(National Law Review) On the one year anniversary of major amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued three new “framework” rules on how it plans to prioritize and evaluate risks from new chemicals or
Regulations-Federal
Back TO HOMEResearch Progressing on How to Spur Wide Use of Aviation Biofuels
(Penn State News) Slowed as much by extremely low oil prices as supply-chain and technological challenges, the effort to integrate biofuels into the nation's aviation fuel supply is nonetheless progressing, according to a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Sustainable
June 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Congress Needs to Protect Renewable Fuel Law
by Jim Harris (Natural Resource Report) Please stand with me and ask our Oregon representatives in Washington, D.C. to protect the partnership between fuel and agricultural by preserving the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) as is, without changes. With so many policies
June 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Is Not Subsidized, Is Good Choice for All
by Mark M. Palmer (Renewable Fuels Nebraska/The Grand Island Independent) Gerald Kosmicki’s June 25 letter attacking U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer for supporting ethanol displayed a complete lack of knowledge regarding current fuel economics. Unfortunately, many people like Mr. Kosmicki still
June 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Letter: Ethanol Production Helps Local Farmers
by David Howell (The Herald Bulletin) While increased production is usually a good thing, the bumper crop is leading to a global glut of corn and a third straight year of tumbling commodity prices. To complicate matters, farmers are facing uncertainty
June 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Regulating the Indirect Land Use Carbon Emissions from Biofuels Imposes High Hidden Costs on Fuel Consumers
(Phys.Org/ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) ... To penalize the carbon emissions from this so-called indirect land use change, the USEPA and California Air Resources Board include an indirect land use change factor when considering the carbon savings with biofuels for
June 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Summertime Relief at the Pump
by Emily Skor (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Federal fuel regulations play a major role. That’s because warm summer weather makes it tougher to hold down automotive emissions, so the U.S. EPA requires cleaner fuel blends from June 1 to Sept.
June 27, 2017 Read Full Article
California LCFS Guides Advanced Biofuels Industry
by Heather Zhang (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Carbon credit prices recover and multiple new pathways are certified as the state’s program gets back on track. -- California’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from the transport sector are racing to make progress
June 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Says President Trump's Remarks Supporting Biofuels Show Need For Administration Action
(Biofuels Journal) On June 21, in his remarks to Iowa ag leaders at Kirkwood Community College and again at his Cedar Rapids rally, President Donald Trump reiterated his support for American renewable fuels. ... Today, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director
June 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Representatives Press Pruitt on Icahn’s Role in Shaping the RFS
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On June 21, democratic leaders in the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt asking him to detail policies and procedures the agency has put in place
June 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Gasoline Lobbyists Go to Battle to Slow Ethanol's Rise
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) ... With the oil industry lobbying vigorously in opposition, the future of the bill, introduced by a bipartisan coalition of Midwestern lawmakers, remains in question. But the proposal, nonetheless, represents the ascendance of an increasingly influential ethanol
June 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Thoughts from the Fuel Ethanol Workshop and National Advanced Biofuels Conference and Expo
by Douglas Root* (Advanced Biofuels USA) From the Welcome Reception on Monday to the last session on Wednesday, there was new information presented and new developments reported. At the opening of the expo, many vendors were not able to participate in
June 23, 2017 Read Full Article
EPA Warned Fiat Chrysler about Diesel Defeat Devices in 2015
by Richard Read (WSET/The Car Connection) In February, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' CEO, Sergio Marchionne, warned investors that his company could soon face a Dieselgate crisis of its own. As it turns out, Marchionne had plenty of time to reach that conclusion.
June 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Coalition Promises ‘Vigorous’ Legal Action to Maintain Vehicle Emissions Standards
by Lauren Tyler (NGT News) Leading a coalition of 13 attorneys general and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has given notice to the Trump administration that any effort to roll back key vehicle
June 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Biotechnology Innovation Organization and Advanced Biofuels Business Council Ask Senators to Support Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act
(Biofuels Journal) More than 25 advanced biofuel producers and trade associations today sent a letter to members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, asking them to support the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (S.517), the Biotechnology Innovation
June 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel Revamp Debate Powers Up, Includes Higher Ethanol Blends
by Brian Dabbs (Bloomberg BNA) Long-awaited efforts to modify biofuel policy are entering the limelight across Capitol Hill. A Senate panel will host a hearing next week on a bill to allow summer sales of vehicle fuel with high concentrations of
June 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump and the EPA Should Stay Out of Point of Obligation Fight
by Gary Baise (OFW Law/Morning Consult) ... Like the EPA, the vast majority of the liquid fuel industry is also strongly opposed to shifting the RFS point of obligation for a variety of regulatory and economic reasons. Over the past 12 years,
June 09, 2017 Read Full Article
$45B Annual Windfall for US Consumers with a Gasoline-Engine Overhaul? EPA Is Getting a Patent Worth Knowing about
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US Patent & Trademark Office has just issued a “notice of allowance” for a patent by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency for a high efficiency, high compression engine that would reduce
June 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Announces Ad Launch for E15 Fix
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy today announced a seven-figure campaign aimed at promoting legislation that will allow U.S. retailers to offer more biofuel choices to customers year-round. The bipartisan Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (S. 517) is now awaiting action
June 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuels Work for Oregon
by Jim Talent (Capital Ag Press/Americans for Energy Security and Innovation) Unfortunately, even as fracking reached new heights, America’s total domestic crude oil production declined in 2016. According to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, that lost domestic
June 07, 2017 Read Full Article
RFS Has Been ‘Tremendous Success’ Since Adoption, According to RFA Analysis
by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association) More than a decade after the original renewable fuel standard (RFS) was signed into law, tremendous progress has been made toward its goals of energy security, clean air and boosting local economies, according to
June 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Review of Auto Standards Raises Concerns From Former EPA Officials
by Iulia Gheorghiu (Morning Consult) Former Environmental Protection Agency officials worry the Trump administration’s review of auto emissions standards could slow down U.S. innovation on fuel efficiency. Stricter standards place a burden on automakers because of lackluster consumer interest in fuel-efficient
June 06, 2017 Read Full Article
CFTC Says It Is Not Probing Icahn's Activity in Biofuels Credits
by Timothy Gardner (Reuters) The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission informed eight Democratic U.S. senators last month that it is not investigating biofuels credits after the lawmakers had urged it to probe billionaire Carl Icahn's activity in that market, according
June 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Regs Under the Microscope
by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) Trump's OMB has dramatically ramped up the number of EPA regulations it is reviewing and has begun taking lots more meetings to gather input from interested parties, Pro's Alex Guillén reports in Energy Regulation
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Corn Ethanol Faces Its Limits under EPA Fuel Mandate
by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) Corn ethanol has reached its official limit under the Environmental Protection Agency's renewable fuel program, which means other less-developed, low-carbon fuels will have to step up to fill a 21 billion-gallon gap by 2022. ... Under the
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
The RFS, Now and Beyond: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Program
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The EPA administers the US Renewable Fuels Standards out of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality, and management of the Standard has come under increasing scrutiny from critics of renewable fuels, and supporters of
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Koehler Letter: Renewable Energy
by Neil Koehler (Pacific Ethanol/Idaho Statesman) ... The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has played a vital role in protecting the environment and American consumers. Without it, oil companies would once again have free rein to limit choices at the pump, eliminating competition
June 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Boating, Biofuels and Dirty Politics
by William Delahunt* (Special to Advanced Biofuels USA) Washington, D.C. is full of advocates. Some are very effective champions for important causes, but others get sucked into the maelstrom of competing special interests. Lately, I’ve seen a lot of the latter
June 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Forced Summer Hiatus Begins for E15
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) It’s June 1st, which means the kids are out of school, the pools are open, and E15 pumps in two-thirds of the nation are shutting down. Today marks the official beginning of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)
June 01, 2017 Read Full Article
10 Industrial Biotechnology Wave Trends to Watch
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There are news items, then there are trends, and finally there are wave trends — trends of critical importance and that carry the likelihood of having long-lasting impact. Like the fast ripples that presage a fearsome tsunami,
May 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Billionaire Carl Icahn Reaps $60 Million as Trump Adviser
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg/Southwest Farm Press) Government work has paid off handsomely for billionaire Carl Icahn. CVR Energy Inc., his oil refining company, saved about $60 million in the first quarter because of expectations that the federal government will ease
May 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Congress: E15 Waiver Hearing Still Coming and First Step on RFS Reform
by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) It's not scheduled yet, but Senate EPW Chairman John Barrasso told reporters Wednesday that legislation allow year-round sale of gasoline blends with 15 percent ethanol would still get an EPW markup. "We haven't sent a
May 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Cultivating Homegrown Energy Solutions
by Rick Santorum (Washington Times/Americans for Energy Security and Innovation) ... With all the publicity around fracking, it’s easy to assume that America’s own domestic oil production is more than enough to fuel a growing economy. It certainly helps. But
May 24, 2017 Read Full Article
We Need a Disruption to Grow
by David VanderGriend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Urban Air Initiative/ICM) ... Urban Air Initiative will be part of a group with diverse perspectives on what can be done to disrupt the establishment in order to access higher blends. These experts will address how
May 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Rate of EPA Chemical Regulation Ramps Up Since Toxics Law Update
by Pat Rizzuto (Bloomberg Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.) The Environmental Protection Agency has been regulating more new chemicals since the Toxic Substances Control Act was overhauled than it did before, according to a snapshot of its work over the
May 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Driving GHG Down, Bringing Capacity Up
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Increasing efficiency is the ethanol industry’s top goal, and proving it to the U.S. EPA opens the way for expanded ethanol production. -- The number to beat to be named an efficient ethanol
May 22, 2017 Read Full Article
EPA Can Improve Its Implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard in 6 Ways: BIO
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization called on the US EPA to “improve its implementation of RFS,” and noted six key improvements. issue its annual Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) under the RFS on time; interpret
May 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Biodiesel: Dropping Below the Production Cost of Fossil Fuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... As you can see from the hard data, the production cost for ethanol today is $1.22 per gallon, which translates to $51.24 per barrel. Now, on an energy basis — given that ethanol has 67%
May 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Admin Delays Greenhouse Gas Measurement Rule for Highways
by Timothy Cama (The Hill) The Trump administration is delaying enforcement of an Obama administration regulation that would have required state and local officials to measure greenhouse gas emissions related to the use of specific highways. The greenhouse gas reporting requirement
May 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. and ABA Books Release New TSCA: A Guide to the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act and Its Implementation
(Bergeson & Campbell) Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to announce the publication of New TSCA: A Guide to the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act and Its Implementation, released today by the American Bar Association (ABA). This new book is
May 19, 2017 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Joel Kurtinitis in an opinion piece in the Des Moines Register: These aren’t just farmers and businessmen, they’re chemists and biologists and engineers, too. There’s an immense amount of research behind ethanol production, fuel blending, vehicle needs and consumer demands. Unfortunately,
May 18, 2017 Read Full Article
With the RFS in doubt, Ethanol Pros Need the EPA to Back off
by Joel Kurtinitis (Des Moines Register) ... The RFS is an oddball issue that sees free-market libertarians allying with big oil corporatists, and liberal Democrats with Corn Belt Republicans — proof of the time-honored adage that politics makes strange bedfellows. ... These aren’t just
May 18, 2017 Read Full Article
EPA Approves Fuel Pathway for REG Geismar
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA recently posted a notice to its website approving a fuel pathway for Renewable Energy Group Inc.’s Geismar, Louisiana, biorefinery. The plant can now generate D5 advanced biofuel renewable identification numbers (RINs) for
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Senate Republicans Urge Vote on Pro-Ethanol Bill
by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) Republican lawmakers from corn-producing states are hoping to get a vote on a pro-ethanol bill as soon as possible after striking a deal ahead of last week's failed repeal of the Obama administration's methane rule
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel Groups Ask EPA to Ease Regulatory Burdens
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Several biofuel trade groups have filed comments with the U.S. EPA asking for changes to regulations that are hindering the growth of U.S. ethanol production and use. On Feb 24, President Donald Trump released Executive
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
National Biodiesel Board Submits Comments to Ease the Administration of the Renewable Fuel Standard for Biodiesel Producers
(National Biodiesel Board) Today (May 16, 2017) the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to President Trump’s Executive Order 13777, “Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda,” which called for input on
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Senate Deregulatory Push Picks Up
by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) After months of the House passing bills taking shots at the regulatory reform process, the Senate today kicks off its own overhaul efforts in earnest with a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs business meeting.
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Helping Trump Help Bioenergy
by Douglas L. Faulkner (Cleantech Conservative/Biofuels Digest) ... The Trump Administration’s two recent Executive Orders on “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth” and especially, “Promoting Agriculture and Rural Prosperity in America” (March 28 & April 25, respectively), not only highlight renewable
May 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Rising Conservative Voices Call for Climate Change Action
by Saskia de Melker and Laura Fong (PBS News Hour) STEPHANIE SY: In the rising Eco-Right movement, you could say these are the Eco-Righteous. EVANGELICAL MARCHERS: Hey, hey! ho, ho! Fossil fuels have got to go! STEPHANIE SY: Among the throngs of environmentalists
May 15, 2017 Read Full Article
RFS Proposal Sent to White House
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) The 2018 proposed renewable volume obligations in the Renewable Fuel Standard were sent to the Office of Management and Budget at the White House late Thursday, according to the OMB website. The White House
May 12, 2017 Read Full Article
LCFS vs RFS: As Two Contend for the Renewables Heavyweight Championship, Who Is the Greatest? Carbon 2017 Part 2 of 3
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What is different about a Low Carbon Fuel Standard — as compared to a Renewable Fuel Standard? There are 4 primary differences. 1. An RFS creates a standard, and any fuel that meets that standard can compete
May 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Icahn’s Pig in a Poke
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest) Members of the U.S. Senate are questioning whether Carl Icahn’s lobbying to change the Renewable Fuel Standard creates an ethics conflict with his role as advisor in the Trump administration. In addition to
May 11, 2017 Read Full Article
$20 Oil? $200 Oil? Does It Matter? Part 1 of the 3-Part Digest series: Carbon 2017
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For the world of renewable fuels — the only significant carbon legislation on the books, it really doesn’t matter what the oil price is. The RFS creates a separate market for renewable fuels and they compete
May 10, 2017 Read Full Article
NBB Asks for Higher Biodiesel RVO
by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is working with the Trump Administration to increase the renewable volume obligations (RVO) for biodiesel. NBB vice president of federal affairs Anne Steckel says the organization is optimistic President Trump
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
RFA Fires Back at Boat Makers over E15 Claims
by Jason Huffman (Politico's Morning Agriculture) The Renewable Fuels Association has kicked off an advertising campaign intended to combat lobbying efforts by the National Marine Manufacturers Association against mandated blending rates. NMMA is expected to use a fly in next
May 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Business and Consumers Will Both Lose if Renewable Fuel Standard Is Changed
by Max McBrayer (The Hill/RaceTrac Petroleum) ... My perspective comes from over 30 years in the fuels business. Currently, I am chief supply officer of RaceTrac Petroleum, a fuel retailer and operator of more than 700 convenience stores from Texas
May 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Report on Trade Issues and Trump Administration
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) ... In this episode, we get a Washington update from Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen, focusing on recent trade developments and the Trump Administration. Dinneen comments on President Trump’s first 100 days, the
May 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Perdue Pushes RFS, Beef Exports in Iowa Speech
by Spencer Chase and Ben Nuelle (Agri-Pulse) ... Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue highlighted the benefits of renewable energy and the need for export markets in a Friday speech to Iowa producers. The speech was billed as Perdue’s first major farm policy speech
May 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Are Part of an ‘America First’ Energy Plan
by Brian Jennings (The Hill/American Coalition for Ethanol) ... By every measure, increasing the production and use of homegrown renewable fuels has spurred economic growth for U.S. farmers and supported high-skill, high-wage jobs in rural communities. When the use of renewable
May 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Boating Leaders Ask Trump to Change Ethanol Policy
by Todd Masson (NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune) Boating and fishing industry leaders sent a letter to President Donald Trump Wednesday asking the administration to reexamine the Renewable Fuel Standard that dictates how much of the nation's fuel supply must be
May 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Grows, Sets Records
by Lynn Grooms (Agri-View) Supply and demand of renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel are expected to continue their rise this year despite continued challenges and uncertainties. Executives from organizations representing renewable-fuel producers recently provided insights into the opportunities and
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Methane Rule Repeal Hits Snag in Senate Over Ethanol
by Jennifer A Dlouhy and Ari Natter (Bloomberg Markets) Midwest Republicans didn’t get policy change in omnibus; Lawmakers now withholding support for methane rule repeal -- A top oil industry priority on Capitol Hill may fall victim to an unrelated dispute
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Is Ethanol Worth the Fight?
by Tim Snyder (Equities.com/Crudefunders) ... With that in mind, we decided to break down the question of, “Is it worth it?” into four parts: price benefits, reduction of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), oxygenate replacement and green fuel alternatives. ... Ethanol was introduced in 2006, into
May 01, 2017 Read Full Article
ACE Urges Ethanol Advocates to Participate in EPA Regulatory Reform Comment Period
(American Coalition for Ethanol) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) submitted a public comment focused on its ethanol priorities soon after EPA formally began seeking input on existing regulations to be reviewed by its newly established Regulatory Reform Task Force.
May 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Icahn's Oil Refiner Reports Plunge in Biofuels Bill in First Quarter
by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters) Biofuels compliance expenses for CVR Energy's refining unit fell to the lowest level in almost five years during the first quarter, the company said on Thursday, as the U.S. government weighs an overhaul
April 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Consumers and Farmers Burned by EPA Regulations on Renewable Fuel
by Bob Dinneen (The Hill) As the days grow longer and the mercury rises, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should take action to eliminate an irrational summertime regulation that hurts both farmers and millions of Americans who drive a car. This double
April 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Uncovering The Gas Roots of Contemporary Ethanol Opposition
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) ... Faced with some actual governmental actions that were detrimental to gasoline/diesel dominance, instead of the virtual carte blanche pro-petroleum fuel policies that they usually receive from the government, the petroleum oil industry is
April 26, 2017 Read Full Article
One Step Forward
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) ... I can tell you firsthand that for the first time in four years, both House and Senate staff are pushing all stakeholders to come to the table to discuss RFS reform. In a
April 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Increasing Number of Americans Are Willing to Drive Farther, Pay More for Ethanol-Free Fuel
by Ben Wolfgang (The Washington Times) Ethanol’s rise over the past decade has given birth to an under-the-radar market: Americans who are willing to travel miles out of their way and pay significantly more per gallon for ethanol-free fuel. Like locally
April 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Letter: Diversify Michigan Energy
by Bruce Dale (Detroit News) Regarding “Renewable Fuel Standard has failed, April 16,” Prof. Wolfram has failed to do his homework. The corn grown to make ethanol is not the same as sweet corn we eat. Field corn is used for
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Letter: Renewable Fuel Standard Vital to Indiana
by Ralph Kauffmann (Kokomo Tribune) ... So many of these factors can take a big chunk out of my bottom line, and at the same time, so many of these factors are completely out of my control. But the Renewable Fuel
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Judges Give EPA the Side Eye on Waiver Authority
by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA got caught in a cross-fire of skepticism at the D.C. Circuit Monday over its use of general waiver authority to lower RFS volumes for 2016, Pro's Eric Wolff reports . The RFS typically defies
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuels Supporters, Opponents Spar During EPA Teleconference
by Michael Schneider (Oil Price Information Service) Supporters and opponents of biofuels expressed predictably contrasting viewpoints during a teleconference held today by EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR). The call was held to solicit input on regulations OAR oversees that could
April 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Opportunities to Transition Ethanol Facilities to Biochemical Refineries
by Daniel A. Lane and Joel A. Stone (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... As the market for gasoline grew, a shortage soon developed for the lighter fractions of crude oil. This shortage led to the development of the catalytic cracker, which breaks
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
NBB Argues for Higher Advanced-Biofuel Volumes Before the D.C. Court of Appeals
(National Biodiesel Board) Americans for Clean Energy, et al., v. Environmental Protection Agency -- Today the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Intersecting Trends of Oil and Ethanol
by Patrick C. Miller (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Is the growth in shale oil production a potential boost for ethanol? The theory goes that because the light crude produced from fracked shale produces lower-octane gasoline, greater oil production from shale will translate
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Consumption Shatters Blend Wall in 2016
by Ben Neulle (Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network) Gasoline consumed in the United States in 2016 contained more than 10 percent ethanol on average for the first time ever. This is according to an analysis of U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Rachel
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Capitol Crude: The US Oil Policy Podcast--Oil Refiners and Renewable Fuels in the Trump Era
by Brian Scheid and Meghan Gordon (Platts) Have refiners' hopes for a quick rollback of the US biofuel mandate by the Trump administration fizzled out? The industry judged two early appointments as signs of the president's willingness to reform the Renewable
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
RFA Tells EPA to Keep RFS on Track
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) sent a letter today to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt urging him to keep the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on track in 2018. “The ethanol industry was highly encouraged by your commitment to
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Government Mind Games are Driving Investors Away from Biofuel & Other Bio-Based Projects
by Colin Ley (AgFunder News) The closer you get to the commercialization of a development, the harder it becomes to raise capital, and recent government activities around the world are not making life easier for innovators, speakers at the World
April 14, 2017 Read Full Article
ACE Outlines Ethanol Priorities to EPA on Regulatory Reform Agenda
(KTIC Radio) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) submitted a public comment addressed to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt thanking him for establishing a Regulatory Reform Task Force to evaluate existing regulations and make recommendations regarding those that can be
April 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Syngenta Touts Potential for Cellulosic Ethanol
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Developments in cellulosic ethanol technology are creating opportunities for American ethanol producers. Miloud Araba, head of Enogen® technical services at Syngenta, says cellulosic innovation could enable dry grind ethanol producers to meet the increasing Renewable Fuel Standard
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
A True Superhero, Ethanol Fights for Good
by Dirck Steimel (Iowa Farm Bureau) ... Ethanol has all the elements of a superhero. Like most good superhero stories, ethanol has humble origins. Farmers in Iowa and other states built the first distilleries a few decades back to build an alternative
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
An Alternative View of Biodiesel Production Profits: The Role of Retroactively Reinstated Blender Tax Credits
by Scott Irwin (Farm Doc Daily/University of Illinois) Previous farmdoc daily articles (e.g. January 28, 2015; February 11, 2016; March 1, 2017) have documented a "feast or famine" pattern in production profitability of the U.S. biodiesel production industry. The feast or
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Automakers Hope to Reach U.S. Deal on 2025 Vehicle Emissions
by David Shepardson (Reuters) A trade group for automakers said on Tuesday it hopes to reach a deal with California and the Trump administration over vehicle fuel efficiency standards. Mitch Bainwol, chief executive of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
EPA Seeks Public Input on Trump's Regulatory Reform Agenda DEADLINE: May 15, 2017
by Tim Devaney (The Hill) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is searching for Obama-era regulations to repeal. The EPA’s regulatory reform task force, established by President Trump’s Feb. 24 executive order, is seeking public input on which rules to roll back,
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
What’s New? What’s Happening?: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to California’s LCFS, and the RFS
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In our March Madness series, we’ve been covering emerging markets and technological pathways – now we turn to two other key drivers, market access and carbon pricing. There are two approaches — volumetric mandates and carbon
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Exclusive: Inside Edge - Trump Advisor Icahn's Big Bet against Biofuels Credits
by Chris Prentice and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters/KFGO) Billionaire investor Carl Icahn's oil refining company, CVR Energy, made a massive bet in 2016 that prices for U.S. government biofuels credits would fall - just before Icahn started advising President Donald Trump
April 12, 2017 Read Full Article
RFS: New Revenue Stream for Biomass Facilities?
by Bob Cleaves (Biomass Power Association/Biomass Magazine) ... Unbeknownst to many in the biomass power sector, there may be a role for biomass power producers to play in the RFS. Electric vehicles (EVs) represent an increasing share of the automotive market,
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump on Ethanol: Supportive, but Few Comments
by Patrick Anderson (Argus Leader) President Donald Trump has never tweeted about ethanol. In the course of tens of thousands of posts on his social media platform of choice, the president has posted about oil about 150 times, about Rosie
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
It’s Not the Tax, It’s the EPA.
by Ben Geman (Axios-Axios Generate) Axios' Amy Harder asked an administration official about the prospects of a carbon tax, given that it has been rumored as a possible policy the White House could embrace. The official said the biggest reason it
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
New Coalition Launches To Fight for US Renewable Fuel Standard
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Main Street Energy Alliance has launched to urge the Environmental Protection Agency to resist the efforts of a small group of special interests including Valero, Monroe Energy and investor Carl Icahn who
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Understanding Land Use Change – Are New Tools Needed?
by Jessie Stolark (Energy and Environmental Study Institute) Are we using the right tools to understand land use change, particularly at the local level, and how can understanding of land use change be improved? The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has been around
April 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Nebraska Farmers Make the Case for Higher Blends of Ethanol
by Steve White (Nebraska.TV) Pres. Trump says he wants to end job–killing regulations on ethanol, and area farmers suggest a good place to start. “Allow E15 to be sold as normal gasoline, moving forward with that is going to be great for
April 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Feature: Ethanol RINs Rebound as Prospects Fade of Quick RFS Reform
by Meghan Gordon and Wes Swift (Platts) RINs bottom out March 2 after four-month slide; EPA may hold 2018 mandate steady, start easing in 2019; Point of obligation debate fades into background -- Refiners' and petroleum marketers' hopes for a quick rollback of
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Foxx: Reducing CAFE Goals Would Be ‘Setback’
by Jim Lynch (The Detroit News) Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said he believes a rollback of fuel efficiency standards for cars would be a mistake, and that the regulatory framework for self-driving cars suggested under President Barack
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Singular Focus ... Waiting for EPA
by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) Oil companies, gas station operators and other organizers of the just-launched Main Street Energy Alliance wanted to speak with a single voice in the intensifying wonky debate over which types of companies should be responsible
April 06, 2017 Read Full Article
The Imports Cometh
by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) U.S. imports of biomass-based diesel hit extreme heights in 2016, fulfilling a third of the consumption market, driving the domestic biodiesel industry to more actively seek counteracting measures to protect its own investments. --
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
FedEx CEO Backed by Generals Tries to Nudge Trump on Fuel Rules
by John Lippert (Bloomberg) Smith leads effort to position standards as security issue; Group calling for electric vehicles, U.S. oil production -- To get Donald Trump to come around to tougher fuel-economy standards, a corporate titan is calling in the troops
April 04, 2017 Read Full Article
QuikTrip to Begin Selling E15 Fuel
(Convenience Store News) Blend coming to 44 Dallas-Fort Worth area c-stores. -- QuikTrip Corp. will begin offering E15 fuel at 44 of its convenience stores in the Dallas-Forth Worth Metro area. E15 was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Letter: The Truth about Ethanol
by Neil Kohler (MagicValley.com/Pacific Ethanol) In his March 26 letter, Mr. Chamberlain went from 100 percent right to 100 percent wrong in just a few short words. As he correctly noted, refiners should not be permitted to rewrite the Renewable
March 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Bioeconomy under the Radar
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Leaders Tout Potential Growth, Challenges for Renewable Refinery Products -- ... Whether it is spoons, Coke bottles or carpets made out of corn, livestock enzymes for pharmaceuticals, or John Deere tractors using soy oil
March 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Moving the Point of Obligation Is the Latest Misguided Ploy to Undermine the RFS
by Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) (The Hill) Six billion gallons. That is the approximate amount of ethanol produced in Iowa and Illinois each and every year. It is more than the annual gasoline equivalent production of
March 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Senators Press Icahn on White House Influence, Business Conflicts
by Valerie Volcovici (Reuters) Several Democratic senators pressed billionaire investor Carl Icahn on Monday to clarify his role as an adviser to President Donald Trump, saying his position in the administration raised "alarming" questions about potential conflicts of interest with his
March 28, 2017 Read Full Article
New, Safer U.S. Rail Cars Gather Dust even as Ethanol Trains Grow Longer
by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters) ... But the incident in Iowa underscores the growing risk of another serious accident along with the increasing volume of the biofuel being moved in unit trains that are mile-long with about 100
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
UAI Coalition Challenges Clean Air Act Interpretation
by Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative/Ethanol Producer Magazine) For decades, the U.S. EPA has insisted that it gets to decide how much ethanol can be used in gasoline. If ethanol producers want higher ethanol blends sold to ordinary (nonflex-fuel) vehicles,
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Fuel Economy Rules: Someone Is Listening
by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Biofuels Digest) The recent announcement that the Trump Administration was taking another look at Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards was a welcome reality check for what is a complex and multi-layered issue. There was
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Waste-Stream, Slip-Stream, Main-Stream: The Born Global Slip-Stream Challenge Gets Underway
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There are six oddly-named streams in the bioeconomy, and it reminds one of the nomenclature of subatomic quarks. There is upstream, midstream, downstream, main-stream, waste-stream, and slip-stream. But of all the streams, perhaps there is
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
CARB Finds Vehicle Standards Are Achievable and Cost-Effective
(California Air Resources Board) CARB votes to move forward with greenhouse gas reductions and zero emission programs through 2025; action sets the table for accelerating programs post-2025 -- Today (March 24, 2017) California re-affirmed its commitment to clean air, protecting
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
U.S. Oil Refiners Push for Biofuels Overhaul at White House
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) U.S. oil refining executives met with a senior official in President Donald Trump's administration at the White House last week to argue their position for an overhaul of the nation's biofuels program, two people in the
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
The Long Road to Cellulosic Ethanol
by Stephanie Mercier (Farm Journal Foundation/AgWeb) This blog will present the author’s perspective on a wide range of timely agricultural policy topics, touching on both domestic and international issues. ... The long term answer, that ultimately ethanol will primarily be produced from inedible
March 24, 2017 Read Full Article
RFA Trains 200th Ethanol Industry Employee on FSMA Preventive Controls for Animal Food Requirements
by Kelsey Quargnenti (Renewable Fuels Association) This month the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) hit a major milestone with its Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) training program on Preventive Controls for Animal Food. During the latest course, offered in early March in
March 24, 2017 Read Full Article
DC’s Climate Change: Renewables Adapting to Shifting Political Weather
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Over at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, new lab director Martin Keller told the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association that “renewable energy needs a new story to tell.” The Denver Business Journal’s Cathy Proctor reported
March 23, 2017 Read Full Article
2017-'18 RVOs Assumed Intact as Regulatory Freeze Deadline Passes
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) March 21 represents the end of the 60-day freeze period on new regulations pending review, implemented by the incoming U.S. administration Jan. 20. Among the regulations on hold during the two-month freeze period was the
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
New Study Links Habitat Destruction to Ethanol Production
by Jordan Lubetkin (National Wildlife Federation) Millions of acres of wildlife habitat are being lost to crop production, according to a new peer-reviewed study published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters, which found a strong link between the location
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
As OPEC Falls, What Is the Liberated Market Signaling to Producers?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... There’s a theory going around that biofuels are “government fuels” — and prices are set around a table in Washington, DC. But if you visit the big biodiesel and ethanol firms, you’ll see right
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
National Farmers Union Passes Resolution to Support E30 Use
by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) National Farmers Union called for the U.S. EPA to open the market to higher blends of ethanol in a landmark resolution passed during the group’s annual meeting held last week in San Diego. "National Farmers
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Senators Urge Trump to Maintain RFS Point of Obligation
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) Nearly two dozen U.S. senators have signed a letter advising President Trump not to change the federal biofuels program's longtime compliance protocol. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., today led 23 senators in a bipartisan
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Icahn Bets against Renewables Market He Wants Trump to Overhaul
by Zachary Mider and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Special adviser to president urges change in EPA rule; ‘It’s bothersome that one guy can control RIN markets’ -- Carl Icahn, the billionaire investor and adviser to President Donald Trump, said he’s betting
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Wassup, DOE? The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the Bioenergy Technologies Office
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s up at the DOE? Bioenergy Technologies Office Director Jonathan Male answered the question in this update, given at ABLC 2017 in Washington. In this deck, he looks at milestones ahead, programs, goals and challenges.
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Groups Hail Recall of EPA’s Federal Fuel Economy and Emissions Rules
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the High Octane Alliance called the Trump Administration’s recall the fuel economy rule “an important first step in achieving realistic reductions in fuel consumption.” Alliance Chairman Tom Daschle said the recall was necessary due
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Now is the Time to Act on RFS Reform: Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Re-introduce Bill to Reform Ethanol Mandate
(Office of Congressman Bob Goodlatte) (R-Va 6)) Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Steve Womack (R-Ark.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following statement today after reintroducing the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Reform Act (H.R. 1315): “The Renewable Fuel Standard
March 14, 2017 Read Full Article
National Academies Report Finds Future Biotechnology Products May Overwhelm Agencies
(Bergeson & Campbell) On March 9, 2017, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies) published a report entitled Preparing for Future Products of Biotechnology, prepared by the Committee on Future Biotechnology Products and Opportunities to Enhance Capabilities
March 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Pruitt Allies Lobby on EPA’s Ethanol Mandate
by Timothy Cama (The Hill) ... Glenn Coffee and Crystal Coon, through their firm, Coffee Group, filed paperwork this week with Congress to represent Oklahoma-based gasoline station and convenience store owner QuikTrip Corp. on issues related to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Pruitt
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Cars Seen Missing U.S. Mileage Targets for First Time Since 2004
by Ryan Beene (Bloomberg) Regulator report shows U.S. fleet to fall below mileage target; Results may feed debate over Obama auto-efficiency standards -- Cars and light trucks from the 2016 model year will be the first to fall short of U.S.
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Public Citizen Files Complaint Alleging Trump Adviser’s Activities May Have Violated Federal Lobbying Laws
(Public Citizen) Carl Icahn and His Businesses Haven’t Registered As Lobbyists Yet Continue to Influence Government Policy -- Icahn Enterprises, CVR Energy and their related affiliates appear to be in violation of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA), according
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
‘Purest Definition of a Conflict’: Icahn’s $126 Million Gain on Biofuel Deal Draws Criticism
by Jennifer A Dlouhy, Ari Natter, and Bill Allison (Bloomberg) Investor Carl Icahn is also unpaid adviser to White House; Value of Icahn CVR Energy stake grew after biofuel deal -- Carl Icahn’s stake in a Texas refiner grew by as
March 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Jobs and Money Take Top Billing with American Biodiesel
(National Biodiesel Board) Industry Leaders Showcase biodiesel benefits with key influencers -- When it comes to American biodiesel, jobs and economic opportunities are the hot tickets. In town from across the nation, biodiesel industry leaders are meeting with key influencers
March 08, 2017 Read Full Article
RINs Not Driving Any Profits: Motiva
(Argus Media) No one profits from credits used to track compliance with US biofuel mandates, Motiva chief executive Dan Romasko said today, wading into a controversy that has split the industry. Refinery margins rise and fall to offset the cost of
March 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Watchdog to Ask U.S. Lawmakers to Probe Icahn's Role with Trump
by Chris Prentice (Reuters/Yahoo!) A government watchdog group, Public Citizen, said on Wednesday it will ask lawmakers to investigate whether billionaire investor Carl Icahn should have been subject to lobbying disclosure laws when he advised President Donald Trump to overhaul
March 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Battle Brewing over Ethanol Program Post 2022
by Jonathan H. Harsch (Agri-Pulse) Ethanol already supplies over 10 percent of the U.S. gasoline market and the fuel’s share is growing. Yet Congressman Bill Flores, who wants to see ethanol capped at 9.7 percent of the market, is holding back on
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
RNG, Cellulosic Fuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard
by Susan Olson (BioCycle Magazine) Because of an all-time high waiver credit value paired with strong advanced RIN prices, renewable natural gas could fetch $35/MMBtu in 2017. Since 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has mandated the blending of renewable fuels
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Smith and Loebsack Introduce Bill to Broaden Fuel Choices for Retailers and Consumers
(Office of Congressman Adrian Smith) Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA) reintroduced legislation today to broaden fuel choices for retailers and consumers by expanding the existing waiver of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations related to the Reid
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Administration a Wild Card for Ethanol Industry
by Mike Hughlett (Star Tribune) With production on the rise, there's anxiety over unknown policy shifts. -- ... While there are positive indicators for 2017 — corn prices are forecast to be stable and the federal mandate for ethanol production
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Senate Bill Introduced to Give E15 Year-Round Market Presence
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) A bipartisan trio of Senators introduced a bill today that would extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver to ethanol blends above 10 percent, a move that would give E15 year-round market presence. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Joe
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Letter: Need Clear Picture of Fuel Standards
by Paul Winters (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/The Wichita Eagle) Kansans deserve a clear picture of the Renewable Fuel Standard’s future, and a recent letter did the RFS a disservice (“Winners, losers in U.S. fuel policy,” Feb. 17 Letters to the Editor). Though
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol a Hot Topic at ’17 Classic
by Andy Eubank (Hoosier Ag Today) Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly (D) joined Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to introduce the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act last week, a bill that would effectively allow the sale of
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
U.S. Ethanol Group Clashes with Icahn over Details of Biofuels Negotiation
by Chris Prentis and Jennifer Ablan (Reuters/Yahoo!Finance) The head of the Renewable Fuels Association says billionaire investor Carl Icahn told him last week President Donald Trump was about to issue an order overhauling the U.S. biofuels program - something both
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Icahn on Point on RFS
by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) Carl Icahn was the administration official who called Bob Dinneen, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, and told him an executive order changing the Renewable Fuel Standard is on the way, Dinneen told Reuters. Dinneen
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Heard on the Floor at ABLC 2017 – Day 2
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ABLC guests heard Governor Paul LePage from Maine invite all of us to his beautiful Northern state that has many existing and promising biomass projects and even backyard farms that grow tomatoes year round
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Releases New Analysis on Reasons Why Not to Change the Renewable Fuel Standard PO
(Biofuels International) Growth Energy has released economic analysis that it says “identifies numerous problems” associated with changing the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) point of obligation. The US ethanol trade body strongly supports EPA’s proposed denial to move the point of obligation. “Changing the
March 03, 2017 Read Full Article
RVO Clarity by June Top Priority for Biofuels Industry Leaders
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Amid an animated discussion of policy issues, one item gained the support of all five panelists: publication of the Renewable Fuels Standard renewable volume obligations for 2017 and 2018 by June, on schedule. Moderated by
March 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Report Analyzes the Use of Biogas-Derived Electricity To Power Electric Vehicles
(U.S. Department of Energy) With joint funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Strategic Programs, Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), and Vehicle Technologies Office, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) published a report titled Analyzing the Impacts of a Biogas-to-Electricity
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
The RFS in 2017: A Brave New World
by Michael McAdams (Biomass Magazine) ... First, we must finalize the 2017 renewable volume obligation (RVO) rule for the RFS program. Second, we must push for the 2018 mandates to be published before the Nov. 30 deadline to send a strong
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Battle Escalates Amid Rumors of RFA-Icahn Deal
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) (R)umors of a deal surfaced between the Renewable Fuels Association and Carl Icahn, shifting renewable fuel obligations away from oil refiners, in return for Icahn’s support for a Reid Vapor Pressure waiver for E15 ethanol that
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Advocates Critical of EPA Proposed RFS Revisions in REGS
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The comment period for the U.S. EPA’s rule revisions to the renewable fuel standard (RFS) have closed, with 254 comments posted to regulations.gov regarding the Renewables Enhancements and Growth Support Rule, dubbed REGS. ... In its
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
IRFA: ‘Merchant Refiners Not Paying for RINs’
(Iowa Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... The main argument of the petitioners is that they are paying for millions of dollars of RINs to meet their RFS obligations, and that this is somehow unfair and inequitable. Yet, a review
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Interview: AFPM President Calls for Biofuels Regulation Reform, End of RFS
by Josh Pedrick (Platts) The US ethanol market is ready to stand without support from government regulations and the Renewable Fuel Standard should be repealed, Chet Thompson, president of the American Fuel and Petrochemicals Manufacturers organization, said this week in an
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Better Science, Better Fuels
by Stephen Rapundalo (Morning Consult/MichBio) The United States Department of Agriculture just dropped a truth bomb. According to the agency’s new landmark report, the carbon benefits associated with homegrown ethanol have far surpassed previous expectations and continue to improve thanks
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Signals He's Backing away from Ethanol Mandate
by Timothy P. Carney (Washington Examiner) ... Ethanol mandate champions, such as Obama Agriculture Secretary and former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack started worrying aloud in December that Trump might abandon the ethanol mandate. The letter President Trump just sent to the National