by Currey McCullough (RFD TV) Just this morning (July 19, 2022) on a call with ag reporters, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley said he and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar are sending a letter urging the EPA to increase volumes of biodiesel
Regulations-Federal
Back TO HOMERed Trail Energy Begins Carbon Capture and Storage
(Red Trail Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The first carbon capture and storage project allowed under state primacy in the U.S. has commenced operations. Red Trail Energy LLC announces it officially began carbon capture and storage (CCS) at its ethanol facility located near
July 19, 2022 Read Full Article
Forget Saudi Arabia — Biden Should Have Gone to South Dakota: Letters to the Editor for July 17
by Doug Sombke (South Dakota Farmers Union/Argus Leader/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia to beg for more oil seems unnecessary to us — he could have saved himself a long trip by coming to see what is being
July 19, 2022 Read Full Article
The Cure for High Prices
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... At gas stations across the country, the cure for high prices isn’t more high prices—it’s ethanol. Refiners and blenders can lower gas prices for consumers simply by adding more ethanol, which
July 19, 2022 Read Full Article
White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council; Notification of Virtual Public Meeting August 3-4, 2022 Public Comments DEADLINE August 18, 2022
(Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) ... Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hereby provides notice that the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) will meet on the dates and times described below. The
July 18, 2022 Read Full Article
Enhanced Disclosures by Certain Investment Advisers and Investment Companies about Environmental, Social, and Governance Investment Practices Public Comment DEADLINE: August 16, 2022
(Securities and Exchange Commission/Federal Register) The Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) is proposing to amend rules and forms under both the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”) and the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) to require registered
July 18, 2022 Read Full Article
OMB’s Spring Regulatory Agenda Includes Timelines for RFS Rules
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has indicated it will release proposed rules related to the 2023 Renewable Fuel Standard renewable volume obligation (RVO) and state requests to allow summer E15 sales within the next several months. The
July 15, 2022 Read Full Article
Biden-Harris Administration Takes Step Forward to Combat Climate Change, Announces Proposed Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Framework
(Federal Highway Administration) Today, to advance President Biden’s commitment to combat climate change and bring down costs for families, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for states and municipalities to track
July 13, 2022 Read Full Article
Oil Refiners, Unions Press U.S. EPA on Biofuel Blending Costs -Sources
by Laila Kearney and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) Oil refining company and labor union representatives pressed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at a virtual meeting last week to lower costs of the nation's biofuel blending program when it resets the policy
July 11, 2022 Read Full Article
Whatever Happened to Cellulosic Ethanol?
by David Kramer (Physics Today) Technological immaturity, falling oil prices, overoptimistic investors, and regulatory uncertainty are blamed for the failure of a promising biofuel technology to perform as hoped. -- Despite a decade and a half of big US federal investments
July 06, 2022 Read Full Article
Final Volume Standards for 2020, 2021, and 2022
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) On June 3, 2022, EPA finalized a package of actions setting biofuel volumes for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for years 2020, 2021, and 2022, and introducing regulatory changes intended to enhance the program’s objectives. Final Volume
July 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Supreme Court’s EPA Ruling Could Put Other Regs in Danger
by Rachel Frazen (The Hill) The Supreme Court’s Thursday decision curtailing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority could hamper regulations far beyond climate. The conservative majority in the 6-3 ruling found that an Obama-era power plant rule was not permissible since it didn’t have “clear
July 01, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard Pathways Expand to Include Greasezilla® Advanced Biofuel as RIN-Qualified Feedstock
(Greasezilla) The pathway increases the value of Greasezilla® ABF to the biofuels market. -- Downey Ridge Environmental Company, developer of Greasezilla®, announces that the Brown Grease Advanced Biofuel offtake produced by Greasezilla systems is now a qualified feedstock for RIN credits under
July 01, 2022 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Challenges EPA’s Decision to Excuse Refineries from Biofuel Obligations
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy filed petitions for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to excuse certain refineries from their obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In a
June 29, 2022 Read Full Article
Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods Calls for a Higher Price on Carbon
by Lindsey Jacobson (CNBC) Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods would like the U.S. government to help incentivize some of the clean energy innovations his company is developing, like biofuels and direct air capture of carbon dioxide. ... Proposing a carbon tax has been
June 26, 2022 Read Full Article
Biofuel, Ag Groups Comment on SEC Climate Disclosures Rulemaking
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) ... Growth Energy’s comments focused on the calculation of biofuel GHG emissions. “The proposed rule would require many public companies to calculate and disclose GHG emissions from throughout their entire supply chain and production cycle,” Growth Energy
June 26, 2022 Read Full Article
Clean Fuels Writes to President Biden and Outlines Industry’s Beneficial Impact on Fuel Prices
(Clean Fuels Alliance America) Clean fuel industry has maintained production and extended fuel supplies, lowering diesel prices by 4% -- Today (June 22, 2022), Clean Fuels Alliance America wrote to President Joe Biden, administration officials, and congressional leaders to say that
June 24, 2022 Read Full Article
Biden Administration Leans on Tesla for Guidance in Renewable Fuel Policy Reform
by Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) ... The administration's early and extensive outreach reflects that expanding the scope of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to make it a tool for electrifying the nation's automobile fleet is one of Biden's
June 23, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. Regulators to Propose New Tougher Vehicle Emissions Rules by March
by David Shepardson (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to propose new, more stringent vehicle emissions rules through at least the 2030 model year by March, according to a regulatory update released on Tuesday. In December, the EPA finalized new light-duty tailpipe emissions
June 22, 2022 Read Full Article
OMB’s Spring Regulatory Agenda Includes Timelines for RFS Rules
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has indicated it will release proposed rules related to the 2023 Renewable Fuel Standard renewable volume obligation (RVO) and state requests to allow summer E15 sales within the next several months. The
June 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Fabricating a Future for Biodiesel
by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) With prices for cleaner feedstocks through the roof, Tactical Fabrication and Smisson-Mathis Energy have forged an all-inclusive, turnkey model for biodiesel production based on the least desirable and lowest-cost materials. After years of development, they
June 21, 2022 Read Full Article
Why is E85 Almost $2 Cheaper Than Other Blends of Gasoline?
by Tyne Morgan (AgWeb) ... E85 is priced significantly less than other blends of fuel across the country, even $2 below at some locations. “We’re talking about a 30% to 40% discount in many cases,” says Geoff Cooper of Renewable Fuels Association
June 20, 2022 Read Full Article
Miller-Meeks, Hinson, Ernst Support New Industry Producing Carbon-Negative Cellulosic Biofuels
(Ripon Advance News Service) U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Ashley Hinson (R-IA) joined U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and their Iowa Republican colleagues in urging the Biden administration to address two ongoing rulemaking processes that could end production of bio-oil,
June 17, 2022 Read Full Article
Fuels Institute Explores Carbon Benefits of Biofuels
(NACS) The white paper will help spark conversation on finding an answer to reducing emissions from all vehicles. -- The Fuels Institute has published a new white paper that explores the carbon benefits of using biofuels, according to a news release. The
June 15, 2022 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Offer Simultaneous Economic, Environmental and National Security Benefits
by Reid Detchon and Bart Ruth (United Nations Foundation and Solutions from the Land, respectively) Why are drivers in Watertown, S.D., paying 60 cents a gallon less to fill up their gas tanks than we are? Because 30 percent of their fuel is
June 15, 2022 Read Full Article
Senators Ask GAO if SRE Denials Require Congressional Review
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Sens. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.; Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.V.; and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., are asking the U.S. Government Accountability Office to determine whether the U.S. EPA’s June 3 denial of 69 small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable
June 15, 2022 Read Full Article
NAFA Partners With ESG Integrity to Assist Its Members With SEC Requirements on Environmental And Social Governance Regulations
(Fuels Institute) ESG Integrity, a Fuels Institute program, and the National Association of Fleet Managers (NAFA) announced a partnership to assist the fuels and transportation industries with meeting the growing demand for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) planning and reporting. ESG
June 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Big Oil Built the Blend Wall
by Robert White (Renewable Fuels Association) ... In case you’ve forgotten, refiners use the term “blend wall” to refer to what they view as the upper limit of feasible ethanol use in the United States, which they peg at 10 percent
June 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Opinion: E15 Will Provide a More Affordable Domestic Fuel Option All Summer Long
by Cindy Axne (D-IA 3rd)(Agri-Pulse) As families continue to feel the crushing weight of rising gas prices – a problem without a one-size-fits-all solution – I am grateful that an environmentally friendly, homegrown fuel that’s produced in my home state of
June 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Inside Charm Industrial’s Big Bet on Corn Stalks for Carbon Removal
by James Temple (MIT Technology Review) The startup used plant matter and bio-oil to sequester thousands of tons of carbon. The question now is how reliable, scalable, and economical this approach will prove. In recent weeks, a crew of staffers from
June 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Rule Change Lets Nevada Company Turn Trash into Airplane Fuel
by Gary Martin (Las Vegas Review-Journal) A Nevada plant can begin turning tons of garbage into a synthetic oil that can be refined into fuel for airplanes after an Environmental Protection Agency rule change. After five years, the EPA finalized the rule
June 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Five Automakers Back California Authority to Set Stricter Vehicle Emissions Standards
by Rachel Frazin (The Hill) A group of five automakers is backing California’s authority to set its own standards for climate-warming emissions for vehicles amid a legal challenge from several Republican-led states. Ford, Volkswagen, BMW, Honda and Volvo on Tuesday backed the Biden administration’s decision
June 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Clearing the Air on E15 and Smog
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... In 2017 congressional testimony, Dr. Janet Yanowitz of EcoEngineering Inc., an environmental consulting firm, reviewed the existing scientific literature on E15’s emissions, concluding that “the available emissions test data indicates that replacing
June 07, 2022 Read Full Article
Meeting 2030 SAF Targets in the US and Europe Needs Rapid Action on Capacity and Feedstocks, Says Report
by Tony Harrington (GreenAir Online) A new market report by SkyNRG, the Amsterdam-based global provider of sustainable aviation fuels, predicts that both the US and Europe will fall short of their 2030 SAF targets unless production capacity is increased and fuel feedstock
June 07, 2022 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Jim Lane
"The annual RVO announce is becoming a brake on the decarbonization of US transportation instead of the accelerator it was intended by Congress to be." -- Jim Lane, publisher of Biofuels Digest, regarding the setting of renewable fuel volumes that
June 07, 2022 Read Full Article
June 2022 Denial of Petitions for RFS Small Refinery Exemptions
(Environmental Protection Agency) On June 3, 2022, EPA announced the denial of 69 petitions from small refineries seeking small refinery exemptions (SREs) from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for one or more of the compliance years between 2016 and 2021. Consistent
June 03, 2022 Read Full Article
June 2022 Alternative RFS Compliance Demonstration Approach for Certain Small Refineries
(Environmental Protection Agency) On June 3, 2022, EPA announced the denial of 69 petitions for small refinery exemptions (SRE) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. This denial action included a subset of three SRE petitions for the 2016 and 2017
June 03, 2022 Read Full Article
Proposed Alternative RIN Retirement Schedule for Small Refineries
(Environmental Protection Agency) On June 3, 2022, EPA proposed to provide an alternative RIN retirement schedule for small refineries that would provide them with additional time and a broader range of RINs to comply with their 2020 RFS obligations. EPA is
June 03, 2022 Read Full Article
Final Volume Standards for 2020, 2021, and 2022
(Environmental Protection Agency) On June 3, 2022, EPA finalized a package of actions setting biofuel volumes for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for years 2020, 2021, and 2022, and introducing regulatory changes intended to enhance the program’s objectives. Final Volume Requirements
June 03, 2022 Read Full Article
Environmental Group Urges Biden to Wean Nation's Biofuel Program off Liquid Fuels
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The Biden administration should rely less on liquid fuels like ethanol and focus more on cleaner technology like electric vehicles (EVs) and advanced biofuels when it reshapes the nation's renewable fuel program, environmental group Evergreen Action said
June 03, 2022 Read Full Article
Climate Policy Office Gets Heat
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) The White House Climate Policy Office is facing frustration over how it’s pushing President Joe Biden’s climate agenda — and its coming from its own camp, POLITICO’s Zack Colman reports. Several Democrats both in and out
June 03, 2022 Read Full Article
Undoing Trump, EPA to Empower States and Tribes to Oppose Pipelines
by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) Under the Biden administration’s proposed rule, energy infrastructure will get more scrutiny from local regulators -- The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Thursday it would seek to return authority to states to oppose gas pipelines,
June 02, 2022 Read Full Article
A Closer Look at the Carbon Credit Markets
(EcoEngineers) Experts from EcoEngineers presented to Stifel, a multinational independent investment bank and financial services company, and its stakeholders on April 25, 2022. EcoEngineers President Brad Pleima, P.E., and Senior Carbon Consultant Paul Niznik gave overviews of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), California Low
June 02, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA Must Provide Certainty for Low-Carbon Fuels In 2023 and Beyond
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/The Hill) When the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing on the nomination of Joseph Goffman to be the EPA’s Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), lawmakers met
June 02, 2022 Read Full Article
Senate Committee Members Question Goffman on RFS, SREs
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Joseph Goffman expressed support for the Renewable Fuel Standard and the use of biofuels during a May 25 hearing held by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to consider his nomination to serve as
June 01, 2022 Read Full Article
Exclusive-Biden Administration Likely to Retroactively Raise Ethanol Blending Volumes for 2021, Sources Say
by Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The Biden administration is likely to raise ethanol blending mandates for 2021 above the figure it proposed in December to align with actual U.S. consumption levels, according to two sources briefed on the decision. In
June 01, 2022 Read Full Article
Anti-Ethanol Activist Amazingly Ignorant on Ethanol, RFS
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) On May 20, the Washington Times published a guest column by Jerry Jung, founder of the group “ReThink Ethanol,” in which he demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of the very federal policy he seeks to “rethink.” We
May 31, 2022 Read Full Article
Supreme Court Rejects Red States' Plea to Block Biden Climate Metric
by Alex Guillen (Politico) -The decision means the White House can move forward with its plans to overhaul and likely significantly increase the number known as the social cost of carbon. -The Supreme Court’s refusal to get involved in the
May 27, 2022 Read Full Article
RFA Calls on EPA to Remove Controversial Studies from Peer Reviewed Congressional Process
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, a recent, highly publicized report led by Tyler Lark of the University of Wisconsin attacking the Renewable Fuel Standard is “more problematic than what we initially evaluated to be the case,” according to a new review
May 27, 2022 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: RFA Calls on EPA to Reject Searchinger, Five Other Candidates From RFS Report Review
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) The EPA has put forward a list of 20 possible candidates to peer review the agency's upcoming triennial report to Congress on the Renewable Fuel Standard, and the Renewable Fuels Association objected to six of
May 25, 2022 Read Full Article
3 Ways Ethanol Brings Down Gas Prices
by Cheri Bustos (D IL 17th) (FOXBusiness) A solution to high gas prices is being planted across the American Heartland -- ... I’m lucky enough to represent more than 7,000-square miles of Northwest and Central Illinois — home to nearly 10,000
May 23, 2022 Read Full Article
Growth Energy, EPA Reach Settlement on Deadline for Issuing 2023 RVO
(Growth Energy) Following settlement discussions with Growth Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to file a notice in the Federal Register on Monday seeking comment on a proposed judicial consent decree that would require EPA to propose the 2023 Renewable
May 23, 2022 Read Full Article
White House Should Move Beyond E15, Boost Biofuel’s Economic, Environmental, National Security and Public Health Benefits
(Solutions from the Land) ... Reports out of Washington indicate that EPA submitted to the White House late last month its proposal on biofuel mandates, calling for a retroactive reduction for years 2020 and 2021, then boosting it back up for
May 20, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA Rule Could Alter RIN Retirement Schedule for Small Refineries
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) The U.S. EPA on May 17 submitted a proposed rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget that aims to create an alternative renewable identification number (RIN) retirement schedule for small refineries under the
May 20, 2022 Read Full Article
New Ethanol Law Could Spark Regional Trend, Biofuels Exec Says
by Jared Strong (Iowa Capital Dispatch) A new state law that requires most of Iowa’s fuel stations to sell a gasoline blend with 15% ethanol will rapidly expand the fuel’s availability, but the law’s long-term effects might be more potent, according
May 19, 2022 Read Full Article
Converting to E15 Is Easy: Here’s What Retailers Should Know
(Growth Energy/CSP Daily News) ... David Durling, Regional Sales Director at Growth Energy, provides information about E15 compatibility, distribution, profitability and more. Compatibility is common Concerns about compatibility—both with retailer equipment and consumer vehicles—often stem from common misconceptions; in actuality, most convenience stores
May 18, 2022 Read Full Article
New White Paper Says the Real Cost of Gasoline …Is to Our Health
(Clean Fuels Development Coalition) A new White Paper from the Clean Fuels Development Coalition rings the alarm that EPA continues to miss opportunities to replace toxic aromatic compounds with clean burning ethanol and the agency could save thousands of lives through
May 18, 2022 Read Full Article
Biofuels Producers Urge Changes to RFS Rule to Boost Aviation Fuel
(Inside EPA) Biofuels producers, airlines and others are urging changes to EPA’s proposed renewable fuel standard (RFS) rules to provide more flexibility to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that is the cornerstone of a Biden administration strategy to reduce carbon
May 18, 2022 Read Full Article
Analysis: White House Weighs Inflation vs. Farmers in New Biofuel Mandates
by Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The White House is expected to announce in coming weeks the amount of biofuels like corn-based ethanol that U.S. refiners must blend into their fuel this year, a decision that will force it to
May 17, 2022 Read Full Article
RFA Hits Back at Ad Attacking RFS
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Chief Economist Scott Richman hits back at a new ad campaign by an oil refiners coalition that blames high gas prices on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in a blog post explaining the inconvenient truth that refiners
May 16, 2022 Read Full Article
Oil Refineries Continue Attacks on the RFS While Enjoying Record Profit Margins
by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) If you watched the Sunday morning talk shows last weekend, you might have noticed a new advertisement (paid for by oil refiners) that attacks the Renewable Fuel Standard. The ad notes that consumers are paying record-high
May 13, 2022 Read Full Article
E15: Silver Bullet for Gasoline Prices?
by Adam Schubert (Stillwater Associates) On April 12th, President Biden announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would issue an emergency waiver of federal gasoline Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) regulations this summer for E15—a 15% blend of ethanol with
May 12, 2022 Read Full Article
Here’s Where Colorado Wants to Capture and Bury 350,000 Tons of Carbon Dioxide Each Year
by Michael Booth (Colorado Sun) Carbon America will gather 350,000 tons of carbon a year from Yuma and Sterling ethanol makers and store it deep underground in climate change fight. A pioneering carbon capture company wants to take the climate change
May 12, 2022 Read Full Article
Research Group Urges EPA to Nix ZEV Credit System
by Arianna Skibell (E&E News) The International Council on Clean Transportation says the proposed zero-emission vehicle credit system, which allows manufacturers to use EV credits to offset emissions, would raise the pollution limit. The International Council on Clean Transportation is calling
May 12, 2022 Read Full Article
The White House and 360Fuel Combine Forces to Advance Alternative Energy Infrastructure
(360 Fuel) The White House has unveiled a new strategy and investments as part of a long-term commitment to spur smart development and adoption of sustainable, homegrown fuels across the United States (U.S.). The President declared new steps to achieve this goal
May 12, 2022 Read Full Article
Refiners Sue EPA over Retroactive RFS Waiver Denials, Sparking Venue Fight
(Inside EPA) Refiners are suing EPA in different federal appellate courts over the agency’s novel retroactive denial of 36 waivers from renewable fuel standard (RFS) biofuel blending obligations for 2018, signaling a venue fight with EPA that may set a
May 10, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. EPA Administrator Regan Talks RVOs, SREs on Agritalk Radio
(Growth Energy) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan joined Agritalk Radio to discuss the latest news on SREs, RVOs, and the future of the RFS. On EPA proposing to deny all pending SRE requests…. I believe we need to be on
May 10, 2022 Read Full Article
Notice of Public Comment Period on the Pool of Candidate Peer Reviewers for the Biofuels and the Environment: Third Triennial Report to Congress DEADLINE: May 24, 2022
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 15-day public comment period on the pool of twenty (20) candidates for the external peer review of the Biofuels and the Environment: Third Triennial Report to Congress
May 10, 2022 Read Full Article
Breaking It Down Tax Credit Incentives for Carbon Sequestration: Potentially the Most Impactful U.S. Policy to Battle Climate Change
by Bryen Alperin, Gary Blitz, Sarah Grey, Steve Whittaker, John Koenig, John Pierce, and Jason Kuzma (Carbon Capture Magazine) The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 expanded the 45Q tax credit, the most important federal incentive for encouraging private investment in
May 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Ethanol's Biggest Problem Is PR
(News Press Now) Normally, any move to increase the supply of renewable fuel should draw widespread praise. Even more so if this measure saves the average consumer $9 a month and reduces dependency on oil exports that finance Russia’s war
May 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Iowa's Democratic U.S. Senate Hopefuls Differ on Foreign Policy, Ethanol
by Erin Murphy (Sioux City Journal) ...Differences over a hard line on when to send U.S. troops to Ukraine and over ethanol policy were among the few contrasts to emerge during a televised debate Saturday night between the Democratic candidates
May 09, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA Holds Meeting on TSCA New Chemicals Collaborative Research Program Public Comments DEADLINE: May 10, 2022
by Lynn L. Bergeson (Bergeson & Campbell) On April 20-21, 2022, EPA held a virtual public meeting to provide an overview of the TSCA New Chemicals Collaborative Research Program and give stakeholders an opportunity to provide input. As reported in
May 09, 2022 Read Full Article
CO2 Pipelines Are Coming. A Pipeline Safety Expert Says We’re Not Ready.
by Emily Pontecorvo (Grist) Companies want to build pipelines to capture and store carbon, but a new report warns that regulators aren’t prepared. -- ... But as the number of pipeline proposals multiplies, a new report commissioned by the Pipeline Safety Trust,
May 06, 2022 Read Full Article
OSTP Improves the Federal Definition of ‘Sustainable Chemistry’ Public Comment DEADLINE: June 3, 2022
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The Office of Science and Technology Policy, a part of the Executive Office of the President, is taking action to improve the federal definition of “sustainable chemistry” via a public comment period that is open through
May 06, 2022 Read Full Article
Year-Round E15 Is a Good First Step, But More Is Needed to Confront the New Energy Crisis
by C. Boyden Gray (Real Clean Energy) ... I’s also one of the most cost-effective green energy solutions available. This is because ethanol is the world’s cheapest and cleanest source of octane. High octane fuels made with ethanol are not only
May 06, 2022 Read Full Article
Monetizing Net-Zero and Net-Negative GHG Ethanol
by Brian Jennings (American Coalition for Ethanol) Climate-smart farming practices, efficiencies at ethanol plants, and the capture and sequestration of biogenic CO2 from facilities puts ethanol on a trajectory to reach both net-zero and net-negative emissions, a trajectory that is
May 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Kelly Says Permanent E15 Sales Can Curb Inflation and Could Increase Demand
by Kellan Heavican (Brownfield Ag News) Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says the ethanol industry can support increased demand for permanent, year-round sales of E15. She tells Brownfield there’s adequate infrastructure to deliver the fuel to retailers. “There is now. Now, if demand
May 05, 2022 Read Full Article
USDA Report Highlights Hurdles to Higher Ethanol Blends
(Farm Journal Ag/Web/Pro Farmer Editors) Biofuel and farm groups see E15 and other higher blends of corn ethanol into gasoline as the strategy to increased sales, but the current structure of the Renewable Fuel Standard “does not serve to incentivize
May 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Opinion: Ethanol Helps Cut Toxic Emissions
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Washington Post) Americans should be thanking President Biden for allowing the continued sale of lower-cost, lower-carbon E15 this summer (letters, “No more ethanol in gas,” April 22). E15 is saving drivers as much as 30
May 04, 2022 Read Full Article
Leaders See Need for More Buy-in on SAF
by Kerry Lynch (AIN Online) Heading into 2022, business aviation leaders have been encouraged about progress that has been and is being made on the sustainability front. But at the same time, industry leaders are aware that much work remains to
May 03, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. EPA Sends Biofuel Blending Mandate Rule to White House for Final Review
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has sent a rule on U.S. biofuel blending mandates to the White House for final review, according to a notice posted by the Office of Management and Budget. The oil and biofuel industries,
May 03, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA Denies Sinclair’s Exemption For Ethanol Content
by Leo Wolfson (Cowboy State Daily) One of Wyoming’s three oil refineries is among 36 nationally to have its request to be exempted from biofuel blending rules refused. Documents filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals showed the Sinclair Refinery near Rawlins
May 02, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. EPA Issues Waiver to Allow Temporary Sales of Summertime Higher-Ethanol Fuel
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency waiver for a higher-ethanol gasoline blend on Friday, allowing summertime sales of the fuel in an attempt to help lower gasoline prices at the pump. The move represents a temporary
May 02, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. Governors Seek to Expand Sales of Higher-Ethanol Gasoline Blend
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) U.S. governors from eight Midwest states, many of which are major corn producers, asked the Biden administration on Thursday to apply rules that would allow gasoline blended with a higher level of ethanol to be sold year-round
April 29, 2022 Read Full Article
It's Time For Ethanol Honesty: Sparring with the New Spate of Anti-Ethanol Scatological Slurs
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) The April announcement by Joe Biden that E15 would be allowed to be sold year-round set off a frenzied spate of new attacks on the good fuel...the clean fuel...the 100% domestically produced fuel: ETHANOL. TV
April 27, 2022 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Holds EPA to RVO Deadline of June 3rd
(Growth Energy) The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia today (April 25, 2022) approved a consent decree agreement between Growth Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that requires EPA to finalize its 2020-2022 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs)
April 27, 2022 Read Full Article
Gov. Reynolds Issues Statement on Bipartisan Passage of Biofuels Bill
(Office of Governor Kim Reynolds (R-IA)) Gov. Reynolds released the following statement today in response to the legislature passing HF2128: “This is a historic win for Iowa families, for our agriculture and biofuels industry, and for Iowa’s entire economy. By increasing access to
April 27, 2022 Read Full Article
RFA Offers E15 Fact Check List
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Media coverage of President Biden’s announcement last Tuesday that consumers will continue to have access to lower-cost 15% ethanol fuel this summer contained a great deal of misinformation, despite the best efforts of the ethanol industry to
April 26, 2022 Read Full Article
Our Ohio Weekly: America’s Biofuels Industry
by Ty Higgins (Ohio Farm Bureau) Last week, the Biden administration discussed how its strategy to spur the development of homegrown biofuels is critical to expanding Americans’ options for affordable fuel in the short term and to building real energy
April 26, 2022 Read Full Article
Glacial Lakes Energy, LLC Calls on Congressional Delegation to Double up on E15
(Great Lakes Energy) Says E30 Blends Can More than Offset the loss of Russian Oil, No RVP Waiver Needed -- – Opening the door to 30% ethanol blends would save consumers billions of dollars at the gas pump and reduce
April 26, 2022 Read Full Article
Feature: Rising US Gasoline Costs, Refinery Closures and the Renewable Fuel Standard
by Janet McGurty (S&P Global) US refiners seek remedy for high gasoline prices; High RFS costs shut refineries, cuts supply; E15 waiver directly helps Midwestern drivers -- US refiners are taking their plea to the public with a new ad campaign launched by
April 25, 2022 Read Full Article
Biden Restores Climate to NEPA, Undoing Trump’s Efforts
by Kelsey Brugger (E&E News) ... The Council on Environmental Quality finalized the first phase of planned changes to the rules governing NEPA, a core environmental law that guides federal scrutiny of major projects like pipelines, bridges and transmission lines. The action
April 23, 2022 Read Full Article
Cleaning Up In California
by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In the lower Central Valley, Calgren Renewable Fuels makes three biofuels—ethanol, biodiesel and renewable natural gas—and the latter operation just keeps growing. -- As out-of-state ethanol producers strive for lower carbon intensity scores to
April 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Ethanol against the World!
by Matt Reese and Dusty Sonnenberg (Ohio's Country Journal) ... “In a life cycle analysis of ethanol and electric vehicles, you have to look at the base load of carbon intensity. Right now, that number is 114 grams of CO2 per
April 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Canola Oil Pathways Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Public Comment DEADLINE: May 18, 2022
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) pathways for certain biofuels that are produced from canola/rapeseed oil and is providing an opportunity for comment on the Agency’s lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG)
April 21, 2022 Read Full Article
Fact Finders: Will 15% Ethanol Seriously Cut My Gas Mileage?
by Paul Adler (KY3.com) ... Most gasoline sold in the U.S. is blended with 10% ethanol. The biofuel is currently cheaper than pure gas. E15 is usually prohibited between June 1st and September 15th. The administration predicts their action will save drivers an average of
April 21, 2022 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producers Hope New Tax Credit Will Bring Higher Blends to Gas Pumps
by Alex Whitney (Nebraska.TV) Anyone who has hit the road lately can tell you that the price of gas has gone way up in the last few months. One remedy for high gas prices has been pushing alternative fuels and a
April 20, 2022 Read Full Article
“Super Developing” Carbon Capture: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Carbon America
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Carbon Americashared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC Connect highlighting how they are a “super developer” with developing, building, financing, owning and operating carbon capture and sequestration projects. They also have their own cryogenic flue
April 19, 2022 Read Full Article
Ethanol under Attack and Creating Strange Bedfellows
by Damian Mason (The Business of Agriculture) In February of 2022 a “study” caught wide media attention (as it was designed by its sponsors to specifically do). The study, commissioned by National Wildlife Fund, found that corn ethanol is worse
April 19, 2022 Read Full Article
Tennessee Corn Promotion Board Addresses E15 Use for Fuel
(Tennessee Corn Promotion Board/Press Newswire) Last week President Biden announced that E15 will be sold this summer in an effort to reduce gasoline prices. E15 is a plant-based fuel made from corn. Often marketed as Unleaded 88, E15 is a renewable
April 19, 2022 Read Full Article
Secy. Vilsack: E15 Won’t Inflate Food Prices, 'There’s Plenty of Corn Here'
by Jenna Hoffman (Farm Journal/AgWeb) Vilsack says concerns over inflated food costs due to increased E15 consumption can be put to rest — any grocery price hike is not coming from E15 because “there’s plenty of corn here.” -- Corn chatter
April 15, 2022 Read Full Article
Grassley Doesn't Mince Words as Food Versus Fuel Debate Ramps Back up
by Mark Dorenkamp (Browfield Ag News) U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley is dismissing the food versus fuel debate that seems to be reemerging after the Biden administration announced it will allow summertime sales of E15. The Iowa Republican tells Brownfield without ethanol farmers
April 15, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA Proposes to Approve Canola Oil Fuel Pathways under RFS
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA on April 12 published a proposed rule approve Renewable Fuel Standard pathways for renewable diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, naphtha, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) produced from canola/rapeseed oil via a hydrotreating process. EPA’s
April 14, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA Discusses RFS Plans in FY 2023 Budget Request Justification
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on April 5 released its fiscal year (FY) 2023 congressional budget justification, outlining the agency’s plans for the $11.88 billion in agency funding requested by President Biden in his FY 2023 budget request on
April 12, 2022 Read Full Article
Testimony of the Diesel Technology Forum before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, April 12, 2022
(Diesel Technology Forum) ... Reducing Emissions should be more than just Setting New Engine Standards, but also Implementing More Immediate Term Solutions Like Use Of Renewable Fuels And Accelerating The Turnover Of The Legacy Fleet The most substantial opportunities to
April 12, 2022 Read Full Article
Biden to Announce Plan to Ease Gas Prices as Inflationary Pressures Persist
by Jeff Stein and Evan Halper (Washington Post) The EPA plans to issue a national, emergency waiver to allow use of blended biofuels over the summer hours after report is expected to show inflation keeps surging -- The White House
April 12, 2022 Read Full Article
With Biden Visiting a Central Iowa Ethanol Plant, Producers Hope He'll Suspend Summer E15 Sales Ban
by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) President Joe Biden is expected to announce in a Tuesday visit to central Iowa that his administration will suspend a ban on summer sales of gasoline blended with 15% ethanol. The White House said Biden will speak Tuesday
April 11, 2022 Read Full Article
RFA Campaign Amplifies Push for Year-Round E15
(Renewable Fuels Association) A new campaign by the Renewable Fuels Association encourages consumers to call on their elected officials for immediate action to allow the continued sale of E15—the lowest-cost, lowest-carbon fuel available at the pump—throughout the summer. Due to a
April 11, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. EPA Denies 36 Refinery Biofuel Waivers; Gives Most of Them Some Relief
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has denied 36 petitions from oil refiners seeking exemptions to the nation's biofuel blending laws for the 2018 compliance year, but will provide 31 of those refineries with another avenue to seek
April 08, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA Holds Webinar on New Chemical Risk Management Actions for Biofuels
(Bergeson & Campbell) On April 6, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a webinar on “New Chemical Risk Management Actions under TSCA.” As reported in our January 24, 2022, blog item, in January 2022, EPA announced an effort to streamline the review
April 07, 2022 Read Full Article
It’s Time to Harness Full Range of Economic, National and Energy Security, Public Health and Environmental Solutions Renewable Fuels Can Provide
(Solutions from the Land) ... Unfortunately, he has ignored a widely available, less expensive source of clean transportation fuel – biofuels, like ethanol – that could help ease those prices and supply concerns. Russian oil represents only 2 percent of all U.S.
April 07, 2022 Read Full Article
Thune, Klobuchar Urge EPA to Update Biofuel Emissions Modeling
(KLGR) Two Senate Ag Committee members recently urged the Environmental Protection Agency to update its greenhouse gas modeling for biofuels. Senators John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, and Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, asked the EPA to adopt the Argonne National Lab’s
April 07, 2022 Read Full Article
E15 Sales Reach Record Levels in 2021; Future Growth Threatened by Summertime Restrictions
(Renewable Fuels Association) Sales of E15, a gasoline blend containing 15 percent ethanol, hit a record 814 million gallons in 2021, according to a new analysis from the Renewable Fuels Association. The 2021 volume represented a 62 percent increase over the prior year
April 07, 2022 Read Full Article
Republicans Pounce over Biden Rural Energy Policy
by Marc Heller (E&E News) House Agriculture Committee lawmakers pressed the administration to expand ethanol use in response to high gasoline prices. -- House Agriculture Committee Republicans yesterday bashed the Biden administration’s energy policies, saying the White House focus on long-term
April 06, 2022 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Submits Comments to EPA on Biofuels’ Role in Reducing Emissions from Aviation Sector
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the agency’s particulate matter (PM) emissions standards and test procedures for jet engines, and the role biofuels play in reducing PM and greenhouse gas emissions in mobile sources including
April 06, 2022 Read Full Article
Researchers Evaluate the Impact of the Renewable Fuels Standard on Biofuel Production
by Madelyn Ostendorf (Successful Farming) In a first-of-its kind study, researchers at Purdue University have illustrated the impact of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on the production of biofuels. Over the past 15 years, production and consumption of biofuels have increased in
April 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: Three States Ask for Waiver to Allow E15 Sales to Continue Come June 1
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Attorneys general in Iowa, Kansas and the governor of Minnesota asked the EPA for a waiver to allow E15 sales to continue in their states when those sales are set to end starting on June
April 05, 2022 Read Full Article
ACE to EPA: Adopt GREET Model and Recognize Ethanol’s Low Carbon Value
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In South Dakota, The American Coalition for Ethanol submitted feedback to the Environmental Protection Agency’s request for comment on the current scientific understanding of greenhouse gas modeling of land-based crop biofuels. ACE CEO Brian Jennings and ACE Board
April 04, 2022 Read Full Article
USDOT Announces New Vehicle Fuel Economy Standards for Model Year 2024-2026
(U.S. Department of Transportation) Standards to require fleet average of 49 mpg by 2026, save consumers money, and advance U.S. energy independence -- The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today announced new, landmark fuel economy standards which
April 01, 2022 Read Full Article
Biden to Invoke Defense Production Act for Electric Vehicle Battery Materials
by Zack Budryk (The Hill) President Biden is set to invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) as early as this week to step up production of minerals used to manufacture electric vehicle batteries, a source familiar the plans confirmed to The Hill. Biden is set to
March 31, 2022 Read Full Article
Calls for E15 Action Face Unwritten Deadlines
by Spencer Chase (Agri-Pulse) The Biden administration is fielding a steady stream of requests for emergency action to allow for summertime sales of E15, but those calls are coming up against the realities of the fuel supply chain as demonstrated
March 30, 2022 Read Full Article
With SEC Proposed Rule Change, Fleet Advantage Certifies Truck Fleets’ GHG Output
by Ariana Fine (NGT News) Fleet Advantage, a truck fleet business analytics, equipment financing and life cycle cost management (LCCM) company, has released a program to help corporate truck fleets certify their greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) output, which was recently mandated
March 29, 2022 Read Full Article
The Rise of Renewable Diesel & Biodiesel
by Nicolas Bulver (Renewable Energy Group/Union Pacific Track Record) What is causing the increased demand for renewable diesel and biodiesel and what is the impact on supply chains? Can waste products become fuel? The answer is yes if you’re talking about
March 29, 2022 Read Full Article
ICE Expands its U.S. Renewable Fuels Markets With the Launch of Renewable Volume Obligation Futures
(Intercontinental Exchange/Business Wire) Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE), a leading global provider of data, technology, and market infrastructure, today announced the launch of two Renewable Volume Obligation futures contracts, expanding ICE’s U.S. renewable fuels futures markets. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Renewable
March 29, 2022 Read Full Article
NHTSA Applies CAFE Penalty Hike for Cars through Model Year 2019
by Alex Guillén (Politico) The Biden administration has issued a final rule applying a major hike in penalties for automakers who fall short of fuel economy standards back through model year 2019 vehicles. The decision is expected to lead to hundreds of millions in
March 28, 2022 Read Full Article
2021 California E85 Sales Shatter Previous Record; Momentum Continues in 2022
(Renewable Fuels Association) Sales of E85 flex fuel in California surged to a new record in 2021, jumping 55 percent over 2020 levels and nearly doubling since 2018, according to new data released by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Last year, California
March 28, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA's Snyder: E15 Work Underway EPA Ag Adviser Tells Ethanol Producers Agency Working with States to Restore E15
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) With the start of the summer driving season fast approaching and year-round E15 sales no longer an option, EPA's Rod Snyder said on Thursday the agency continues to work to restore those sales. Snyder, who is
March 25, 2022 Read Full Article
EIA Projects U.S. Renewable Diesel Supply to Surpass Biodiesel in AEO2022
by Estella Shi, Will Sommer, Andrew Smiddy (U.S. Energy Information Administration) In our Annual Energy Outlook 2022 (AEO2022) Reference case, which reflects current laws and regulations, we project that renewable diesel supply (domestic production and net imports) will exceed biodiesel supply in the near
March 24, 2022 Read Full Article
Integrated Approach for Biofuel Premanufacture Notices
(Environmental Protection Agency) Reviewing New Chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) -- The Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention’s (OCSPP) New Chemicals Division (NCD) has implemented a robust, consistent, and efficient process to assess the risk and apply
March 23, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA Holds Training on Updated Process to Bring Biofuels to Market
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA in holding webinars on March 23 and April 6 related to its January 2022 announcement that the agency is launching a new initiative under the Toxic Substances Control Act that aims to streamline the
March 23, 2022 Read Full Article
45 years of AgriNews: From ‘Gasohol’ to over 15 Billion Gallons
by Tom Doran (AgriNews) ... AgriNews is celebrating its anniversary by reviewing some of the top agricultural issues over the past 45 years. ... Ethanol has been used as an energy source for nearly 200 years, but when the oil
March 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Comments on “Environmental Outcomes of the US Renewable Fuel Standard”
by F. Taheripour, S. Mueller, H. Kwon, M. Khanna, I. Emery, K. Copenhaver, M. Wang (Argonne National Laboratory) The Systems Assessment Center and its collaborators provide a detailed technical review of a recently published article “Environmental Outcomes of the US
March 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Will the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard Be a Victim of Its Own Success?
by Roxby Hartley (EcoEngineers) California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (CA-LCFS) continues to be the largest regional carbon credit market. It’s been successful in driving carbon reduction across the state. CA-LCFS credit prices hovered around $200 per metric ton (MT) of CO2e
March 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Ohio Soybean Association Joins Federal Petition in Support of Domestic Biofuels
(Ohio Soybean Association/Highland County Press) At a time of growing consensus on the need for greater reliance on domestic fuel sources, the Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) joined other state soybean associations in support of a petition to include biofuels in
March 21, 2022 Read Full Article
Biofuel for Airplane Use Has Untapped Potential, Says National Corn Growers
by Ashley Davenport (Hoosier Ag Today) ... “We have the Next Generation Fuel Bill, which would bring energy security to our fuel situation with higher gas prices,” says Matt Frostic, a Michigan farmer and at-large member of NCGA. “It allows higher compression
March 18, 2022 Read Full Article
SEC Plans to Force Public Companies to Disclose Greenhouse Gas Emissions Public Comment DEADLINE: June 17, 2022
by Douglas MacMillan and Maxine Joselow (Washington Post) From Coca-Cola to Tesla, companies report emissions in widely different ways. A new federal rule is expected to standardize climate disclosures, putting the U.S. on closer footing with other countries. -- The
March 17, 2022 Read Full Article
A Left Turn to Ban Drilling
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) House progressives are planning to request Biden use emergency measures to ban future fossil fuel drilling on federal lands and deploy the Defense Production Act to ramp up clean energy generation, POLITICO’s Josh Siegel reports. The
March 16, 2022 Read Full Article
Commodity Group Leaders Push for Expanded Use of Biofuels
by Daniel Grant (Farm Week Now) While the U.S. scrambles to fill the void in the oil market created by the ban of Russian imports, commodity group leaders believe the solution is closer to home than Venezuela or Saudi Arabia. “If ever
March 15, 2022 Read Full Article
High-Octane Solutions to the New Energy Crisis
by C. Boyden Gray (Boyden Gray & Associates/Real Clear Politics) ... Currently, the EPA regulates fuels and automobiles separately, instead of as a single system. Automakers have the technological know-how to make much more efficient car engines, but regulatory barriers prevent
March 14, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA to Disclose CBI Related to SRE Petitions to GAO
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on March 10 issued a notice to all obligated parties under the Renewable Fuel Standard that the agency will disclose certain confidential business information (CBI) related to small refinery exemption (SRE) petitions
March 13, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA Restores California’s Right to Set Stricter Car Regs
by Anne C. Mulkern (E&E News) EPA today officially restored California’s ability to set its own rules for vehicle tailpipe emissions and to require automakers to sell an increasing number of clean cars. The Biden administration granted the nation’s most populous state
March 10, 2022 Read Full Article
Disclosure of Information Claimed as, or Determined by EPA To Be, Confidential Business Information (CBI) in Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Small Refinery Exemption Petitions and Certain RFS Compliance Reports
( Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing notice of disclosure to all obligated parties under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program that have petitioned for a small refinery exemption (SRE) or that have submitted any
March 10, 2022 Read Full Article
World Events Underscore the Need to Expand Renewable Fuel Production
(Solutions from the Land) ... The news of increased fuel costs comes as the Biden administration is considering a relaxation of federal requirements calling on blenders to mix specific amounts of ethanol or biodiesel when producing the nation’s petroleum-based fuel supply. To
March 10, 2022 Read Full Article
Grassley and Ernst Call on Biden to Unleash Iowa Biofuel Immediately as Gas Prices Hit Record High, U.S. Bans Russian Oil
(Office of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)) Iowa senators introduce bipartisan legislation to open up the use of clean, American-made renewable fuels that are available right now to replace banned Russian oil -- As gas prices hit all-time record highs, Sens. Chuck Grassley
March 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Ethanol Can Help Reduce Toxic Gasoline Aromatics
by Savannah Bertrand (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Every gallon of gasoline sold in the United States contains toxic chemicals called aromatic hydrocarbons—mainly mixtures of BTEX chemicals, which stands for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene—that increase octane. Higher octane levels prevent engines from prematurely
March 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Submits RVO Comments to Debunk Anti-ethanol Study
(Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Yesterday, Growth Energy submitted supplemental comments to the U.S. EPA responding to erroneous comments from others on the environmental, economic, and compliance impacts of EPA’s proposed 2020, 2021, and 2022 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard
March 08, 2022 Read Full Article
BREAKING: Biden, UK Ban Russian Oil and Gas Imports
by James Arkin (Law360) The United States and United Kingdom will ban imports of Russian oil and gas, the countries announced Tuesday in the latest round of sanctions to target Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. President Joe Biden said the move
March 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Proposed Rule and Related Materials for Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards
(Environmental Protection Agency) On March 3, 2022, EPA Administrator Regan signed a proposed rule that would set new, more stringent standards to reduce pollution from heavy-duty vehicles and engines starting in model year (MY) 2027. The proposed standards would significantly reduce
March 07, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. Senator Capito Joins Forces with Colleagues in Letter to EPA Administrator Regan Regarding EPA’s SRE Denials under RFS
by Lynn L. Bergeson (Bergeson & Campbel Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog) On January 27, 2022, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and 14 of her colleagues submitted a letter to the
March 07, 2022 Read Full Article
Biden Administration Studying whether Biofuel Waiver Could Ease Food Inflation -Sources
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is studying whether waiving biofuel blending mandates could help offset a surge in prices for key food ingredients like corn and soy oil following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, two sources familiar