by Kim Norvell (Des Moines Register) ... U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and former senators Jim Webb and Rick Santorum were invited by the agricultural network to a taping of its Rural Town Hall, a one-hour TV show where presidential candidates discuss their
Regulations-Federal
Back TO HOMEThe Grand Vision Realized
by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today) ... In 2006 Indiana was in the midst of a revolution, a revolution that would change the fabric of the Hoosier farm economy forever. Ethanol plants were popping up around the state like marestail. In
September 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Executives Criticize RFS Delays on Cellulosic Growth
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Executives from the advanced biofuels industry are criticizing the Obama Administration for not adhering to its promise to support the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). They say the lack of adhering to mandates has undercut investment in
September 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Your Guide To Dieselgate: Volkswagen's Diesel Cheating Catastrophe
by Patrick George (Jalopnik) Yes, it’s a catastrophe. There’s no other way to describe the allegations from the Environmental Protection Agency that Volkswagen cheated on their emissions tests with nearly half a million TDI diesel cars. What’s at stake here?
September 21, 2015 Read Full Article
White House Needs Political Courage to Support RFS Targets, Climate Goals
(25 x '25) DOE late last week issued its second Quadrennial Technology Review (QTR), which department officials say examines the current status of clean energy technologies and identifies hundreds of clean energy research opportunities. ... So while the Obama administration would use
September 17, 2015 Read Full Article
RFS a ‘Vital’ Tool for Addressing Climate Change — McCarthy
by Amanda Peterka (E&E/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy today said that the renewable fuel standard is a “vital” tool for addressing climate change and that her agency is committed to building up the domestic biofuels industry. But she cautioned
September 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Bernie Sanders Embraces Corn Power
by Alan Bjerja (Bloomberg) Will the Vermont senator's thumbs-up for ethanol spell problems for Hillary Clinton in the heartland? ... The statement praising Sanders came after a Sunday interview on Iowa TV in which the Vermont senator embraced corn-based ethanol and the
September 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Urban Air Iniative: Real Economic Harm Is to Keep Using Gasoline
(Urban Air Initiative/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Officials from the Urban Air Initiative called the recent effort by the American Petroleum Institute to discredit ethanol a smokescreen to hide the fact that the toxic components in gasoline are endangering the lives of millions
September 14, 2015 Read Full Article
FDA Releases Details of FSMA Rule, Extends Compliance Deadlines
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Meeting a court directed deadline, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration submitted the final rule for the Food Safety Modernization Act for publication at the end of August, releasing information on its website on
September 11, 2015 Read Full Article
US Cannot Abandon Biofuels Global Leadership
by Bliss Baker (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Global Renewable Fuels Association) ... Since then it has helped the U.S. diversify its energy supply mix, eased dependence on foreign oil and boosted rural economies across the country. This success has been envied and emulated
September 11, 2015 Read Full Article
API Study Claims RFS Damage: Biofuel Producers Pan Oil Industry Study Attacking Ethanol
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) ... Biofuels interest groups denounced the study as a rehash of a similar effort in 2012 that made predictions that were provably false. ... Biofuels interest groups countered that the NERA study is just a
September 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Is U.S. Commitment to Renewable Fuels Waning?
by John Sedbrook (Chicago Business) ... The Obama administration has taken laudable strides to reconcile fossil fuel dependence and climate change. In the past few months, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced new efforts to curb emissions from airlines, heavy-duty trucks
September 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Study: US Ethanol Mandates Could Cause Severe Harm to Consumers, Economy
(American Petroleum Institute) The statutory biofuel mandates under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) are infeasible to achieve in 2015 and beyond and could cause severe harm to consumers and the U.S. economy, according to a study by NERA Economic Consulting
September 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Aviation and Greenhouse Gas Reductions: A Role for Renewable Jet Fuels
by Tom Ewing (Renewable Energy World) In a July 1 Federal Register notice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented plans to control greenhouse gases (GHG) from aircraft. In August, in Washington, D.C., EPA held a hearing on its proposal.
September 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Fuels America Ad Targets Obama, Decries RFS Proposal
(Fuels America/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Fuels America is sponsoring a full page ad Monday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, aimed at President Obama during his appearance at the National Clean Energy Summit in Nevada, where he is the keynote speaker. The ad
August 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Is the Third Time the Charm?
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) ... As many of you know, the RFS was created to “reduce dependence on foreign sources of petroleum, increase domestic sources of energy, and help transition to alternatives to petroleum in the transportation sector”
August 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Food Waste And Beef Fat Will Be Making Airplanes Soar
by Abbie Fentress Swanson (National Public Radio) ... A growing number of biofuel producers are teaming up with farms, meatpackers and waste management companies to tap gassy waste to meet new demand for renewable jet fuel and diesel for vehicles. Lots of
August 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Do Liberals Hate Biofuels?
by Douglas L. Faulkner (Biofuels Digest) Most liberals don’t hate biofuels. But most don’t love them either, mainly because of their underlying environmental concerns about first-generation biofuels, corn starch ethanol and soy biodiesel. The left’s deep ambivalence toward biofuels is thus
August 28, 2015 Read Full Article
In Iowa, Clinton Backs Ethanol as Part of Rural Aid Plan
By Anne Gearan (The Washington Post) ... The Democratic front-runner’s rural aid package contains an endorsement for ethanol, the corn-based fuel additive. Iowa is the world’s largest producer of ethanol, which is at the center of an environmental and resources debate
August 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Reading the Green Like a Pro—Heavy Duty Truck GHG Phase 2 Mandates Can Help You Ace It!
by Fran Flynn (Biofuels Digest/ Fleet Advantage) On the putting green, the golfer who putts last has the advantage of watching his predecessor ‘show him the line. ... On June 19, 2015 the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Anthony R.
August 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Is Cellulosic Biofuel Ready for Prime Time?
by Rob Nikolewski (Watchdog.org) ... Brooke Coleman, executive director at the Advanced Ethanol Council, counters by saying the industry is at an inherent disadvantage compared to oil companies and is ready for prime time. “Once cellulosic biofuel breaks through on a commercial
August 25, 2015 Read Full Article
E15, E85 at Retail Gas Stations Highlighted at ACE Conference
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The argument that consumers don’t want E15 because they aren’t asking for it doesn’t ring true with Ron Lamberty, senior vice president for the American Coalition for Ethanol. At the ACE conference, held Aug.
August 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Butamax, Gevo Settle, Will Work Together on Market Development
(Gevo/Butamax/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Gevo Inc. and Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC, a joint venture between BP and DuPont, announced that they have entered into worldwide patent cross-license and settlement agreements, ending a patent dispute related to technologies for the production of
August 24, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Issues 2 Proposals to Reduce Landfill Gas Emissions
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On Aug. 14, the U.S. EPA issued two proposals to further reduce emissions of methane-rich gas from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. Under the proposals, new, modified and existing landfills would begin collecting and controlling
August 21, 2015 Read Full Article
RFA Tells AMA to Stop Spreading Misinformation about E15
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) released the following statement in response to a press release issued by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), in which the group calls on motorcycle riders to support legislation that would amend the
August 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Methane’s Sputnik Moment? The 7 Hottest Meth Techs to Watch, as US Methane Regulation Steps up
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Are these 7 companies the big winners from the EPA’s proposed rules for oil & gas well methane emissions? -- In Washington, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a set of new regulations for the oil &
August 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Natural Gas-Fueled Buses and Trucks: Will the Climate Really Benefit?
by Jonathan Camuzeaux (Environmental Defense Fund) At a time when companies and governments are looking more closely at alternative fuel sources to reduce their environmental impact, many players in the transportation sector are considering shifting their bus or commercial truck fleets
August 20, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA More Enemy than Ally to Ethanol
by Mike Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) There is a long history of antagonism and sometimes outward hostility by the EPA toward ethanol, writes Mike Bryan. -- Most of us find it strange and frustrating that we are continually at loggerheads with
August 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Reps. Keith Ripp and Andy Jorgensen: Weakening Renewable Fuel Standard Would Hurt Rural Wisconsin
by Reps. Keith Ripp and Andy Jorgensen (Wisconsin State Journal) ... We are proud to support the Renewable Fuel Standard despite the fact that the two of us hail from different political parties. And we are not the only example of the bipartisan
August 19, 2015 Read Full Article
The Limits of Obama’s New Rules on Pollution
(The Washington Post) Editorial: THE OBAMA administration released new pollution rules on oil and natural gas production Tuesday to predictable howls from industry. The danger, though, is that the rules won’t do enough to achieve the United States’ climate goals. ... The agency
August 19, 2015 Read Full Article
7 Blendwall Busters
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What are the infrastructure hold-ups with renewable fuels? What are 7 Blend Wall Busters that can get renewable fuels back into high gear? ... Between 13.5 billion gallons and the 36 billion gallon target envisioned by
August 19, 2015 Read Full Article
That Blend Wall Buster, Renewable Natural Gas: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If the outlook on cellulosic biofuels is relatively bullish in 2015 compared to 2014 — Last year, there were 33.0 million RINs generated for cellulosic biofuels; this year 36.9 million RINs and we’re only in
August 19, 2015 Read Full Article
California to Be One of the Top Beneficiaries From New Truck Greenhouse Gas and Fuel Efficiency Rules
(Diesel Technology Forum) Success depends on fuel-neutral approach, nationwide uniformity and harmonization ... He (Tom Fulks, representing the Diesel Technology Forum, to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials during today’s hearing on the proposed truck regulations in
August 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Letter Urges Recognition of the Carbon Neutrality of Bioenergy
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On July 31, 154 members of the U.S. House of Representatives issued a letter to the USDA, U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. EPA urging the recognition of carbon neutrality of biomass energy. “We write to
August 18, 2015 Read Full Article
RFS Has Positive Impact on Rural Nebraska
by Eric Kamler Geneva (The Independent/Journal-Star) This month marks the 10th anniversary since President George W. Bush signed the Renewable Fuel Standard into law. The RFS has spurred billions of dollars in investments in biofuel technology, boosted our state and
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Shedding Light on U.S. Biofuels: The 'Food versus Fuel' Debate
by Stephanie Mercier (Ag Web) The U.S. biofuels sector marks its birth back in 1979, when Congress established a blender’s credit for ethanol as the earliest piece of federal biofuel policy as part of the Energy Tax Act of 1978 as
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
RFA Asks EPA to Provide Relief to Midwest Consumers in Wake of Refinery Outage
(Renewable Fuels Association) Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen issued the following statement in response to the shutdown of the BP 240,000-barrels-per-day refinery in Whiting, Indiana, which has caused gasoline prices to spike in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio,
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA’s 'MOVES' Could Cripple Higher Ethanol Blends
by Dave VanderGriend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ICM/Urban Air Initiative) ... The RFS is very important to our industry, but focusing on it alone, has caused us to take our eye off the dealer. The down card trumps everything in the deck and it’s
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Huckabee Defends Biofuels, Digs at Clinton
by Philip Basher (AgriPulse) ... Huckabee also defended the Renewable Fuel Standard, arguing that it wasn't hypocritical to be conservative and also support the biofuel usage mandates on refiners. He suggested the government was morally obligated to keep the mandates in
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Bush Attacks Regulations as He Seeks Iowa Breakout
by Philip Brasher (AgriPulse) ... Some of the issues, most notably the Renewable Fuel Standard, also can put candidates on the spot between powerful GOP interests. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad brought up the RFS as he accompanied Bush to the Iowa Pork
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA’s Plan Puts 1MM Cars-Worth of Emissions Back on the Road: Report
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A proposal by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to change ethanol blending rules would significantly increase carbon emissions to the equivalent of adding nearly one million more passenger vehicles on the road, according to an
August 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Role of Biomass Not Yet Finalized in EPA’s Clean Power Plan – But Signs Are Promising
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... The Framework for Assessing Biogenic CO2 Emissions from Stationary Sources, which will codify how power generation with low-carbon biomass can be used as a compliance mechanism for the Plan, has not yet been released. Despite the
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Growth Energy: AAA Gets It Wrong Again
(Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Recently the American Automobile Association filed comments concerning the U.S. EPA’s renewable fuel standard (RFS) renewable volume obligation (RVO) proposed rule for 2014 through 2016. Once again, AAA has shown its ignorance on issues when it
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Celebrating a Decade of Success: The RFS Turns 10!
(Renewable Fuels Association) This Saturday marks 10 years since the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) containing the original Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The first RFS set America on a path
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
50 Grassroots Events Planned in Support of Renewable Fuel Standard
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, more than fifty grassroots events are now scheduled take place at state and county fairs throughout the month of August, starting August 7th. Farmers and consumers will have the chance to inform and
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Posts Information on GM/Synbio Algae Project
(Bergeson & Campbell) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last week that it is developing a project intended to support public dialog concerning the development and use of synthetic biology (synbio). EPA has oversight responsibility for the production and
August 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Viewpoint: Why the EPA Must Move forward with Biofuels
by Richard Childress (Charlotte Observer) As a former NASCAR driver and current team owner, I know a thing or two about engines, performance and fuel. My team’s success depends on using the best technology to get the best results. I
August 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Guest Viewpoint: America Pays the Price for Federal Downsizing of Ethanol Rules
by John Caupert (National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center/Belleville News Democrat) ... Beyond economic and environmental impact, one has to wonder about the wisdom of proposed rules from a federal agency that moves to regulate greenhouse gases for airlines with one action, but
August 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Tensions over U.S. Electric Vehicle Mandates Spill into the Open
by Joseph White (PlanetArk) A long-simmering dispute between automakers and U.S. regulators over policies to promote electric vehicles spilled into the open on Tuesday, in the high stakes struggle over the future of automotive technology. The heads of two major lobby groups
August 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary, aka Clean Power Plan
(Environmental Protection Agency) The EPA Administrator, Gina McCarthy, signed the following notice on 8/3/2015, and EPA is submitting it for publication in the Federal Register (FR). While we have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this Internet version of
August 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Editorial: Obama's Clean Energy Plan Doesn't Go Far Enough
(Los Angeles Times) ... More important than the dollar amount are the greater losses of life, home and habitat expected to result from rising seas, weather catastrophes and changes in the environment that will affect the ability to grow food or
August 05, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Releases Clean Power Plan, Uncertainty for Biomass Remains
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA has released the final Clean Power Plan rules, which contain some key changes from the original rule, as well as vague language related to using certain kinds of biomass fuel as a
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
RFA Applauds EPA for Recalculating 2014 Ethanol Export Estimates
(Renewable Fuels Association) Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Bob Dinneen applauded a recent decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recalculate its ethanol export estimates for 2014. In a memorandum, which was placed on the RVO docket
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Obama Climate Plan Revives Talk of a Carbon Tax
by Ben Geman (National Journal) Sweeping power-plant regulations would enable states to use pollution trading, fees to cut heat-trapping emissions. ... In a change from the draft plan, the final EPA rule now explicitly says states can use "fees" (i.e., taxes)
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
How to Detect Nonsense about Climate Change
by Stephen Stromberg (The Washington Post) The final version of the Clean Power Plan, President Obama’s signature climate change policy, came out on Monday. Here’s how to tell whether the politicians, special interests and commentators you’re going to hear talking
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA's Endorsement of Carbon Utilization in Clean Power Plan A Huge Win for Algae Industry
(Algae Biomass Organization) Opens the door for projects to convert waste CO2 into valuable products -- The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s release of the final
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
EESI Asks EPA to Focus on Steps to Increase Volumes of Advanced and Cellulosic Fuels
(Energy and Environmental Study Institute) ... In comments to EPA, EESI points out that when Congress was debating the Renewable Fuel Standard, the meaning of “adequate domestic supply” was defined as qualifying fuel – not infrastructure constraints. For the first time,
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Grassley Defends Extending Tax Credits for Renewable Energy
by James Q. Lynch (Iowa Farmer Today) It’s been a big week for renewable fuels, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley after the Senate Finance Committee voted 23-3 to approve extending tax credits for wind energy, biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol. He called
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Industry’s Withering Critique of EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard Proposals for 2014, 2015, 2016: The Digested Version
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Heard dire comments like “POET expects to stop all future U.S. cellulosic investments if EPA’s proposed base renewable fuel requirements are not strengthened.” Want to understand the substantive concerns on the Renewable Fuel Standard, but
July 31, 2015 Read Full Article
Big Oil’s Mouthpiece Distorts the Facts
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/The Hill) Sofie E. Miller may have left the Charles Koch Institute in 2012, but she clearly continues to do the bidding of her former employer and the rest of the oil industry (“RFS hurts
July 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Refiners, Former White House Official Ask EPA to Tweak Biofuels Program
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) Independent oil refiners and a former White House official have urged U.S. regulators to tweak the U.S. biofuels program to shift responsibility for complying from refiners to fuel blenders, according to public comments on a government
July 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Critics Pound RFS in House Hearing-- Growth Energy Slams Decision to Exclude Ethanol Industry Groups From Hearing
by Tom Neeley (DTN/The Progressive Farmer) Though odds are slim Congress will take up legislation to reform the Renewable Fuel Standard anytime soon, a combined hearing of the House subcommittees on energy and oversight Thursday kept that possibility alive by
July 28, 2015 Read Full Article
NM Lawmakers Call on Administration to Curb Natural Gas Waste Causing Methane Hot Spot Over San Juan Basin
(Office of Senator Tom Udall (D-NM)) In a letter this week to Office of Management and Budget (OPM) Director Shaun Donovan, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham called for
July 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Poultry Industry Critical of O'Malley's Stance on Biofuel
by John Fritze (Baltimore Sun) ... Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, is winning praise from corn farmers in Iowa for his support of a federal mandate to blend biofuels into gasoline. But the
July 28, 2015 Read Full Article
200,000 Comments on the Renewable Fuel Standard Delivered to EPA: “Stand by Me” Says Rural US to Washington
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, representatives from Fuels America and other advocates for “clean, secure, American energy” delivered over 200,000 comments to the EPA in support of a strong final rule under the Renewable Fuel Standard. This show
July 28, 2015 Read Full Article
ACORE Submits Comments on Renewable Fuel Standard
(American Council On Renewable Energy) Calls for EPA to revise 2014-2016 renewable volume obligations to more accurately reflect the production capabilities of the biofuels industry. -- Today (July 27, 2015), the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) submitted comments to the U.S. Environment
July 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Big Oil and Big Corn Blitz EPA on Biofuels Plan
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) U.S. farmers, biofuel makers, and oil companies have mounted last-ditch efforts to push regulators to overhaul a controversial plan for biofuel use, homing in on the price Americans pay for gasoline mixed with such fuels as
July 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Ricketts, Reynolds Rally against Feds’ Plan for Ethanol Cut
by Russell Hubbard (Omaha World-Herald) In a seldom-seen cross-border stand in support of ethanol, the governors of Nebraska and Iowa on Friday urged an embrace of the corn-derived motor fuel as a crucial local industry with vast economic development prospects
July 28, 2015 Read Full Article
RFS Deadline Nears / Move to Expand Biodiesel Questioned
by Todd Nealey (DTN/The Progressive Farmer) ... Both biofuels and oil industry officials offered hints as to the direction potential lawsuits could take once EPA finalizes the rule that would provide a bump to biomass-based diesel volumes while still cutting the
July 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Biogas! The Big Cellulosic Fuel Breakthrough?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Already, biogas as a renewable fuel is accounting for 90% of all cellulosic RIN production under the Renewable Fuel Standard. Food and paper manufacturers, ethanol & biodiesel plants, cities, landfill operators, and animal feeding operations
July 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Advocating for Ethanol: Walz Visits Janesville Plant
by Philip Weyhe (Janesville Argus) First District Congressman Tim Walz, D-Mankato, stopped by Guardian Energy in Janesville Friday morning with his sights set on highlighting ethanol production as an “all-American” and efficient energy solutions service. After the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent
July 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Thirty-Six Senators Call for Biodiesel Growth
(National Biodiesel Board) Republicans and Democrats Urge EPA to Strengthen RFS Proposal -- Thirty-six U.S. senators from across the country urged the Obama administration Monday to strengthen biodiesel volumes in a pending Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) proposal from the EPA. “While the
July 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Standards Continue to Work
by Dave Eckhardt (Colorado Corn Growers Association/Pueblo Chieftan) ... Perhaps the EPA has forgotten the RFS is working. It’s helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Last year, ethanol lowered CO2-equivalent GHG emissions from transportation by 39.6 million metric tons — akin to
July 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Working to Benefit Brazil, America, the World
by Leticia Phillips (UNICA/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Brazil and the U.S. have a responsibility to collaboratively build a global biofuels market, writes Leticia Phillips of UNICA, following a visit between Brazilian President and President Obama. In late June, Brazilian President Dilma
July 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Court Dismisses E30 Test Fuel Case, But Decision Could Help Open Door for Mid-Level Blends
by Laura Small (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On July 14, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a petition from the Energy Future Coalition and other biofuel interests to review an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation requiring test fuels
July 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Federal Court Slams Ethanol and EPA in One Ruling
by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) A federal appeals court slammed the ethanol industry on Tuesday for suing the Environmental Protection Agency, and then slammed the EPA's defense even though the agency won the case. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals threw
July 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Policy Lagging
by Ken McCauley (Garden City Telegram) ... American farmers stepped up when called upon, increasing production levels of corn ethanol to meet the growing standards. We restructured our production plants and ways of life to help wean the United States off
July 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Biotechnology: White House Directs EPA, FDA, and USDA to Update the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology
(Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.) With little fanfare or advanced notice to the general public, on July 2, 2015, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the U.S. Trade Representative, and
July 06, 2015 Read Full Article
ACE: Fuel Retailers Counter EPA's Blend Wall Assumptions
(American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Station owners who offer ethanol blends above 10 percent are gaining increased sales and higher customer counts, contrary to assumptions made by the U.S. EPA in its recent proposal that would reduce the amount
July 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Washington Should Help Capitalize Green Banks
by Mark Muro and Reed Hundt (The Brookings Institution) ... While the federal government has not been able to lead on the design of modern clean energy and infrastructure finance entities, it now has the opportunity, with its billions of underutilized
July 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol for All, And Then Some
by Robert Rapier (Investing Daily) ... If less fuel is being produced than the mandated level, it drives up the price of the RIN and in theory increases the incentive to produce the fuel (which is the intent of the system). For
July 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Nearly Half of Senate Writes Urging for Streamlined Support for Forest Bioenergy
by Megan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, nearly half of the US Senate has written to the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Energy and the EPA administrator strongly urging the agencies to streamline support of biomass for energy across all
July 02, 2015 Read Full Article
GOP Bill Would Repeal Federal Ethanol Mandate
By Timothy Cama (The Hill) A new Republican bill introduced Tuesday (June 16, 2015) would completely repeal the federal mandate to blend ethanol into the nation’s gasoline supply. Sen. Bill Cassidy’s (R-La.) legislation would completely do away with the renewable fuel
July 01, 2015 Read Full Article
A Look at EPA’s RVO Proposal
by Michael McAdams (Biomass Magazine) ... For the next-generation biofuels industry, this proposed rule represents a solid improvement, especially for those in the advanced and biomass-based diesel pool, as well as those in the cellulosic pool seeking a concrete signal of
June 30, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Potential Biofuel Winners From EPA Targeting Aircraft Emissions
by Jon C. Ogg (24/7 Wall Street) ... The EPA is now seeking public input to inform future steps by the agency regarding emissions from the commercial airline sector. While the effort is new, this has been coming for years. One
June 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable-Fuel Advocates Turn out at KCK Hearing, Give the EPA an Earful on Reducing Ethanol Targets
by Greg Hack and Kasia Kovacs (Kansas City Star) When the Environmental Protection Agency proposed lowering the country’s ethanol-use mandates for this year and next, it set up a public hearing to let people tell it what they thought. On
June 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Once Shunned for Oil, Ethanol Makes a Return to U.S. Rails
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Sinking lease rates, weak crude prices and tough new safety measures for transporting oil by rail have spurred a resurgence in hauling ethanol on the U.S. rail network, as some train companies convert tank cars
June 26, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Hearings on Renewable Fuel Standard: Statement by DuPont
(Biofuels Digest) “DuPont believes the proposed 2014 to 2016 Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) rule is misguided and is a major step backward. Since the RFS was first enacted, the United States has quickly risen to lead the world in biofuels
June 26, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Hearings on Renewable Fuel Standard: Testimony of Brian Jennings, EVP, American Coalition for Ethanol
(Biofuels Digest) Thank you, my name is Brian Jennings, and I’m the Executive Vice President of the American Coalition for Ethanol. I’m pleased to report that more than 100 people representing ACE member companies will testify at today’s hearing, as
June 26, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Hearings on Renewable Fuel Standard: Testimony of Geoff Cooper, Senior Vice President at the Renewable Fuels Association
(Biofuels Digest) Good morning, my name is Geoff Cooper and I am representing the Renewable Fuels Association. By any measure, the RFS has been a tremendous success. It has stimulated growth in biofuel production, revitalized rural economies, reduced GHG emissions,
June 26, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Hearings on Renewable Fuel Standard: Testimony of Steve Murphy, GM, POET Biorefining-Laddonia & POET Biorefining – Macon
(Biofuels Digest) Good afternoon, My name is Steve Murphy and I am the General Manager for two POET Biorefining plants. ... I am here to make one and only one point today. What this proposed rule does will harm those who
June 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Senator Amy Klobuchar: Keynote Address at the DOE Bioenergy 2015 Conference
by Senator Amy Kolbuchar (Biofuels Digest/Bioenergy 2015) I want to spend a moment looking at the badness in our energy policy, with a look back in history. Our first bad moment was after 9/11, we were united and the President
June 25, 2015 Read Full Article
FREEDOMWORKS KEY-VOTES RFS AMENDMENT
(Politico Morning Energy/Bay Planning Coalition) The House won’t take any votes on its Interior-EPA appropriations bill until next month, but a conservative group already is urging Republicans to back an amendment to defund the Renewable Fuel Standard. FreedomWorks sent the
June 25, 2015 Read Full Article
The Need For A New Fuel Paradigm: Transitioning From Legacy Fuels to Modern Efficient Fuels
by Bill Brandon (Leaders in Energy) ... This two-part White Paper presents the proposition that we need to transition away from the legacy fuels we use today to modern liquid and gas fuels[1] that: 1) reduce or eliminate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
June 25, 2015 Read Full Article
Up with Octane and Down with Aromatics: Continuing Health Risks with Petroleum Fuels and the Need for Engine Efficiency
by Bill Brandon (Leaders in Energy) Our country has seen many transitions in travel technologies and fuels. In the first installment I reviewed our transition from 1) barley and oats for our horses and mules to high carbohydrate corn for
June 25, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Report from Washington DC
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) ... Regarding the June 25 public hearing on EPA’s proposed volume obligations under the RFS, Dinneen says the agency has already received about 250 requests to testify and he is encouraging everyone possible to turnout. “I want
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Public Hearing for the 2014, 2015, and 2016 Standards for the Renewable Fuel Standard Program
(US Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a public hearing to be held in Kansas City, Kansas on June 25, 2015 for the proposed rule ‘‘Renewable Fuel Standard Program: Standards for 2014, 2015, and
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Franken Discusses RFS
by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) Minnesota Senator Al Franken calls the revised Renewable Fuels Standard an improvement from EPA’s proposal two years ago but still a step backwards for the industry. Franken tells Brownfield he went right to President Obama after
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels a Potential Election-Year Issue for Iowa Voters
by Christopher Doering (Des Moines Register) Renewable fuels could be an issue in the race for the White House as indecisive voters in Iowa look for a way to whittle down a crowded field of Republican candidates, trade groups and polling
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Implementing the RFS with a "Push" Strategy: What Happens after 2016?
by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (FarmDocDaily) .. In our first farmdoc daily article (June 3, 2015) after the release of the (RVO) proposal, we analyzed whether the renewable (ethanol) mandates proposed by the EPA, while lower than statutory levels, were still
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Publishes Final Rules on Biobased Products
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On June 15, the USDA’s Office of Procurement and Property Management published two final rules in the Federal Register related to biobased products. One rule amends regulations concerning the voluntary labeling program for biobased products,
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Farmers, Biofuel Industry Calls on Congress to Leave RFS Alone
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On June 17, Fuels America hosted a press call during which American farmers and representatives of the biofuel industry discussed how legislative changes to the renewable fuel standard (RFS) would threaten America’s security, consumers, climate
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Renewable Fuel Standard Management Scrutinized at Hearing
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) U.S. EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Janet McCabe fielded dozens of hard questions and endured heavy scrutiny during a June 18 hearing held to discuss the agency’s management of the federal renewable fuel standard (RFS). Chairing the hearing
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Washington Finds Unlikely Ally in OPEC as Biofuels Debate Rages
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) The lowest oil prices in over six years have fueled a resurgence in U.S. gasoline use in recent months as more Americans take to the road. Demand is expected to climb 1.5 percent this year to nearly
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
U.S. Researchers See Auto Fuel Standards Driving Technology
by David Morgan (Planet Ark) U.S. cars and light trucks will become more fuel efficient and safer -- but also more expensive -- by the end of the next decade, as a result of increasingly stringent environmental standards, a new research
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
NASCAR Fans Support Ethanol, Reach Out to EPA
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) NASCAR fans are serving as an important source for support of ethanol and letting the Obama Administration know their displeasure over the government’s proposal on how much of the green fuel is to be mixed into
June 18, 2015 Read Full Article
What Food Safety Act Means for Ethanol Plants
Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law in 2011 and this summer the rulemaking for the new act might finally be complete. Because it includes safety of animal food as well as human food,
June 18, 2015 Read Full Article
In Blow to Big Oil, EPA Says Oil Refiners Recover RINs Costs
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) Oil companies ultimately recover their costs of complying with the U.S. biofuels program, according to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analysis that marks the regulator's clearest challenge yet to a key criticism of the policy. The report,
June 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Future Fuels: Can Biofuels Make Gasoline Cleaner, Cheaper?
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Governors' Biofuels Coalition held a briefing examining the current state and potential future of the transportation fuel supply. While combustion engines are more efficient and cleaner
June 12, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Finding on Aircraft Emissions Can't Be Counted on to Motivate Biofuels Development and Deployment
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) In the world of renewable jet fuel, hopes that the Environmental Protection Agency's finding that greenhouse gases from aircraft pose a risk to human health might lead to incentives for development and use of aviation
June 12, 2015 Read Full Article
U.S. EPA Moves toward Regulating Aircraft Emissions
by Valerie Volcovici (Planet Ark) Agency announces an Aug. 11 hearing, a 60-day window for the public to weigh in -- The Obama administration on Wednesday released a scientific finding that greenhouse gases from aircraft pose a risk to human health,
June 11, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Seeks Input on RIN Quality Assurance Plan ICR
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA recently published a notice in the Federal Register soliciting public comments on a proposed information collection request (ICR) related to the voluntary renewable identification number (RIN) quality assurance program under the
June 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Corn Growers Concerned with Renewable Fuel Standard Volumes
(WNAX) National Corn Grower Association members are concerned with the recent volume proposal put out by the Environmental Protection Agency for the Renewable Fuel Standard. NCGA leaders say with their proposal, the EPA has cut 3.75 billion gallons of corn
June 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Determination of the R Factor for Fuel Economy Calculations Using Ethanol-Blended Fuels over Two Test Cycles
by C. Scott Sluder, C., Brian West, Aron Butler, Arvon L. Mitcham, et al. (SAE) During the 1980s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) incorporated the R factor into fuel economy calculations in order to address concerns about the impacts of
June 04, 2015 Read Full Article
High Octane Ethanol Blends for Improved Vehicle Efficiency
by Brian West (Oak Ridge National Laboratory/AmazonAWS.com) Presentation for Hudson Institute Conference, "Fueling American Growth" May 7, 2015 READ MORE and MORE (SAE)
June 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels under Attack: Same Old Story
by Chuck Grassley (The Iowa Republican) ... Consumers like biofuels. The idea of a homegrown product that reduces emissions harmful to the environment and brings the United States freedom from volatile oil-producing countries is appealing. The EPA should know this. Instead, the
June 03, 2015 Read Full Article
U.S. May Take First Step to Curb Airline Emissions This Week: Sources
by Valerie Volcovici (Planet Ark/Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans as soon as Friday to determine whether carbon dioxide from aircraft endangers public health, a first step to regulating emissions from the aviation sector, sources familiar with the rulemaking
June 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Why Is Obama Allowing Big Oil To Kill Biofuels?
by Ronnie Shows (The Daily Caller) As the first legislator to introduce a biofuels bill in the Mississippi State House, I am deeply concerned that the Obama administration is making a huge mistake when it comes to determining the United
June 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Expansion in U.S. Ethanol on Hold after Blending Targets Slashed
by Michael Hirtzer (Reuters) Expansion in the U.S. ethanol industry, stuck in neutral for more than a year as the government debated biofuel blending requirements, is now likely to come to a screeching halt. With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last
June 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Wanted: Antibiotic-Free Chicken
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Consumer-driven changes peck their way up the food chain to distillers grains producers. ... The move to minimize or eliminate nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in meat production is a response to the increasing
June 02, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Slashes Biofuels Targets for 2014, 2015, 2016 under Renewable Fuel Standard
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “EPA continues to assert authority under the general waiver provision to reduce biofuel volumes based on available infrastructure,” says BIO. “This is a point that will have to be litigated. It goes against Congressional intent.” In
May 29, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Adherence to “Blend Wall” Damages Advanced Fuels
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) regrets that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in releasing renewable fuel volumes for 2014, 2015 and 2016, artificially caps renewable fuels at under 10 percent of the U.S.
May 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Makers Say EPA Waivers Siphon Away Their Buyers
by Mark Drajem (Bloomberg Business) Companies that make fuel from corn stalks or landfill gas say a federal program designed to help them has a loophole that is discouraging buyers. ... In addition, producers have been pushing the Environmental Protection Agency to close
May 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Peterson: RFS Announcement a Setback for Rural America; Grassley: EPA, Administration Fail Consumers on Biofuels
(Office of Congressman Collin Peterson) House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson today said the Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS) released today by the EPA will set back production of domestic renewable fuels and hurts the rural economy. Peterson’s statement is
May 29, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Proposes Increases in Renewable Fuel Levels
(Environmental Protection Agency) Today the EPA announced proposed volume requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016, and also proposed volume requirements for biomass-based diesel for 2017. The proposal would boost renewable fuel
May 29, 2015 Read Full Article
25x'25 Expresses Disappointment with RFS Blending Proposals; Calls on the President to Ensure Standard Maintained to 'Letter of the Law'
(25 x '25) EPA's proposed biofuel blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016, which were issued today, are, for the most, part a major disappointment and could, if not revised, make the
May 29, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Relents on Ethanol Mandate With Overdue Renewables Quota
by Mark Drajem and Mario Parker (Bloomberg) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday proposed cutting quotas for the use of renewable fuels, lowering the mandate for corn ethanol this year and next from the 15 billion gallons set by
May 29, 2015 Read Full Article
From Small Cars to Pickup Trucks, Automakers Aren’t Just Meeting Efficiency Standards, They’re Exceeding Them
(Union of Concerned Scientists) The emissions and efficiency standards for vehicles have been a big success, according to a new analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Ten percent of new passenger cars and trucks sold today already meet
May 29, 2015 Read Full Article
New Statistical Analysis: Retail Gas Prices Unaffected by Renewable Fuel Standard RIN Credits
(Renewable Fuels Association) Retail gasoline prices from 2013 through the first quarter of 2015 were unaffected by prices for “RIN credits” (Renewable Identification Numbers) that are used to demonstrate compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), according to a new
May 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Association Urges EPA to Get ”Back on Track” with Renewable Fuel Standard
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) submitted comments today to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expressing support for a proposed legal agreement that sets specific deadlines for establishing Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume
May 26, 2015 Read Full Article
King Bill Establishes Biomass Emissions as Carbon Neutral
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, has introduced legislation that aims to ensure emissions generated from sustainably harvested biomass would be considered carbon neutral under the U.S. EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan. The bill, known as “The
May 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels Decision May Signal Big Oil’s Influence in White House | Commentary
by Anne Weismann (Roll Call/ Campaign for Accountability) On June 1, the Environmental Protection Agency is scheduled to release its new plan for implementing the Renewable Fuel Standard. ... When the number finally comes out, the American people might find out
May 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Santorum Talks Ethanol and Helping Working Families
by Linh Ta (Des Moines Register) ... One of the things that's helped rural small towns and farmers, particularly in Iowa, is the Renewable Fuel Standard, (former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick) Santorum said. By using ethanol to create independent energy and stable prices,
May 19, 2015 Read Full Article
DLA Adds Biodiesel Quality Requirement to Fuel Contracts
(National Biodiesel Board) Change allows for more high quality Advanced Biofuel in Military Operations -- The Defense Logistics Agency took a major step forward in ensuring high quality biodiesel can be used seamlessly in military bases across the country. DLA, the
May 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Finally, Finally…USDA Loan Guarantees Open to Renewable Chemicals
by Corrine Young and Michele Jalbert (Renewable Chemicals and Advanced Materials Alliance (re:chem)/Biofuels Digest) ... Program changes garnered in the most recent Farm Bill reauthorization have, for the first time, broadened the loan guarantee program to include renewable chemicals and biobased products
May 19, 2015 Read Full Article
ACORE Brings Together Biofuel Industry to Publish Comments Addressing RFS Rules which Impede Advanced Biofuels Development
(American Council on Renewable Energy) ACORE Brings Together Biofuel Industry to Publish Comments Addressing RFS Rules -- Industry leaders and ACORE members take up issues with co-location requirements under the RFS which impede advanced biofuels development. Today, the American Council On Renewable
May 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Senators Show Support for Biodiesel Industry
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) ... Joining Sen. Heitkamp were Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Al Franken (D-MN), as well as biodiesel producers, who also stressed how the uncertainty caused by EPA’s misguided
May 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuel Trade Groups Discuss RFS Rulemaking, Announce Ad Campaign
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine/Ethanol Producer Magazine) On May 12, representatives of two biofuel trade organizations discussed the choice the White House and U.S. EPA face in proposing upcoming renewable volume requirements (RVOs) under the renewable fuel standard. Bob Dinneen, president
May 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Refiners Hamstrung by Chaos in RFS-Credit Market
Amanda Peterka (E&E Publishing) ... Refiners aren't buying cellulosic fuel credits through the renewable fuel standard program for what the company produces. And so Quad County has received as much as $600,000 less than expected for its wares -- a shortfall
May 12, 2015 Read Full Article
Joule, Audi Confirm Revolutionary Sunflow Fuel Meets US, EU Specs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, news arrives from Joule that the company’s CO2-recycled ethanol meets US and European fuel specifications. No one is dying of surprise that they would do so, but getting Joule fuels registered for commercial
May 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Board's Steckel Says Industry Poised to Handle Increased RFS Volume Requirements
(E&ETV/OnPoint) ... Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs at the National Biodiesel Board, discusses the challenges facing the industry as it awaits EPA's decision and talks about why she believes the industry can meet increased volume requirements. ... Senator Heidi Heitkamp wrote
May 08, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Sends Ethanol Proposals for Final Review
by Timothy Cama (The Hill) The Obama administration is conducting the last step in its review of proposed annual ethanol blending mandates for three separate years. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent the proposal, which has not been revealed publicly,
May 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Help #getbiodieselbackontrack
(National Biodiesel Board) Biodiesel fans, we need your help. Producers of America's first advanced biofuel to reach full commercial distribution have been left in limbo since rumors surfaced in 2013 that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was planning to scale
May 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Strengthening The RFS For Next-Gen Biofuels
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) There has been a great deal of conversation around the speech I recently gave at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. I would like to further explain some of the key
May 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Washington Update: Carbon And Tax Policy
By Bob Cleaves (Biomass Magazine) Biomass Power Association President Bob Cleaves discusses ongoing policy and regulatory discussions affecting the industry. ... In late March, we testified at the EPA’s Scientific Advisory Board meeting to review the Framework for Assessing Biogenic CO2
May 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Scott Walker's Stance on Ethanol Prompts Concerns
by Jason Stein (Journal Sentinel) As likely presidential candidate Scott Walker has shifted his position on a federal ethanol mandate, some of the fuel's skeptics at home in Wisconsin are wary. At an Iowa roundup for White House hopefuls in March, the
May 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Estimating Chilled Investment for Advanced Biofuels Due to RFS Uncertainty: $13.7 Billion Shortfall in Investment During Delays in Rulemaking
(Biotechnology Industry Organization) The advanced biofuel industry has invested billions of dollars since 2009 to build first-of-a-kind demonstration and commercial-scale biorefineries around the world, even during a global economic recession. Cellulosic biofuels have reached commercial status, though not at the
May 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Ellis: Why Did It Take so Long for Obama to Visit?
by Jonathan Ellis (Argus Leader) ... In 2008, Obama was the pro-ethanol candidate, while Republican John McCain was the candidate calling for an end to subsidies and mandates enjoyed by the industry. During his presidency, as much as 5 millions
May 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Transportation Dept. Gets Strict on Rules for Trains Carrying Flammable Oil
by Ashley Halsey III (The Washington Post) Almost two years after a runaway tank-car train erupted in an explosion that killed 47 people in a Canadian town, the U.S. Transportation Department on Friday announced new standards for tank-car construction, new
May 04, 2015 Read Full Article
It’s Time for EPA to Get the RFS Back on Track
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/Biofuels Digest) ... A new white paper by Harvard economist James Stock – a former member of the Obama administration’s Council of Economic Advisors – acknowledges as much. Unfortunately, the paper’s faulty analysis of the RFS