners telling the
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
US Biodiesel Producers Have Capacity to Meet RFS Mandates: NBB CEO
by Wes Swift (Platts) The US biodiesel industry has enough capacity to meet the 2018 and 2019 blending mandates from the federal government, the head of the industry's trade group told attendees at its annual conference Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas. Donnell
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
The Greenhouse Gas Pruitt Worries about
by Scott Waldman (E&E News) Scott Pruitt is one of the Trump administration's most aggressive critics of climate change science, but lately he's been talking about the dangers of greenhouse gas. Well, one greenhouse gas in particular: methane. ... But when it comes to
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
A Straighter, Shorter Pathway: Confidence Builds in Overcoming the Hurdles Slowing Corn Kernel Fiber-to-Ethanol Approvals.
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Seven years after the U.S. EPA published the final rule for administering the Renewable Fuel Standard, the path to getting corn kernel fiber-to-ethanol approvals appears to be getting much shorter. Edeniq CEO Brian Thome reports
January 23, 2018 Read Full Article
RFA’s 2018 Biofuel Priorities to Help ‘Make America Great Again’
by Bob Dinneen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... This new era of getting our country back on track has and will continue to extend into the biofuels industry, making sure we are providing the cleanest, lowest-cost and highest-octane fuels at the pump.
January 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Soaring SUV Sales Drive Record-Low Carbon Emissions, EPA Says
by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) ... "Sport utility vehicles reached record-high market share, while also achieving record-low CO2 emissions and record high fuel economy," according to the Environmental Protection Agency's report on model-year 2016 vehicles' fuel economy trends. Smaller two-wheel drive
January 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Research Finds Land Management Practices Matter in Cellulosic Biofuels Production
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) New research from Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Chicago at Illinois and the International Food Policy Research Institute shows that incorporating conservation practices can both increase soil organic content and improve the
January 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Pressure Builds for Trump to Change Federal Ethanol Mandate
by Debra J. Saunders (Tampa Bay Newspapers) ... But now free-market conservative groups and oil-state Republicans are pushing the administration to cut the corn cord. For Ken Cuccinelli of the conservative group FreedomWorks, it’s a moral issue. As the former GOP Virginia
January 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Sweet Sorghum as an Ethanol Feedstock in Western Nebraska - Could It Happen?
by Richard Perrin, Lilyan Fulginiti, Subir Bairagi, Ismail Dweikat (KRVN) It has been proposed that non-irrigated sweet sorghum might be grown in western Nebraska as a seasonal substitute for corn grain in corn ethanol plants. In the research summarized here1, we
January 20, 2018 Read Full Article
C-Stores Meeting New Fuel Demands
by David Bennett (Convenience Store Decisions) Whether it’s teaming with Tesla to install charging stations or integrating alternative fuel solutions, retailers are part of a changing transportation marketplace. -- ... Some analysts insist the internal combustion engine has been around more than
January 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Cornyn's Biofuels Bid
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Texas Republican John Cornyn is drawing up ideas for new legislation to overhaul the Renewable Fuel Standard, in a bid to end the stalemate between corn-state lawmakers and oily ones. "Cornyn's office has been hosting talks for
January 19, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the SPARC Regional Biojet Fuel Consortium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sometimes, what an engine needs to roar to life is a spark. Or a SPARC, as in this case. As in the Southeastern Partnership for Advanced Renewables from Carinata (SPARC), a consortium consisting of the University of Florida (lead),
January 19, 2018 Read Full Article
My Voice: A ‘Swing and a Miss’ from the USDA
by Doug Sombke (Argus Leader/South Dakota Farmers Union) Our esteemed U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released a report of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. While it is hard to get excited over any government report, I had high hopes
January 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Velocys: Envia Seeks EPA Approval to Generate D7 RINs
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Velocys plc has announced that Envia Energy, the joint venture plant that utilizes its technology, has applied for a fuel pathway approval under the Renewable Fuel Standard to produce D7 cellulosic diesel renewable identification numbers (RINs). According
January 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Letter: Reform Ethanol
by Pete Kolbenschlag (Post Independent/Citizen Telegram) ... Rep. Welch from Vermont is leading an effort to rethink ethanol, and to lead Congress to fix this broken policy. Colorado's congressional delegation should join in this effort before more land goes under the plow,
January 17, 2018 Read Full Article
California-Trump Administration Fuel-Efficiency Talks Intensify
by David Shepardson (Reuters) California and the Trump administration will hold a series of new talks over fuel efficiency rules as the auto industry still hopes for a deal to retain nationwide requirements. Officials from the California Air Resources Board are set
January 17, 2018 Read Full Article
RFS Standstill -- Dinneen: Oil, Ethanol Meetings Not Scheduled Yet, Likely Not Constructive
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) President Donald Trump's administration and some members of Congress want oil and ethanol interests to just get along and work out their differences on the Renewable Fuel Standard. But the leader of the nation's
January 14, 2018 Read Full Article
RFS Roundup: Economists Largely Agree RINs Not Wreaking Havoc on Refining Industry
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... The argument is roughly – increased biofuels mandates lead RINs to spike in cost, translating to billions in compliance costs, particularly for small refiners. While somewhat logical, as higher RINs costs have
January 14, 2018 Read Full Article
U.S. Regulators Meet with California on Fate of Vehicle Fuel Rules
by David Shepardson (Reuters) Senior U.S. government officials held talks in recent weeks with California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) to discuss the goal of maintaining one set of national requirements for automakers, a move that will determine the fate of vehicle
January 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Play it Conservative
by Art Cullen (The Storm Lake Times) ... Markets and Nature are so large, and the Iowa budget is so small. We would be better off to leave water quality funding — that is, writing a big fat check to farm
January 08, 2018 Read Full Article
2017 Wrap-Up: Maintaining the Status Quo
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) Last year was among the most active and interesting years we’ve seen in the biofuels space. The industry has confronted multiple challenges over the past 12 months, culminating in meetings between senators supportive of
January 05, 2018 Read Full Article
ANALYSIS-Can't Please Everyone: Trump Energy Policy Riles Competing Sectors
by Timothy Gardner (Reuters) ... Another political flashpoint has been the administration’s waffling over proposed changes to biofuels policy. Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency initially entertained a plan from oil refiners to upend regulations requiring them to blend ethanol into their gasoline -
January 05, 2018 Read Full Article
What Exactly Is a RIN?
(Southern Farm Network Today) Texas Senator Ted Cruz recently proposed to put a cap on the price of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) as a way to control the cost for refiners that blend renewable fuels into the nation’s gasoline supply. What
January 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Grassley Marks Policy, Oversight Accomplishments in 2017
(North Iowa Today) Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa marked a series of policy and oversight accomplishments in 2017. ... Grassley introduced the Food Security is National Security Act of 2017, which would give top U.S. agriculture and food officials permanent representation on the Committee
January 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Rick Santorum: Refiners Attack President Trump at Their Peril
by Rick Santorum (Washington Examiner/Americans for Energy Security and Innovation) ... But some petroleum companies seem to be taking their influence for granted, and that could prove their undoing with a White House that is known for drawing a clear line
January 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Summary of Accomplishments
by Brian Jennings (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... ACE believes the best way to grow demand well into the future is to harness the low-carbon, high-octane value of ethanol. That’s why we were very encouraged that for the first
January 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Big Oil Misleading Iowans Again
by Monty Shaw (Iowa Renewable Fuels Association/Des Moines Register) About a year ago, an Iowa front group for Big Oil tried to trick former state legislators into signing letters to the editor that sounded “pro-ethanol” but actually advocated for a policy
January 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Cruz Taps Texas Mistrust of Ethanol
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) Attack on federal biofuels mandate provides chance to appeal to base -- ... But for the junior senator, facing re-election this year as Democrats show new swagger in the age of Trump, ethanol provides the chance to appeal
January 03, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
In a special to the Biofuels Digest, South Dakota Farmers Union president, Doug Sombke, pointed out that "Section 202(l) provision (of the Clean Air Act) requires EPA to regulate and reduce toxics in gasoline to the “greatest degree achievable”. In a review
January 03, 2018 Read Full Article
A New Years Resolution for EPA: Do Your Job!
by Doug Sombke (South Dakota Farmers Union/Biofuels Digest) ... I am referring to the mandatory requirements in the Clean Air Act that EPA enforce section 202 (l), the “clean octane” provision designed to reduce the use of toxic aromatic compounds in gasoline.
January 03, 2018 Read Full Article
How Refiners Can Lower the High Price of Renewable Fuel Credits: Invest
by James C. Greenwood (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/The Hill) ... The refiners want to lower the price of renewable identification numbers, or RINs, which are the credits they must accumulate to prove compliance with the program — every gallon of biofuel that
December 29, 2017 Read Full Article
Inside Insight
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) To kick off the new year, we rounded up a few experts to discuss five main industry topics: exports, policy, production, finance and technology. Find out what they said. -- As we head into 2018, ethanol
December 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Schneiderman Backs Carbon Tax
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman became the first New York statewide elected official to back a carbon tax this week, POLITICO New York's Danielle Muoio reports. "That includes passing legislation to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including a carbon
December 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Editorial: Keep Biofuel Benefits Flowing
(Wisconsin State Journal) ... A study conducted for the U.S. Agriculture Department found corn ethanol’s life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, by 2022, will be 43 percent lower than gasoline baseline emissions if ethanol plants continue as usual. If ethanol production makes improvements with available
December 27, 2017 Read Full Article
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