by Steve Davies (Agri-Pulse) The California Air Resources Board’s proposal to eliminate jet fuel’s existing exemption from regulation under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard is being criticized, for very different reasons, by both the airline industry and SAF proponents. READ MORE Related
gas tax/highway user fee
Back TO HOMEFischer Introduces “Stop EV Freeloading Act” to Support Infrastructure Investments, Promote Fairness
(Office of Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE)) U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, recently led U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) in introducing the Stop EV Freeloading Act. The legislation would
September 26, 2023 Read Full Article
As Fuel Taxes Plummet, States Weigh Charging by the Mile Instead of the Tank
by Julie Carr Smyth (Associated Press) Evan Burroughs has spent eight years touting the virtues of an Oregon pilot program charging motorists by the distance their vehicle travels rather than the gas it guzzles, yet his own mother still hasn’t bought
June 28, 2023 Read Full Article
What's the Gas Tax Yield?
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) Nearly half of U.S. states are implementing or considering some kind of gas tax relief for consumers as retail gasoline prices hover above $4 a gallon. But a recent study finds that only a small
March 30, 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
Mixed Views on Ethanol as Oil Shock Answer
by Marion Rae (Glouster Advocate) Australia's petrol and diesel taxes are already amongst the lowest in the world, potentially throttling efforts to curb price spikes and prompting some to propose ethanol as an option. Biodiesel, bioethanol, and biocrude blends can be
March 15, 2022 Read Full Article
Opinion: How the U.S. Could Show It’s Finally Serious about the Geopolitics of Energy
by Charles Lane (Washington Post) ... Ramping up oil and gas production is part of the solution, as Republicans argue. So is increased use of renewables, as Democrats argue — .... ... A substantial increase in the federal gas tax would put
March 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Clear Evidence of How Higher Ethanol Blends Lower Gasoline Prices
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Pictures worth 1000 words show the prices on March 1 at a Sheetz in Virginia. Compare the E10 Regular to E15 Unleaded 88 and E85 FlexFuel. Compare those to the price of E0 --
March 02, 2022 Read Full Article
RFA’s Cooper: Ethanol Has Historic Opportunity to Cut Carbon, Lower Fuel Prices
(Renewable Fuels Association) In his annual State of the Industry Address, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said that, while the U.S. ethanol industry has a long history of capitalizing on unique opportunities, the global quest to achieve net-zero carbon
February 23, 2022 Read Full Article
Carbon Tax Huddle
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) The Climate Leadership Council, a GOP-backed group supporting a carbon tax, is launching a new research center to explore how the U.S. could impose a border carbon adjustment or other policy to punish imports
February 15, 2022 Read Full Article
Opinion: Biden Can Have Cheap Gas or Fight Climate Change — Not Both
(Washington Post) President Biden and the Democratic Congress have ambitions to fight climate change and legislative plans to match. So far, however, those plans consist almost entirely of clean-energy mandates and subsidies. Mr. Biden, and even progressives in Congress, have
August 16, 2021 Read Full Article
There at the Beginning: Bob Dinneen
(Renewable Fuels Association) One of the leading authorities on the history of the U.S. ethanol industry didn’t get his start working for the energy or agriculture sectors. He grew up in the suburbs of Boston before finding his way to our
August 12, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Calls on OPEC to Increase Production
(Washington Post) President Biden on Aug. 11 outlined steps that his administration is taking to combat rising gas prices in the United States. WATCH VIDEO Biden’s OPEC Plea Is Really Directed at Anxious Drivers (Washington Post/Bloomberg) Why the OPEC+ Crisis Has Sparked
August 12, 2021 Read Full Article
Rise of Electric Vehicles Presents Questions about Transportation Funding
by Dania Maxwell (Bloomberg News/Transport Topics) While electric vehicles and alternative fuels contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, their continued adoption forces states to rethink transportation funding sources that currently come from taxes on diesel and gasoline. States already charging fees on
June 14, 2021 Read Full Article
Earth Day 2021 Series Day 16: How Can Renewable Fuels Enhance Environmental Justice? How about Cleaner Air and Lower Fuel Costs for Regular Cars for Many Years to Come?
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) First proposed in 2015, Advanced Biofuels USA’s proposal for a “Disappearing” Non-Renewable-Carbon User Fee begins: “If we’re serious about reducing climate change-causing greenhouse gases and reducing non-renewable liquid and gas use, we need serious
April 16, 2021 Read Full Article
Two States Tax Some Drivers by the Mile. Many More Want to Give It a Try.
by Ian Duncan (Washington Post) ... Widespread production of hydrogen-powered cars has not come to pass, but GM is eyeing an all-electric fleet by 2035 with the backing of the Biden administration. That has lawmakers in state capitals across the country
March 22, 2021 Read Full Article
Romney Backs Carbon Tax
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Speaking with The New York Times' DealBook, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said he's "very open" to a carbon tax and dividend. The Times reports that Romney pointed to Bill Gates' remarks not to "play around the
February 24, 2021 Read Full Article
Carper Dishes on Climate, Environment Landscape
by Zach Coleman (Politico's Morning Energy) Even if Biden's regulations fall short of environmentalists' wishes, the U.S. is poised for success reducing greenhouse gas emissions given the trajectory of "market forces" in the power and utility sectors, Senate Environment and
February 18, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden’s ‘Buy American’ Executive Order Pushes for Electric Vehicles
by Tyne Morgan (AgWeb) Biofuels groups have high hopes a Biden Administration will get the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) back on track. But an announcement just days on the job seems to showcase a Biden Administration’s push for electric vehicles
January 28, 2021 Read Full Article
Top 10 Bioeconomy Must-Knows in the Biden Transition
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Who are the key bioeconomy players in the new Biden Administration? What recent moves by the outgoing Trump Administration and Congress will set their budget and regulatory framework for 2021. What will the new Administration
January 20, 2021 Read Full Article
Another Ethanol Program?
by Bill Taylor (Fairborn Daily Herald) ... We now have to pay an additional $100 a year “penalty” to register our hybrid — it’s $200 for all-electric vehicles. Anyway, we drive our hybrid about 5,000 miles a year — the same
November 04, 2020 Read Full Article
BP Helps Establish Coalition to Support Transportation Carbon Pricing Program
(BP) bp and five additional businesses from a range of industries announced they are launching an integrated advocacy campaign to encourage a group of East Coast states to enact the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), a regional carbon pricing policy designed
September 25, 2020 Read Full Article
The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America Majority Staff Report: Is It Worth Supporting?
by Robert Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA/Atlantic Biomass, LLC) Today the US House of Representatives Democratic Select Committee on Climate Change released their ideas for a “Clean Energy Economy.” Interestingly, this document is not proposed legislation. Instead, it is simply a
June 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Clean Fuels for All: A Potential Pathway to Climate Neutrality by 2050
(FuelsEurope) The ambition of the European Union is to be climate neutral by 2050. The European refining industry supports the same ambition. Our industry is transforming, and we have developed a comprehensive potential pathway of how we, together with our partners, can
June 25, 2020 Read Full Article
Brazil's Bolsonaro Rejects Idea of Gasoline Tax to Support Ethanol Industry
by Roberto Samora, Ricardo Brito and Gram Slattery (Reuters) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro effectively ruled out raising gasoline taxes on Thursday, a blow to the ethanol industry which had asked for a gasoline tax hike to boost its own competitiveness
May 11, 2020 Read Full Article
What's Lining up for Phase Four?
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) ... Both the House and Senate have begun work on surface transportation bills ahead of a September deadline to act, but lawmakers haven't been able to settle on how to pay for the legislation, Pro's
March 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Democrats Say They Won't Raise Gas Tax
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Four Democratic candidates for president — former Vice President Joe Biden, billionaire Tom Steyer, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg — said at an infrastructure forum in Las Vegas
February 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Reforming Renewable Fuel Standard Major Task for NATSO
by Alan Adler (Freight Waves) Waivers of blending rules for small refineries drive up pump price of renewable fuels. -- NATSO, the trade group for highway travel center operators, is trying to preserve subsidies for biodiesel that let members profitably
February 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Democrats' Infrastructure Proposal Gets Green Tint
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) DON'T CALL IT INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK... But House Democratic leaders are expected to roll out their own infrastructure framework today with a particular focus on climate change. The framework comprises a mix of transportation and water
January 29, 2020 Read Full Article
A Gas Tax to End All Gas Taxes
by Eric Wolff (Politico's Morning Energy) A bipartisan group of a dozen northeastern and Mid-Atlantic governors are considering a plan to impose a gas tax to fund investment into mass transit, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and other infrastructure improvements in
October 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Bipartisan Carbon Pricing Bill Introduced
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Led by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a group of House lawmakers introduced a bipartisan carbon pricing measure — the MARKET CHOICE Act — that would fund infrastructure investments by pricing carbon and eliminating the gas tax. "We
September 27, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Administration to Take Away Transportation Funding for CA Due to Its Dirty Air
(Our Daily Planet) Looking to take further action against the State of California, the Environmental Protection Agency under the guise of enforcing the state’s non-compliance with the Clean Air Act (CAA) says it will take away billions in federal funds provided
September 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Tweets He's Revoking California's Tailpipe Emissions Waiver while Visiting State
by Miranda Green (The Hill) President Trump announced on Wednesday that his administration will be removing California's tailpipe emissions waiver under the Clean Air Act, a decision likely to face fierce backlash in courts. Trump made the announcement via Twitter while touring
September 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Global Leaders Issue Report Underscoring Imminent Need for Adaptation
(Solutions from the Land) A panel of political, business and environmental leaders is the latest to issue warnings about the growing climate crisis emanating from increasingly volatile global weather patterns. Citing what it calls new research findings, the Global Commission on Adaptation,
September 12, 2019 Read Full Article
City Grids Risk Being Overwhelmed by EV Growth: Report
(Utility Dive) Dive Brief: Cities' increased reliance on electric vehicles (EVs) and electric buses could overwhelm their electric grids and result in outages, warned a new report from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and Seattle City Light. While the report's analysis is
September 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Why Gas Prices Vary From Pump to Pump
(Wall Street Journal) Two gas stations right next door to each other can have different prices for a gallon of gas. WSJ breaks down the different global, national and local factors that affect the price you pay at the pump. WATCH
July 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Behind Oil Majors' Lobbying Push
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Shell and BP, two of the world's biggest oil companies, are backing Americans for Carbon Dividends, the lobbying arm of the Climate Leadership Council, in its push to institute a $40 per ton fee
May 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Democrats See Opening for Climate in Tax Extenders, Highway Bill
by Dean Scott (Bloomberg Environment) Senate Democrats home in on strategy for raising clean energy tax credits, highway bill reauthorization; Parallel effort on making infrastructure better resilient to climate change --- ... They are likely to score their biggest victories in two must-pass bills
May 07, 2019 Read Full Article
3 Strategies for Neutralizing Customers’ Pain at the Pump
(Source North America/CSP Daily News) ... Although higher fuel taxes could shake up the playing field, there are things fuel marketers can do to protect their competitive advantage. Here are three ideas. 1) Offer fuels that are typically priced lower than E10, such as
May 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Diesel Tax Bill Headed to Assembly
Amy Alonzo (Mason Valley News) ... The partisan bill was introduced by the Nevada Association of Counties (NACO.) If it passes the bill will allow counties and municipalities with populations of less than 100,000 residents the option to levy a five-cent
April 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Should Electric Vehicle Drivers Pay A Mileage Tax?
by Lucas Davis and James Sallee (Energy Institute at Haas) In many countries the revenue from gasoline taxes is used to fund highways and other transportation infrastructure. As the number of electric vehicles on the road increases, this raises questions about the effectiveness and
April 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Gas-Tax Hike: A Rare Big Idea With Bipartisan Backing
by Gerald F. Seib (Wall Street Journal) The U.S. Chamber of Commerce isn’t exactly a hotbed of pro-tax sentiment. So when the chamber advocates for a tax increase, it’s worth sitting up to take notice. That’s what’s happening now. Chamber President Thomas
March 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Washington House Passes Clean-Fuels Legislation Sought by Inslee
by Joseph O’Sullivan and Hal Bernton (Seattle Times) Washington House Democrats approved clean-fuels legislation Tuesday night after overcoming fierce Republican opposition that was expressed in an hourslong floor debate. House Bill 1110, which would lower the greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels,
March 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Lawmakers Propose Carbon Fee as Part of $17 Billion Package
(Associated Press) Washington lawmakers have proposed a carbon fee as part of a transportation funding package, the third major attempt at limiting the atmosphere-warming gas through such a policy since 2018. If passed the measure would be the first of its kind
February 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuels Basics: 6 Essential Points to Know about Biofuels
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Asked recently to summarize the most important points about biofuels, here's my top 6 list: Biofuels have a vital role to play in getting us off fossil fuel in the immediate past, present and
February 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Arizona Lawmaker Proposes Taxes on Alternative Fuel Vehicles
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Arizona Rep. Noel Campbell, R-District 1, has introduced a bill that seeks to impose new fees on motor vehicles, including those running on alternative fuels. According to a press release from Campbell, H.B.2536 would restore funding for critical statewide transportation needs
February 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Greens Grasp for Silver Lining in Trump's Infrastructure Pitch
by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) ... “While we have fought against this administration’s efforts to gut protections for clean air and water, roll-back efforts to address climate change and lease public lands for oil drilling and mining, infrastructure is an opportunity
February 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels USA Expands "Disappearing Gas Tax" Proposal to Highlight Environmental Justice Issues
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) With so much talk about carbon taxes, carbon pricing, carbon cost and highway user fee increases, Advanced Biofuels USA updated its proposal for a "Disappearing" Non-Renewable Carbon User Fee to highlight its environmental justice
January 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Here’s How to Win on Climate-Change Policy
by Ted Halstead (Washington Post/Climate Leadership Council) ... The real lesson to learn from these setbacks is that the political prospects of carbon taxation depend on how the revenue is used. As long as the public perceives a carbon tax
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Paris Riots over Fuel Taxes Dim Hopes for Climate Fight
by Seth Borenstein and Angela Charlton (Associated Press) The “yellow vests” in France are worrying greens around the world. The worst riots in Paris in decades were sparked by higher fuel taxes, and French President Emmanuel Macron responded by scrapping them Wednesday.
December 10, 2018 Read Full Article
A Summary of Federal Programs: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Technology Incentives
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A wide array of federal incentives supports the development and deployment of alternatives to conventional fuels and engines in transportation. These incentives include tax deductions and credits for vehicle purchases and the installation of refueling systems,
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Catherine Rampell
"Here’s the thing. Taxing carbon is exactly how you get faster innovation. That’s kinda the point," observed Catherine Rampell in a recent Washington Post op-ed. She continued, " A carbon tax prices in, upfront, the hidden costs of burning fossil fuels, including pollution and
November 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Republicans Say They Want Free-Market Innovation. Then They Should Want a Carbon Tax.
by Catherine Rampell (Washington Post) ... Alternatively, some Republicans suggest that, yes, the planet may be warming and, yes, humans may be the reason, but it’s too darn expensive to do much more than we are. ... As Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) equivocated on CNN’s
November 27, 2018 Read Full Article
6 Reasons Why This Tax Is a Crummy Way to Improve Illinois' Roads and Bridges The So-Called Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax Being Bandied about in Springfield Is the Wrong Tool to Address Illinois’ Transportation Challenges. Here's Why.
by Howard Lerner (Crain's Chicago Business/Environmental Law & Policy Center ) Current gas tax revenues are insufficient to meet Illinois’ infrastructure needs. Oil companies, the trucking industry and a few politicians propose raising more revenues by shifting from gas taxes to
November 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Who's Running Things? With Democrats Preparing to Run the House
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) With Democrats preparing to run the House, here's how the committee leadership shuffle is expected to work out. — Energy and Commerce Committee: New Jersey Democrat Frank Pallone will grab the gavel of this panel with
November 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Say What about a Carbon Tax?
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao was also at the White House Tuesday, where she suggested that Democrats in the House want to link a carbon tax to an infrastructure bill being developed, Pro Transportation's Sam
October 24, 2018 Read Full Article
California Drivers Pay Growing Cost for Climate Program
by David R. Baker (San Francisco Chronicle) A California program to fight climate change may now add more to the cost of gasoline than the state gas-tax increase that many voters want to repeal. The Low Carbon Fuel Standard, designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions
August 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Shuster Infrastructure Draft Boosts Gas Tax in Short Term
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) House Transportation Chairman Bill Shuster released his long-awaited infrastructure discussion draft on Monday. The Pennsylvania Republican proposes a short-term boost to the gasoline tax before ending the tax in a decade, as Pro Transportation's
July 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Emissions, Energy, and Economic Implications of the Curbelo Carbon Tax Proposal
(Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy) In July 2018 Representative Carlos Curbelo proposed legislation that would put a price on US carbon dioxide emissions (“Curbelo proposal”). A carbon price is widely viewed as a necessary part of a cost-effective national
July 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Carbon Taxes Would Drive GHG Emissions Reductions with Minimal Impact on U.S. Economy, Oil and Gas Production
(Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy) A series of four reports released today by Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and partners assesses the economic, energy, and environmental implications of federal carbon taxes. The reports analyze various carbon tax legislation
July 20, 2018 Read Full Article
All Eyes on Carbon Tax Vote
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) CARBON COPY: Today's largely symbolic vote on an anti-carbon tax resolution could offer Republicans helpful campaign-trail fodder against Democrats — but it comes with a price tag for some of the House's most endangered moderates.
July 19, 2018 Read Full Article
The U.S. Is about to Be the World’s Top Crude Oil Producer. Guess Who Didn’t See It Coming.
by Charles Lane (Washington Post) ... Domestic crude production was not inherently “limited,” as O’Connell told Congress in 2011, it just needed a better mouse trap. Fracking was it. Entrepreneurs broke the oil-import addiction, even though the main thing they intended to
March 18, 2018 Read Full Article
California May Tweak Climate Program That’s Pushing up Gas Prices
by David R. Baker (Seattle Times) ... Last week, the California Air Resources Board issued proposed changes that would delay some of the program’s targets, giving fuel providers more time to reach them. Instead of needing to cut the carbon intensity of
March 12, 2018 Read Full Article
College Republicans Propose an Unusual Idea From the Right: a Carbon Tax
by Lisa Friedman (New York Times) As the Republican Party struggles to find its footing with the next generation of voters, several conservative college groups have banded together to champion something anathema to the party: a carbon tax. The group is led by
March 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Rural Areas Have High Expectations for Trump’s Infrastructure Plan – DTN
by Todd Neeley (AGFAX) President Donald Trump set out an agenda during the State of Union address on Tuesday that includes a plan to upgrade the nation’s infrastructure. ... The Trump plan calls for about $200 billion in federal dollars invested, to spark
February 02, 2018 Read Full Article
U.S. Chamber of Commerce to Push Trump, Congress to Raise the Gas Tax to Fund Infrastructure
by John Wagner (Washington Post) With President Trump and Congress turning their attention to infrastructure in the coming weeks, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is preparing for an uphill battle: a push to raise the federal gas tax by 25 cents
January 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Northeast States Tap the Gas Pump for Carbon Emissions Cuts
by Gerald B. Silverman (Bloomberg) Motor fuel could be the next target for controlling greenhouse gas emissions in the Northeast, as seven states that have already clamped down on power plants train their sights on the transportation sector. The states are considering
January 02, 2018 Read Full Article
California Looks at Dumping Gas Tax for Per-Mile Fee as Cars Use Less Fuel
by Tony Bizjak (Sacramento Bee) Weeks into a new gas tax hike, California transportation officials said Thursday they are studying ways to charge drivers based on how many miles they drove since their last fill-up rather than the amount of fuel
December 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Okla. Supreme Court Rules Electric Vehicle Fee Unconstitutional
by Joseph Bebon (NGT News) On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down H.B.1449, a bill that sought to implement an annual fee on electric vehicles (EVs), ruling the tax unconstitutional because the fee was untethered from a regulatory purpose. In August, the Sierra
October 26, 2017 Read Full Article
13 States Now Charge Fees for Electric Vehicles
by Julian Spector, Julia Pyper (Greentech Media) States are imposing fees on the small population of EV drivers in a broader push to shore up road repairs. -- Several states have passed or enacted new fees this year, bringing the
July 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Could Make Everyone Happy by Raising this Tax
by Hugh Hewitt (The Washington Post) ... One obvious answer is to raise the existing federal levy that makes the most sense to the most voters: the federal gas tax. Currently less than 19 cents a gallon (higher on diesel) and stuck there
May 31, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Says He's Willing to Consider Raising Gas Tax
by Josh Boak and Jill Colvin (Associated Press/ABC News) President Donald Trump on Monday said he will explore the possibility of higher gasoline and diesel fuel taxes, suggesting an increase could pay for his ambitious infrastructure plan. "It's something that I
May 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Says He’d Consider Increasing the Gas Tax
by Damian Paletta (The Washington Post) President Trump on Monday said he was open to raising the federal tax on gasoline and using the new revenue for his infrastructure package, a potentially major policy change as his top advisers try to
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
California Gov. Approves Fuel Tax, Vehicle Fee Transportation Package
(NGT News) California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. has signed into law the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, which will raise $52.4 billion over the next decade through an increase in fuel taxes and vehicle fees – including on
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Report: Six States Propose New Electric Vehicle Fees
by Robert Walton (Utility Dive) The Sierra Club says six states have proposed legislation this year that would add to the cost of owning an electric vehicle, worrying clean energy advocates who say owning emissions-free vehicles should be incentivized rather
February 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Drivers Get Cleaner Air, Added Costs as Taxes, Premium Gas Rise
by Laura Blewitt (Bloomberg Markets) Need high-octane for that BMW? New sulfur curb boosts the cost; Seven U.S states pile on with higher tax rates for 2017 -- A new federal rule cuts the amount of sulfur in gasoline by two-thirds,
January 06, 2017 Read Full Article
With More People Hitting the Road, It’s Time for a Carbon Tax
(The Washington Post) ... Even with current conditions factored in, government experts project that fuel-efficiency standards will put much more downward pressure on gasoline use in coming years, helping to bring consumption well below historical highs over the coming decades, even
September 12, 2016 Read Full Article
LaHood: Raise the Gas Tax or America’s ‘One Big Pothole’
by Alex Guillén (Politico Pro) Lawmakers must raise the gas tax and index it to inflation, or "America's going to continue to be one big pothole," former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said today, using one of his longtime favorite zingers
June 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Sanders’s Next Challenge: Where Will He Take His Revolution?
by David Weigel and John Wagner (The Washington Post) ... Sanders’s role is under discussion, but he has said a more immediate priority is trying to find common ground on the issues he championed during the primaries. “It’s not just Bernie Sanders
June 27, 2016 Read Full Article
An Open Letter to the New US House of Representatives Free Market Green Coalition - Without a Price on Pollution, There are No Market-Based Solutions to Clean Up the Environment
by Robert Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) We welcome US Representatives Adam Kinzinger, Barbara Comstock, Joe Heck, Chris Gibson, Ryan Costello, Kevin Yoder, Richard Hanna, Dave Reichert, Elise Stefanik, Carlos Curbelo, Tom Reed and Bob Dold to the fight against climate
March 16, 2016 Read Full Article
How Cheap Oil Is Undermining Obama's Fuel-Economy Rules
by Brad Plummer (VOX) ... Note that the CAFE standards come up for a midterm review in 2017. Some automakers have been arguing that the rules should be weakened in light of recent low oil prices and shifting preferences. A recent
March 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Issue Brief: Obama FY2017 Budget Proposal: Sustainable Energy, Buildings, Transportation and Climate
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On February 9, 2016, President Obama released his $4.15 trillion fiscal year (FY) 2017 federal budget proposal, a 5 percent increase over 2016. In his final budget request, President Obama is seeking to increase funding
February 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Take Mr. Obama’s Oil Fee Proposal Seriously
(The Washington Post Editorial) ... In his new budget proposal, Mr. Obama is proposing a $10-per-barrel fee on oil, which would translate into about 24 cents per gallon of refined gasoline. He would spend the proceeds on the Highway Trust Fund
February 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Obama to Seek New Tax on Oil in Budget Proposal
by Ayesha Rascoe and Valerie Volcovici (Reuters) U.S. President Barack Obama will launch a long-shot bid next week to impose a $10-a-barrel tax on crude oil that would fund the overhaul of the nation's aging transportation infrastructure, the White House
February 08, 2016 Read Full Article
The Crushing Burden of Hidden Taxes on E85 Renewable Fuel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s historic news out now — that E85 fuel is available on a wholesale basis for less than 85 cents per gallon. The Anderson’s in Denison, Iowa are wholesaling E85 for $0.84, and Little Sioux
December 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Cheap Gas Spurs SUV Sales and Puts U.S. Climate Goals at Risk
by David Shepardson and Paul Lienert (Reuters) Surging demand for trucks and SUVs fueled by cheap gasoline is holding back improvements in U.S. fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions, a government report due out on Wednesday is expected to show. The
December 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Ten States Impose EV Flat Fees; Georgia Is Highest
by Danny King (AutoBlog) Washington, Colorado, Virginia And Oregon Also On Growing List -- These fees were put into place in order to offset the revenue shortfall from more fuel efficient vehicles, electrified powertrains, and the resulting lower gas
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
After Weeks of Negotiations, Congress Finalizes 5-year Transportation Bill
by Ashley Halsey III (The Washington Post) ... The long-sought bill protects funding for transit from those who argued it should be cut loose from the highway bill, increases money for pedestrian and bicycle programs that also have come under attack, and
December 02, 2015 Read Full Article
How Michigan’s New Road Funding Plan Affects Alt-Fuel Vehicles
by Tony Antonelli (Next Gen Transportation News) ... Notably, three of the bills – H.B.4736, H.B.4738 and H.B.4614 (now P.A.174, P.A.176 and P.A.178, respectively) – directly impact the clean fuels industry. P.A.174: Sponsored by State Rep. Michael McCready, this legislation increases registration
November 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Congress Misses a Chance to Improve the Transportation Bill
(The Washington Post) ... But the process apparently isn’t open enough to allow for a vote on the most obvious transportation solution: raising the gasoline tax to pay for the country’s roads and rails. In the past, House leaders weren’t so
November 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Oregon's Clean Fuels Law Ignites More Political Wrangling
by Ian K. Kullgren (The Oregonian/Oregon Live) ... One of the law's biggest advocates threatened to join forces with opponents this week over proposed changes. A new environmental coalition launched ads attacking proposed ballot measures. Lawsuits are pending in state and
September 21, 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
It's Time for a Non-Renewable Carbon User Fee for Fuels -- Press Release
“If we’re serious about reducing Climate Change caused by Green House Gases, then we need serious actions,” said Joanne Ivancic, Executive Director of Advanced Biofuels USA on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. “The first steps are including the price of
July 14, 2015 Read Full Article
It's Time for a Non-Renewable Carbon User Fee for Fuels
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Advanced Biofuels USA introduced a new idea for capturing externalities of non-renewable fuels at the Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO + Forum held in the Caucus Room of the US House of
July 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels USA Exhibits and Presents at Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO + Forum
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) This year’s CREEE EXPO + Forum brought together 46 organizations showcasing a cross-section of renewable energy (biofuels/biomass, geothermal, solar, water, wind) and energy efficiency technologies, including at least three organizations representing advanced biofuels (Advanced
July 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Oregon Lawmakers Look to Swap LCFS for Fuel Tax
(Argus Media) Oregon governor Kate Brown (D) and a group of eight legislators have negotiated a proposal to kill the state's new low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) in return for a 4¢/USG rise in the gasoline tax that would pay for
June 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Investment in Energy Technology to Hit $400 Billion by 2030
by Roseline Okere (The Guardian (Nigeria)) The International Energy Agency (IEA) has projected that increasing investment in renewable energy technologies in the power sector will increase from $270 billion in 2015 to $400 billion in 2030. ... It stated that lower oil prices
June 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Fossil Fuels Subsidised by $10m a Minute, Says IMF
by Damian Carrington (The Guardian) ‘Shocking’ revelation finds $5.3tn subsidy estimate for 2015 is greater than the total health spending of all the world’s governments -- Fossil fuel companies are benefitting from global subsidies of $5.3tn (£3.4tn) a year, equivalent to $10m
May 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Bill Would Hike Gas Tax to Pay for Roads
by Keith Laing (The Hill) A bipartisan group of House members has filed legislation to hike the federal gas tax and index it to inflation to pay for a new transportation bill. The measure would increase the gas tax, which
April 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Fees, Taxes Increase with Highway Funding Package
(Rapid City Journal) South Dakota drivers will be paying more for that privilege in the very near future. The 2015 S.D. Legislature, with guidance from an Interim Committee on Highway Needs and Financing, overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 1 and Governor
April 07, 2015 Read Full Article
The Unrecognized Value of Bio-Energy
by Chad Smith (Midwest Producer) "We threw a whole bunch of stuff up on the wall to see if anything sticks." Dave VanderGriend quoted a Kansas state legislator describing House Bill (HB) 2401, a proposal to add a 4.5-cent per gallon
April 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Iowa Road Funding Bill Passes with Reduced Tax Rate for B11
(The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association/Biodiesel Magazine) The Iowa Legislature created a 3-cent per gallon differential tax rate for B11 and higher biodiesel blends in the road funding legislation passed Feb. 24. This provision is expected to boost the availability and sales
March 04, 2015 Read Full Article
New Wyoming Law Extends Fuels Tax to Alternative Highway Fuels, Including Natural Gas, E85, Biodiesel
(Associated Press) Gov. Matt Mead has signed into law a bill that extends the state fuels tax to include alternative highway fuels, including natural gas, pure ethanol, E85 and biodiesel. The new law, which Mead signed on Wednesday, will take effect in
February 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Scott Pope Invites You to Petition the White House and Congress to Increase the Gas Tax
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Advanced Biofuels USA has long supported increasing the highway user fee to address our transportation infrastructure--and to support development and deployment of renewable transportation fuels. Scott Pope, whose background is in tech & green tech investing
February 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Gas Tax Hike Looking More Palatable to Republicans
by Fawn Johnson (National Journal) Some lawmakers say there needs to be a rebate for low-income families. Others call it a "user fee." Lawmakers may have finally run out of arcane accounting options to fund the nation's highways and
January 16, 2015 Read Full Article
The Chamber of Commerce Conveniently Forgets Its Attacks on Obama
by Dana Milbank (The Washington Post) Tom Donohue, the longtime president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, sounded ebullient as he gave his annual report on the health of American business Wednesday. ... “It seems to be hard to make the case
January 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Rep. Jared Huffman Introduces New Bill to Replace Gas Tax, Ensure Solvency of Highway Trust Fund, Fight Climate Change
(Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA 2nd)) New bill would ensure solvency of Highway Trust Fund, fully-fund public transportation -- Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) today introduced the Gas Tax Replacement Act of 2015, new legislation to stabilize the Highway Trust Fund— which
January 14, 2015 Read Full Article
The 4 Smarter Things Congress Could Be Doing than Voting on Keystone Again
by Chris Mooney (The Washington Post) ... For environmentalists, it symbolizes the increasingly urgent need to keep fossil fuels in the ground. For Republicans, it symbolizes everything they hate about how environmentalists seek to block industrial projects. But when Congress focuses
January 08, 2015 Read Full Article
With Oil Prices Low, Now’s the Perfect Time for Congress to Raise the Gas Tax
by Editorial Board (The Washington Post) THE PRICE of crude oil dipped below $50 a barrel on Monday. National gasoline prices average a little over $2 a gallon. On principle and on politics, now is the best time Washington has
January 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Oil’s Swoon Creates the Opening for a Carbon Tax
by Lawrence Summers (The Washington Post) The case for carbon taxes has long been compelling. With the recent steep fall in oil prices and associated declines in other energy prices, it has become overwhelming. There is room for debate about the
January 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Can Brazil Get Its Ethanol Mojo Back?
by Mac Margolis (Bloomberg View) Brazilian airline Gol set out earlier this year to launch the world's first commercial flight powered partly by renewable fuel made from sugar cane. Fermenting ordinary sugar into jet fuel ended up being the easy bit.
December 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Five Myths about Gas Taxes
by Paul Bledsoe (The Washington Post) A dramatic 40 percent drop in oil prices since June has prompted new discussion aboutraising the long-static federal gasoline tax and has many states considering gas tax hikes as well. At the federal level, Congress
December 22, 2014 Read Full Article
The Political Problem behind Our Crumbling Highways
by Paul Waldman (The Washington Post) ... The Congressional Budget Office says that starting next year, the fund won’t have enough money to meet its obligations, and keep in mind that means just the projects that are already in progress. New projects would
July 07, 2014 Read Full Article
U.S. Transportation: Driving Down the Same Old (Bumpy) Road or Paving a New Way Forward?
by Bill Chameides (Duke University) While the Highway Trust Fund did a fine job of funding infrastructure maintenance for decades, it now is sorely lacking. The taxes collected are nowhere near enough to fund what is needed. Last year the federal
March 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Solving the Midwest Ethanol Problem: The E85 Angle
by Robert Rapier (Biofuels Digest/Energy Trends Insider) ... Today, nine years after I began writing about energy, we have an ethanol industry that has undergone rapid growth, but it is an industry that still relies heavily on the hand of government
February 20, 2014 Read Full Article
Sen. Baucus Launches Major Senate Energy Tax Reform
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A new, technology-neutral tax credit for the domestic production of clean transportation fuel? Read on. In Washington, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) unveiled the latest package in a series of proposals to overhaul America’s
December 20, 2013 Read Full Article
House Bill Seeks to Increase Gas Tax by 15 Cents per Gallon
by Ashley Halsey III (The Washington Post) With Congress facing a major shortfall in transportation funding next year, a House bill introduced Wednesday would raise the federal gasoline tax by 15 cents per gallon to close the gap. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.)
December 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Obama Messes with the RFS
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the EPA released its 2014 proposed standards and volumes for renewable fuels. The volumes, as widely expected, include substantial reductions from the statutory standards in the original Energy Independence & Security Act. The announced proposed volumes
November 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Tri-State Biodiesel’s Triple Play: Fashion, Tribute, Heating
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) ... Dehran Duckworth, a managing partner at Tri-State Biodiesel, said this was the first year Tri-State Biodiesel won the contract to supply the Aggreko plc generators and temperature control equipment for the virtual “tent city” (for
October 30, 2013 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Producer Brands Tax Idea Short-Sighted
by Tamara Timothy (Guernsey News) ...Treasury and Resources announced in their Budget that they are going to investigate putting excise duty on biodiesel. ...Peter Mac Gill said: "It does produce a useful service for the island because what we do, every
October 16, 2013 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels, Climate Change and National Security
by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) The direct relationship between Climate Change effects and National Security was recently summarized in testimony at a Congressional hearing: Competition and scarcity involving natural resources—food, water, minerals, and energy—are growing security threats. Many countries important to
July 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Infrastructure, Energy and Natural Resources: Senate Finance Committee Staff Tax Reform Options for Discussion
(US Senate Finance Committee) This document is the fourth in a series of papers compiling tax reform options that Finance Committee members may wish to consider as they work towards reforming our nation’s tax system. This compilation is a joint product
April 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Fuel Efficiency Is Bad News For State Governments
(EconMatters/Business Insider) ... But it looks like what may be good for the environment, is actually bad news for the government. You see, for each gallon of gasoline or diesel we gas up in our cars, there’s a portion of tax
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Seaweed-Based Ethanol Technology Gets Boost in Vietnam
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bio-Refinery Begins Operations Turning Co-Cropping into Fuels, Chemicals Deep in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam a small bio-refinery is converting seaweed into protein, fuel-blendable alcohol, and a bacterial soil product. It is part of a
January 15, 2013 Read Full Article
The Political Implications of America's Oil & Gas Boom - James Kwak Interview
by James Stafford (OilPrice.com) ... To help us look at these issues and more we managed to speak with the well known economist James Kwak. James is an associate professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law. ...In the interview James
January 12, 2013 Read Full Article
White House Finalizes 2025 'Historic' Fuel Rules for Automakers
by David Shephardson (Detroit News) The Obama administration has finalized the landmark 2017-25 fuel economy rules that will nearly double the efficiency of the nation's cars and trucks over the next 13 years to a fleet-wide average of 54.5
August 28, 2012 Read Full Article
Automakers Press for Some Changes to Fuel Rules
by David Shephardson (Detroit News) Automakers asked the Obama administration Monday to make modest changes to a proposed boost in fuel efficiency standards for the 2017-2025 model years and to allow the use of some credits to meet requirements as
February 24, 2012 Read Full Article
House Proposal Would Raise Gas Tax and Some Vehicle Fees
by O. Kay Henderson (RadioIowa) Iowa’s gas tax would be eight cents per gallon higher by April, 2014 under a proposal that has cleared a five-member House panel. The bill also calls for new yearly fees for hybrid vehicles and for
February 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Road Use by E.V. Drivers: To Tax or Not to Tax?
by Jim Motavalli (New York Times) Drivers of purely electric vehicles avoid paying the gas taxes included in the cost of a petro-product fill-up. Consequently, if E.V.’s were to become widely adopted, less money could flow into accounts that pay to build
February 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Expiring Ethanol Credit to Add to Gas Price Jump
(WRAL) Lack of action by state lawmakers and Congress is expected to raise gas prices in North Carolina by more than 8 cents a gallon, starting Sunday. Half of the increase comes from the state. North Carolina's gas tax is linked
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Economic Study Questions Cost-Effectiveness of Current Biofuels and Their Ability to Cut Fossil Fuel Use; Gas Tax and Energy Efficiency Improvements Found More Effective
(Green Car Congress) A new study by economists at Oregon State University questions the cost-effectiveness of current biofuels and says they would barely reduce fossil fuel use and would likely increase greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers focused on the major mandated and
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Gassed out, cont.
(The Economist/Free Exchange) LAST week I noted that volatile oil prices have played an underappreciated role in recent business cycles. Over the weekend, James Hamilton published additional analysis of oil-price changes since last year, and he presents some sobering findings. Mr Hamilton
August 16, 2011 Read Full Article
GM Chief Pushing for Higher Gas Taxes
by David Shepardson and Christina Rogers (The Detroit News) General Motors Co. CEO Dan Akerson wants the federal gas tax boosted as much as $1 a gallon to nudge consumers toward more fuel-efficient cars, ... And while he is eager
June 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Congressional Budget Office Publishes Alternative Approaches to Funding Highways
(Congressional Budget Office) The federal government collects revenues from taxes paid by highway users, mostly from those levied on gasoline and diesel fuel, and credits them to the Highway Trust Fund. Those revenues and others are subsequently used for federal spending on
March 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Who Wins with Higher Gas Prices?
by Dan Chapman (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) ...Higher gas prices could finally translate into a sustainable market for Georgia’s alternative energy industry. ...And, finally, a shift from gas and diesel to home-grown energy, i.e. ethanol for cars and biodiesel for trucks, could lessen
March 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Is It Time for an Oil Tax?
by Henry Blodget (Huffington Post) ...Over the long term, of course, given a finite supply of oil and ever-increasing demand for it, oil prices are going to keep on rising. And remaining in denial about that -- and postponing the
February 25, 2011 Read Full Article
10 to watch: Senators on Energy
by Darren Goode (Politico) With Republicans controlling the House and ramping up oversight and investigations of the Obama administration, focus at least initially in the next Congress will be on the Senate to lay a potential pathway for legislative compromise
February 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Senate Must Pass Small-Business Incentives, Voinovich Says
by Lori Montgomery (The Washington Post) ... The senator is a strong advocate of responsible budgeting and has long called for increasing the gas tax, the traditional financing source for the nation's roadways. He said he mentioned that in his phone
September 09, 2010 Read Full Article
Tax Truth: We Need to Raise the Levy on Gasoline
(Washington Post) Editorial ...What better time to revisit the enduring, maddening, illogical contrast between how little Americans actually pay to drive -- and how fiercely they resist even modest gasoline tax increases that would go a long way in addressing
July 08, 2010 Read Full Article
Senate Trio Hopes to Hit Pay Dirt With Carbon 'Fee' on Fuels
by Darren Samuelsohn (New York Times) Key senators are weighing a request from Big Oil to levy a carbon fee on the industry rather than wrap it into a sweeping cap-and-trade system that covers most of the U.S. economy. If accepted,
April 19, 2010 Read Full Article
Senators to Propose Abandoning Cap-and-Trade
by Juliet Eilperin and Steven Mufson (Washington Post) Three key senators are engaged in a radical behind-the-scenes overhaul of climate legislation, preparing to jettison the broad "cap-and-trade" approach that has defined the legislative debate for close to a decade. The
March 02, 2010 Read Full Article
Put Transportation Biofuel Commercial Deployment Where It Belongs: USDOT
by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) Contemplating the continued inability of the US to meet the biofuels and advanced biofuels production and sales expectations codified in the Renewable Fuels Standard, the Advanced Biofuels USA board passed a resolution to introduce
February 25, 2010 Read Full Article
.jpg)
Our Sponsors
FREE Subscription! Advanced Biofuels USA events calendar; policy and actions; education newsletters
