by Rick Westhead (The Star) ...Indian industrialist Sai Ramakrishna Karuturi has his eye on this lush scenery, too, but he sees something much different: the potential for large-scale commercial farming. Karuturi, from the South Indian city of Bangalore, envisions the fields
Policy
Back TO HOMEXconomist of the Week: 5 Questions with Sapphire Energy CEO Jason Pyle
by Bruce V. Bigelow (Xconomy) ...Jason Pyle: ...So soon, we will see the U.S. military as the leading customer for crude oil replacements. As pressure rises on the commercial airline industry (which uses most of the jet fuels in the
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Bill Gates Calls for Massive Increase in Energy Research
by Martin LaMonica (CNET News) Even though it's supposed to be a time of federal fiscal austerity, Bill Gates says its time to double down on energy research. The software industry icon and philanthropist on Friday published an editorial in Science calling
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Announces New Insurance Pilot Program for Biofuel-Friendly Oilseed Crop with Potential to Create Jobs, Stimulate Rural Economies
(US Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) has announced a new pilot program of insurance for camelina beginning with the 2012 crop year. Camelina is an oilseed crop with the potential to create
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
An Unfair Fight for Renewable Energies
by Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Washington Post) OpEd: More energy from the sun hits Earth in one hour than all the energy consumed on our planet in an entire year. In those terms, it is absurd that our federal government spends tens
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
US Airlines Test Bio Fuel Flights
by John Terrett (AlJazeera) Some US airlines have begun testing enviromentally friendly fuel. And while the efforts may help the environment, unlike in the European Union, the US government does not force airliners to go green. The ecological benefits would be
December 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Carbon Tax Bill Introduced: Great Idea; Needs Some Amending
(Environment and Energy Study Institute) A steadily rising tax on the carbon content of fossil fuels would be a powerful, market-based approach to addressing one of the greatest crises of our time – global climate change. It could also help
December 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Industry Hunkers Down for Hard Times
by Mackinnon Lawrence (Reuters) ...Coming off several years of steady industry growth but facing a difficult 2012, Advanced Biofuels Markets 2011 was tinged with exigency. With deficit reduction at the forefront of policy objectives for Congress, a reexamination of cornerstone
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Airline Sector to Make Do with Fossil Fuels
(Biofuels International) Adair Turner, chairman of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), has acknowledged that the aviation sector may be an area in which fossil fuels have to be used, highlighting that we are looking to achieve a 'low carbon
December 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Concerns EU’s Renewable Energy Directive Breaks Rules Of Free Trade
(Eurasia Review) The European Union renewable energy regulation may became a subject of dispute in the World Trade Organization (WTO), warned Monday the Globalization Institute, adding that lack of transparency and discrimination towards foreign biofuel suppliers cause the Renewable Energy
December 02, 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
Navy Energy Director Speaks on US Need for Global Biofuels
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) The military has been especially active in the push to develop biobased jet fuel, but the U.S. Department of Defense’s interest in biomass-based energy sources is not limited to biofuels. Biomass-based power is also part
November 29, 2011 Read Full Article
African Association Aims to Drive Cleantech Development
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) The African CleanTech Association launched Oct. 24 and, according to ACTA spokeswoman Suza Adam, the primary goal of the group is to assist in the development of African enterprises and technologies in the cleantech space
November 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Studies Evaluate Impact of Nutrients in DDGS Manure
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Canada’s Beef Cattle Research Council has funded several multi-year studies examining how the nutrients in distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS) impact manure and found that the increased phosphorous and nitrogen levels will require
November 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Margins to Fall: Blender Credit Will Expire at Year's End
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) Ethanol producers will lose about 25 to 30 cents per gallon on operating profits when the tax credit for blenders goes away after Dec. 31. ...(Walt) Wendland, who also is president of the Iowa Renewable Fuels
November 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Two Oklahoma Lawmakers File Bills to Bar Castor Beans
by Randy Krehbiel (Durant Daily Democrat) ...Ricin, which can be extracted from crushed castor beans, is so potent a toxin that a dose equivalent to a few grains of salt induces a slow, agonizing death marked by vomiting and diarrhea.
November 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Renewable Reserve Accounting: Building the Biofuels Balance Sheet
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Should biofuels have its own reserve accounting system and accompanying balance sheet booster, just as the oil & gas industry has? Ceres CEO Richard Hamilton says “yes”, and explains why, and how. At the Advanced Biofuels
November 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Novozymes Urges Committee to Explore Oil Alternatives
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The president of biofuel enzyme producer Novozymes last week called on a House subcommittee to explore alternatives to drilling for oil to meet the country’s energy needs. In a written statement prepared for the House Committee on Natural Resources’
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Agrisol’s $100 Million Land Deal Opposed by US Environment Group
by Kevin Kelley (The East African) A leading US environmental group is opposing the planned purchase of 325,000 hectares of land in Tanzania by an American company. ...Opponents charge that the deal amounts to a “land grab” that would result in
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel an Energy Resource Idea for Pakistan in Recent Energy Calamity
by Naseem Sheikh (Business Recorder) ...A research Study conducted by the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, suggests that the country’s energy demand is expected to increase three fold by 2050, but supply position is not inspiring in anyway. In such alarming
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
DOD Steps Up Innovation in Installation Energy, Recognizes Limits in Biofuels
by Matt Hourihan (The Energy Collective) ...In the other development, a report released earlier this month by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs and the Defense Logistics Agency released a report (PDF)
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
SADC Urged to Consider Biofuel Regulations
(Alternative Energy Africa) Foreign firms are increasing their interest in the biofuel sector resulting in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) being urged to implement policy and legal mechanisms to foster responsible investments. The World Wild Fund (WWF) for Nature discussed
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Study Shows High Emissions from Growing Biodiesel from Palm Oil
(Transport & Environment) Biofuels produced from palm oil grown in tropical peatlands are a significant source of greenhouse gases. This is the finding of a new study done for the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) which, if taken on
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
South African Airways Mulls Big Biofuels Shift in Bid to Avoid Possible Carbon Penalties
by Terence Creamer (Engineering News) Biofuels may need to comprise as much as half of South African Airways’ (SAA’s) fuel supply by 2020 if the national carrier is to avoid future carbon penalties, Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba... But he
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Study: Meeting Green Transport Targets May Need £895m Biofuels Spend
by Will Nichols (Business Green) Government research body says next generation biofuels made from waste are a feasible low carbon option The UK could miss its renewable transport targets unless it spends £900m over the next 20 years on advanced biofuels,
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
SIGMA Joins Coaltion for E85
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA) has officially joined the Coalition for E85 in the effort to have 85 percent ethanol designated as an alternative fuel under the tax code. … “E85 as an alternative fuel is defined everywhere
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
South Africa: Govt Sign Accord to Inject Billions Into Green Economy
(All Africa) On the eve of a major International Climate Change Conference to be hosted by South Africa, social partners and government signed a Green Economy Accord at parliament in Cape Town today (November 17, 2011), which commits signatories to
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Want Fuel Cells? Think Outside the Hydrogen Tank
(MarketWatch) ...When most people hear the words "fuel cell," they think of eco-friendly, hydrogen-powered cars that emit nothing more than water. And that, says Professor Eric Wachsman, director of the University of Maryland Energy Research Center (UMERC), is one of the
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
EIA Issues 2012 Cellulosic Biofuel Predictions
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. DOE’s Energy Information Administration predicts that only six cellulosic biofuel producers will make fuel available for sale in 2012, producing a total of just 6.9 million gallons of fuel over the course
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Large Differences in the Climate Impact of Biofuels
(PhysOrg.com) When biomass is combusted the carbon that once was bound in the growing tree is released into the atmosphere. For this reason, bioenergy is often considered carbon dioxide neutral. Research at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, however, shows that
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Out from Solyndra’s Shadow
by Brent Erickson (Biofuels Digest/BIO) Federal loan guarantees may be scuttled after the Solyndra affair – but should the baby really be thrown out with the bathwater? ...But the programs’ untimely end may coincide with the first commercial successes for advanced
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
S-Day: US Must Keep Its Eyes on the Clean Energy Prize, Despite Setbacks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Here the Digest’s take: for bioenergy, S-Day is about Solyndra and Secretary Chu, but it isn’t really much about bioenergy. Out of an $80 billion authorization for clean energy loan guarantees, and over a six-year
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
New Report Highlights Growth of Advanced Biofuels in US
(The National Non-Food Crops Centre) Renewable Waste Intelligence have published a free municipal solid waste to biofuel report, which explores the current state of the market in the US. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is increasingly being used to drive biofuels
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Companies Cited by EPA for Fake Biofuel Credits
by Ayesha Rascoe (Reuters) ...The EPA has issued 24 notices of violation to more than a dozen companies, including units of Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and Morgan Stanley, for the use of invalid renewable identification numbers, or RINs, according
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
We Can’t Wait: Obama Administration Proposes Historic Fuel Economy Standards to Reduce Dependence on Oil, Save Consumers Money at the Pump
(US Environmental Protection Agency) Next phase in national program for light-duty vehicles will save consumers thousands of dollars at the pump while saving billions of barrels of oil, curbing pollution, enabling long-term planning for automakers Building on President Obama’s historic national
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
State of Play
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The vast majority of progressive, forward-looking policies that have helped to build America’s ethanol industry into the largest alternative fuel industry in the world have emanated from Washington. Smart, productive policies such
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
EU Aviation Standards: Algae Oil’s Threshold Market
by Riggs Eckelberry (OriginOil/Algae Industry Magazine) ...Almost a decade after the start of Kyoto deliberations, Europe will become the first major power to enforce emissions standards for aviation. Emissions trading emerged as the EU’s strategy after five years’ review of
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Faces Headwinds
by Abby Schultz (CNBC) ...“We have a lot of customers who are ethanol investors and plants have been very diligent paying down debt in 2011,” says Jason Ward, director of grain and energy for Northstar Commodity. “Kudos to them, but
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Butanol Producers Target Biofuels Market
by Philip Brasher (Argus Leader) ... A top official with the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates motor fuels, told lawmakers recently butanol is one of the nation’s “most promising biofuels.” However, the product faces potential government barriers that provide an advantage
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Ex-Obama Operative Urged White House to Oust Energy Secretary Chu, Emails Show
(Fox News/AP) ...A February email from an ex-campaign operative for President Obama explained at length why Chu should be demoted and replaced with a new team of energy leaders. Dan Carol, also a prominent clean-energy activist, complained about rising gas
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Tongaat Sees Big Potential for Jobs in Ethanol and Power Projects
by Brindaveni Naidoo (Engineering News) Electricity generation and ethanol production from sugarcane could save and create thousands of local jobs, mainly in rural areas, agriculture and property group Tongaat Hulett CEO Peter Staude said on Monday. ... Turning to ethanol production, the
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Environmental Outlook: Declining Political Support for Ethanol
host: Laura Knoy (NPR/The Diane Rhem Show) America’s ethanol industry is booming. The U.S. is projected to become the world’s biggest ethanol exporter by the end of the year. In the past, Congress has strongly supported the industry. Now it
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels and Other Bioliquids—Facts and Perspectives
by Igor Dormuth and Elena Schmidt (Biomass Power and Thermal/TÜV SÜD Industrie Service) New EU sustainability criteria for biofuels and other bioliquids must be complied with and verified by an independent third party at every stage of the production
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Support for Federal Backing of Renewables Slips, Driven by GOP Skepticism
By Juliet Eilperin and Jon Cohen (The Washington Post) Support for putting federal funds into alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and hydrogen has slipped to its lowest point in polls since 2006, driven by growing Republican opposition to such initiatives,
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Feedstocks – Who’s Got Game?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As POET lands a record biomass harvest in prep for a 2013 cellulosic ethanol launch, the Digest looks at stover, jatropha, miscanthus, switchgrass, MSW, wood and animal residue. Are costs going down, and capacity going
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Fossil Fuel Subsidies Six Times More Than Renewable Energy
by Ben Sills (Bloomberg) Fossil-fuel consumers worldwide received about six times more government subsidies than were given to the renewable-energy industry, according to the chief adviser to oil-importing nations. State spending to cut retail prices of gasoline, coal and natural gas
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
MATT HARTWIG: Ethanol's critics cite outdated, misleading data
by Matt Hartwig (Northwest Florida Daily News) Opinion: In a Nov. 2 editorial (“Florida’s ethanol escapade”), the Northwest Florida Daily News mischaracterized my remarks to a reporter and extrapolated conclusions that simply were not there. ...First, America produced more than 13
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
City Might Phase Out Use of Corn-Based Ethanol Fuel
by Kevin Duggan (Coloradoan.com) The city of Fort Collins may phase out use of corn-based ethanol in its fleet vehicles out of concern for the environment. The majority of City Council members said Tuesday they would support gradually doing away with
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
EPA May Deem More Biodiesel RINs as Invalid over Alleged Fraud: Lawyer
(Platts) The US Environmental Protection Agency may end up deeming more biodiesel renewable identification numbers (RINs) as invalid following federal investigations into two companies that allegedly sold RINS without producing the appropriate volumes of biodiesel, a lawyer familiar with the
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Canadian Ethanol Industry Grows, Adds $1.2 Billion to Economy
by Matt Soberg (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Reaching almost 528 MMgy (2 billion liters per year) currently, Canadian ethanol production will continue grow due to a federal renewable fuel standard and expanding transportation fuel markets according to a study released by
November 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Rules Could Price Older Car Drivers Off the Road
(The Green Car Website) ...According to reports, nearly one million motorists could suffer as the government prepares to increase the biofuel content in unleaded fuel from five per cent to ten per cent as directed by the EU. Some older models, made before 1993,
November 08, 2011 Read Full Article
7 Decision Points in the Race for Scale in Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In the Race for Scale, the industry has excelled in driving down operating costs. Capital costs have proven more perplexing, and sticker shock has been a hold-back. Feedstock availability at affordable cost and appropriate scale
November 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Water, Hold the Ice
by Kristy Moore (Renewable Fuels Association) Recent claims from some marine engine manufacturers that E15 ethanol blends will ruin marine engines are meant solely to incite fear and not meaningful discussion. A meaningful discussion would note that E15 is illegal
November 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Ricardo Study Suggests Global Oil Demand May Peak Before 2020
(Ricardo/PR NewsWire) Ricardo today announced the results of a landmark multi-client research study conducted by Ricardo Strategic Consulting in association with Kevin J. Lindemer LLC, and involved participation of some of the world's leading energy and technology companies and organizations.
November 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Skeptics Question Airline Biofuels
by Robert Wall (AviationWeek) When it comes to operating airliners with a biofuel blend, it is becoming difficult to find a name-brand airline that has not conducted a demonstration flight. The problem is, it may all be for naught. Air France
November 04, 2011 Read Full Article
European Union Biodiesel Production Slumps in 2011
by John C.K. Daly (http://oilprice.com) Greening the European Union has suffered a setback. The European Biodiesel Board is reporting that the European Union biodiesel industry production forecasts are noting a 2011 decrease in output, the first since data has been gathered,
November 04, 2011 Read Full Article
The REFRESH Act Is as Important to Fueling America as It Is to Feeding It
by Adam Monroe (Novozymes/The Hill E2Wire) ...We are thankful the REFRESH Act’s energy title includes baseline funding. The problem is that the current farm bill does not, putting in jeopardy programs that our farmers and economy depend on, including the
November 04, 2011 Read Full Article
House Hearing Witnesses Bash RFS, Call for Repeal of E15
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) It was déjà vu all over again on Nov. 2 as representatives of the ethanol industry were forced to watch a House of Representatives Energy and Environment Subcommittee hearing on motor fuel standards from
November 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Stabenow to Introduce 'Grow It Here, Make It Here' Initiative
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) ...While (Sen. Debbie) Stabenow has yet to introduce the legislation in the U.S. Senate, her office did provideBiorefining Magazine with a draft of the bill. According to that draft, titled the “Make It in America Tax
November 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Left Out of Hearing Again
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy and Environment is holding a hearing today (November 2, 2011) on “Conflicts and Unintended Consequences of Motor Fuel Standards” with a witness list that the ethanol
November 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Is There Too Much Land in Europe?
by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ePURE) ...Even if that extra demand would not exist, why would European politicians want to increase idled land, knowing that year-on-year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, arable land in
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
E15: Cracking the RVP Nut
by Jeremy P. Greenhouse (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Greenhouse & Gram) New blend won’t qualify for One Pound Waiver, presenting huge hurdle When the U.S. EPA granted Clean Air Act fuel waivers allowing gasoline containing 10 to 15 percent by volume of ethanol
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Gauging 2012 Volumes: Will RINs Prove that the RFS Needs Modifying?
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...By Nov. 30, the U.S. EPA will issue its renewable fuel standard (RFS) volumes for the upcoming year and, once again, it will dramatically ratchet down the cellulosic biofuels category. ...No matter what end of
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
U.S. Navy Expands Algae Biofuel Testing At Sea And In The Air
by Tina Casey (Talking Points Memo) ...Earlier this year, the Navy successfully tested a 50-50 algae aviation biofuel blend on a Seahawk helicopter in flight, and now an algae biodiesel blend has passed muster during tests on a 135-foot landing vessel. The ship,
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Military Thinktank Urges US to Cut Oil Use
Suzanne Goldenberg (The Guardian) Report from Military Advisory Board says US must reduce energy imports over the next decade as a national security imperative In its report, the Military Advisory Board said the US should aim to drastically reduce its energy
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
What’s the Buzz? The 10 hottest topics in biofuels right now.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But here are 10 themes that are shaping up to be the Buzz of the conference. 1. RFS. Hold or Fold? 2. Can Obama find the $510 million? 3. Elections. 4. Fuels, or chems, or something else? 5.
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Ammo for Defending the RFS
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Interesting article turned up this week from Australia, showing just what could happen with no RFS or mandate. The Courier-Mail reported “Queensland motorists dudded as fuel retailers pull ethanol blend petrol from service stations.” Coles
November 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Publication: A Review of Environmental Issues in the Context of Biofuel Sustainability Frameworks
by Guariguata, M.R.; Masera, O.R.; Johnson, F.X.; von Maltitz, G.; Bird, N.; Tella, P.; Martínez-Bravo, R (Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Bogor, Indonesia) With the rapid growth of biofuel production and consumption and the proliferation of policy decisions supporting
November 01, 2011 Read Full Article
“Are You Any Less Worried about Energy Security Today than You Were 4 Years Ago?” Asks BP
by Bill Lundberg (Biofuels Digest) Should the Renewable Fuel Standard be scrapped, or revised? BP North America chief Susan Ellerbusch makes the case for “No”. In Chicago, BP Biofuels North America president Susan Ellerbusch, in addressing congressional attempts to re-write the
November 01, 2011 Read Full Article
The Uncertain Tomorrow
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Expiring biofuel tax credits and a dysfunctional Congress ...But given Congress subsidizing an obviously profitable oil industry, coupled with subjecting biofuels to stringent GHG emissions reductions while the petroleum industry has none, in addition to expiring
October 31, 2011 Read Full Article
A New Standard for Quality
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) It's been nearly two decades since ASTM International initiated spec development efforts for biodiesel. Since then, the organization has developed specifications for not only B100, but also blends of up to B20. Alterations to specifications
October 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Trick and Treat: Energy Loans under Review, as Hallowe’en Looms
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The fact that the US government doubled-down, by allegedly subordinating the loan to investments by a pair of hedge funds, during a Solyndra financial reorganization, is going to cost Energy Secretary a headache when he heads
October 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Industry Lobbying for Aid in Farm Bill
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) The biofuel industry is lobbying lawmakers to continue some subsidies and financial assistance that they got in the last farm bill. The programs are set to expire next year if Congress doesn’t do anything, so
October 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Harry Reid: Renewables 'Wiser' than Keystone
by Darren Goode (Politico) Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton he has “serious concern” about TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline. Reid — in an Oct. 5 letter to Clinton first reported on by The Washington Post —
October 28, 2011 Read Full Article
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Ethanol Cuts Dependence, Pollution
by John R. Block (The Washington Times) As Secretary of Agriculture during the Reagan administration, I helped the American ethanol industry take off. Imagine my surprise to read an editorial in The Washington Times (“Corn-fueled politics,” Oct. 17) contending that American
October 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Growth Stifled by EU Policy Delays: BP
by Nina Chestney (Reuters) Biofuels for use in transport are becoming more competitive compared with oil but the pace of growth has slowed due to a lack of regulation and sustainability standards in Europe, the chief executive of BP's biofuels
October 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Price Volatility – Causes and Consequences
(Gant Daily) ...G20 countries in their June 2011 ministerial declaration recommended measures such as building grain reserves, a global market information system and regulating financial transactions in commodities markets. But economists like Brian Wright, professor of agricultural and resource economics at the University
October 26, 2011 Read Full Article
A Next-Generation Biofuel Strategy
by Warren Mabee and Donald L. Smith (The Star) Global energy prices are on the rise, as are food prices and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Advanced biofuels can address all of these problems, and Canada, with its large biomass reserves and
October 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Farmers May Expect Improved Livelihood with Biofuel Dev’t
by Riza T. Olchondra (Philippine Daily Inquirer) Filipino farmers and investors may profit from biofuel ventures in idle, upland, and other so-called marginalized areas without disrupting food supply. According to the study “Assessment on the Use of Marginal Areas for Cultivation
October 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol ‘Floodgates’ May Open in 2013, Poet LLC Says
by Alex Morales (Bloomberg) Cellulosic ethanol output may surge starting in 2013, when the first commercial-scale plants “open the floodgates” for the fuel, according to the largest U.S. corn-based biofuel producer. Poet LLC plans to start production in 2013 at a
October 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Tallow Replaces Crude Oil as Biofuels Head to War: Commodities
by Alex Morales and Louise Downing (Bloomberg News/San Francisco Chronicle) Biofuels face their biggest test yet -- whether they can power fighter jets and tanks in battle at prices the world's best-funded military can afford. The U.S. Air Force is
October 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Local Lawmakers Unveil Plan for Attracting, Keeping Jobs in Illinois
by Will Buss (News-Democrat) Two state lawmakers believe they have a solution to Illinois' high unemployment rate. Rep. Dwight Kay, R-Glen Carbon, and Rep. Paul Evans, R-O'Fallon, have a blueprint that they believe will attract and keep jobs in the state.
October 24, 2011 Read Full Article
The Government Wants Your Advice on Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What do they need, you ask? Your insight on, broadly speaking, how to structure the national bioeconomy blueprint, in the case of the US. In case of Canada, how to best structure the Clean Energy
October 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Dems Press Supercommittee to Go after Oil subsidies
by Ben Geman (The Hill/E2Wire) The latest effort came in a Friday letter from 38 members, spearheaded by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), that argues “the United States can no longer afford to give away billions of
October 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Wisconsin Congressman Introduces Bill to Require More E15 testing
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Citing “serious concerns” with the U.S. EPA’s decision to allow E15 to be used invehicle models 2001 and newer, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., introduced legislation to the House of Representatives on Oct. 13 that
October 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Our Troops Deserve the Support that Flows from Domestic Biofuels, Says Gen. Clark
Gen. Wesley K. Clark (Ret.) (Biofuels Digest) ... Our nation imagines itself the most free and secure in the world, yet this statistic clearly identifies America’s reliance on foreign oil as a significant threat to our economy and national security. We can no
October 20, 2011 Read Full Article
New Fuel Might Mean Higher Gas Prices for Chicago
by Kathryn Ferrara (Medill News Service/Northwest Indiana) Chicago area drivers may pay more for gasoline next year if the state Legislature adopts a proposed change in the sales tax. Most Chicago area drivers are buying what's referred to as E10 gasoline,
October 17, 2011 Read Full Article
EU Votes in Favor of Hiking Import Taxes for High Ethanol Blends
(Platts) The EU's Customs Code Committee approved Wednesday a draft regulation to raise import taxes for high ethanol blends, a source close to the matter told Platts. The decision could result in increased domestic prices for renewable fuels as it would
October 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Jobe, Huber Kick off Northeast Bioheat Workshop
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) The biodiesel and oilheat industries have a long-standing history working alongside each other respectively serving the home heating needs of their customers, particularly in the Northeast, and delivering clean-burning Bioheat was the sentiment echoed by
October 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Instant View - EU Announces Shake-Up of Farm Policy
(Reuters) The European Union's executive finalised proposals for a shake-up of the bloc's 55 billion euro-a-year (48 billion pounds) farm policy on Wednesday. Following are reactions to the proposals: MARCO CONTIERO, GREENPEACE EU AGRICULTURE POLICY DIRECTOR "What Europe needs to save its food
October 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Thailand Revives Hub Plan
(UpstreamOnline) Thailand aims to revive a long-stalled plan to become an oil trading and biofuel hub in Southeast Asia, challenging Singapore's dominance, its new energy minister said on Thursday. Pichai Naripthaphan said the net oil importer plans to boost its crude
October 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Quick Win: Aviation Biofuels Offers Breakout for Clean Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Copenhagen this week, a coalition of companies and associations involved in aviation biofuels made a strong case for the sector not only as a quick win for biofuels, but as a quick win for
October 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Richard Branson Calls for Greener Tax Regime
(Business Green) Billionaire warns of “mother of all recessions” unless investment in renewable energy increases Sir Richard Branson has called on world leaders to drive a green economic recovery, warning that without measures to drive greater investment in renewable energy the
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
OECD and IEA Recommend Reforming Fossil-Fuel Subsidies to Improve the Economy and the Environment
(International Energy Agency) Governments and taxpayers spent about half a trillion dollars last year supporting the production and consumption of fossil fuels. Removing inefficient subsidies would raise national revenues and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, according to OECD and IEA analyses. The G-20
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
International Groups Urge Ending Fossil Fuel Subsidies
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Two international organizations are recommending reform of fossil-fuel subsidies to improve the economy and the environment. An analysis by the International Energy Agency(IED) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that governments and taxpayers spent
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels in Eastern Africa: Dangers Yes, but Much Potential as Well
(Netzwerk Biotriebstoffe News) Biofuel production is booming. Worldwide, production of ethanol for fuel has almost quintupled since 2000, while that of biodiesel has risen by almost 25 times. This is, in part, a response to policies to replace fossil fuels for
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Brazil Expresses Interest in Enhancing Fuel Ethanol Productivity
(Pakistan Today) Great potential for cooperation between two countries in ethanol production, renewable energy, hybrid seed, off-season vegetables and bio fuel World’s leader in ethanol fuel, Brazil has shown interest to collaborate with Pakistan in the transfer of knowledge and technology
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Misinformation Abounds in Debate over Energy
by Jim Nussle (Growth Energy/Waterloo Courier) op ed: As the thousands of Iowans whose livelihoods depend on farming and renewable fuels know, an argument against ethanol is really an argument for America's status quo addiction to foreign oil. It is
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Coalition for E85 Urges Retention of Ethanol Tax Credit
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.org) A coalition of retailers, producers, equipment manufacturers have formed the Coalition for E85with the stated purpose of protecting consumer access to 85% ethanol blends. According to the coalition, if the current tax credit for ethanol expires at the end
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
US Must Stop Promoting Biofuels to Tackle World Hunger, Says Thinktank
Suzanne Goldenberg (The Guardian) Global Hunger Index says US government support for corn ethanol was a factor in this year's food price spikes America must stop promoting the production of biofuels if there is to be any real progress in addressing spiking
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
RFS: It’s Not Perfect, But It’s Working
by Brent Erickson (BIO/Biofuels Digest) The Renewable Fuel Standard is the key foundation policy supporting the commercial development of advanced biofuels. It is not working as fast as some would like, but given the current economic situation it is indeed
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Occupied by Wall Street: World Leaders Grapple with Clean Energy Finance, Growth at Copenhagen Summit
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) World leaders say new structures, public-private partnership, required to unlock clean energy, unleash economic growth. Free-flowing discussion in Copenhagen shows directions that reform of clean energy finance might take. ...That UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon reiterated that
October 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Proposed Farm Bill Includes Advanced Biofuels
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Senator Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R, IN-3rd) have introduced a farm bill that they say would save $40 billion and includes provisions that support the development of advanced biofuels. “We offer our bill as a
October 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) Risks Can Be Mitigated, Says E&Y Report
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...ILUC mitigation practices identified by Ernst & Young include the development of advanced generation biofuels, improvements to crop yields on existing agricultural land, the use of co-products for animal feed purposes, and crop production on
October 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Fiscal 2012 Director’s Guidance Outlines Priorities in Three Focus Areas
by Beth Reese (Defense Logistics Agency) ...The new guidance includes 16 initiatives designed to steer employees’ efforts in three focus areas: Warfighter Support, Stewardship Excellence and Workforce Development. Its opening paragraphs forecast fiscal 2012 as a tough year for DLA
October 10, 2011 Read Full Article
RETECH 2011: Conference Overview
by Josh Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) As I walked off the Metro’s yellow line and into the Washington Conference Center for this year’s renewable energy technology convention, RETECH, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. The tech geek inside of
October 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Memo to Congress and Candidates: American Biofuels Boost Job Creation
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/The Hill's Congress Blog) ...Many quintessentially American industries with proven records of job creation hold the promise of exponential job growth if given a chance. American ethanol is one such industry, and it deserves a
October 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Industry Split Emerges over Biofuels' Indirect Impact
by Charlie Dunmore (Reuters) European bioethanol producers have broken ranks and urged EU policymakers to introduce rules on the indirect climate impacts of biofuels that distinguish between "good and bad biofuel pathways," Reuters has learned. ...In a letter to the
October 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Organization of American States and Honduras Sign Cooperation Agreements
(ISRIA) The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Government of the Republic of Honduras today signed five cooperation agreements within the framework of the official visit to the OAS headquarters in Washington, DC made by the President of the Central
October 06, 2011 Read Full Article
EPA Approves Canadian Renewable Biomass for RFS2
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) After roughly seven months of thorough consideration and review, the U.S. EPA has approved a petition put forth by the government of Canada to allow renewable biomass grown in Canada to comply with the Renewable
October 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Jatropha as Alternative Fuel a Bust
by John Lourenze Poquiz (Mayaya Business Insight) The government is set to abandon its program of promoting jatropha as an alternative fuel source, an official said. Energy Secretary Jose Rena Almendras said the Philippine National Oil Co. Alternative Fuels Corp. (PNOC-AFC),
October 05, 2011 Read Full Article
The Need for a Real Domestic Alternative Energy Policy in the USA
by Andrew Smolski (OilPrice.com) ...Let us begin with the thought process of Alexander Hamilton in order to frame the argument of building a new industry within the United States correctly in order to compete on the global market. The gist
October 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Waste-to-Biofuels: Enerkem VP Marie-Helene Labrie
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Marie-Helene Labrie said that the company looked for markets where there was effective government support all through the project from R&D, pilot & testing, commercial demonstrations, and full scale commercialization, noting that a “suite of
October 04, 2011 Read Full Article
A Call for Statutory Clarity
by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine) ...Today, in an industry that’s working to produce high-performance, fungible, drop-in molecules, some on the cusp of commercialization, many involved in the biorefining sector contend that the current regulatory regime needs to be altered
October 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Losing Government Loan Option
by Philip Brasher (Gannett/Des Moines Register) Developers of biofuels already have been struggling to attract private investment. Now they’ll have even fewer financing options with the sunsetting of the loan guarantee program that financed failed solar-panel maker Solyndra. ...But the
October 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Bright Future of Cellulosic Ethanol in China
(SBWire) CCM’s September Issue of Industrial Biotechnology China News has come out recently, revealing there is huge potential in China’s cellulosic ethanol market. Cellulosic ethanol, representing a high-end clean energy, can replace the traditional grain ethanol. In fact, Japanese nuclear accident makes
October 03, 2011 Read Full Article
British Columbia Should Remove Roadblocks to Renewable-Fuels Sector
by Brian Robers, Adam Kreek and Chris McDowel (Vancouver Sun) Environmentally friendly proucts taxed as if they were derived from the fossil fuels they aim to replace ...The growing sector includes a number of green co-operatives and startups dedicated to
October 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Releases Inaugural Quadrennial Technology Review Report
(Department of Energy) Report Provides a Roadmap for Advancing Key Energy Technologies and Outlines a Clear Vision of the Department’s Goals for Energy Innovation The Energy Department today released it’s inaugural Quadrennial Technology Review report (DOE-QTR) – an assessment of the
September 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Gevo Awarded Contract to Supply Jet Fuel to U.S. Air Force
(BusinessWire/Yahoo!Finance) Air Force Purchase is for Jet Engine Testing and Feasibility Flight Demonstration Gevo, Inc., a leading renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, received a $5 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the development of biojet
September 30, 2011 Read Full Article
The Subsidy Debate: Oil vs. Ethanol
by Kate Bechen and Porter J. Martin (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...But what often is missing in criticisms of ethanol is an acknowledgement that the oil industry significantly benefits from a variety of tax credits, incentives and other publicly-funded subsidies. Bloomberg
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
RFA Urges Super Committee to Look at Oil Subsidies
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) In a letter to the co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, the so-called “super committee” assigned to find ways to cut the deficit, the Renewable Fuels Association today urged them to “focus on comprehensive
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Tax Incentive Creates Jobs
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The biodiesel tax incentive is helping to create jobs across the country, according to testimony submitted to the House Ways and Means Committee today by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). “While we understand the pressures facing Congress, this
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Report Says Vehicle Fuel Should Be the Priority, Not Electricity
by Matthew L. Wald (New York Times) Research on solar and wind power is all well and good, but a self-assessment by the Department of Energy has found that in the great scheme of energy needs, the government is not
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Payments to Producers in 41 States to Expand the Production and Availability of Advanced Biofuels
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (September 27, 2011) announced that USDA will make payments to more than 160 energy producers in 41 states to support and ensure the production and expansion of advanced biofuels. "Renewable energy production
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Milligan to Quintuple Production with Expansion
by Bruce Johnstone (Leader-Post/Star Phoenix) Milligan Bio-Tech Inc. is proceeding with an $8-million expansion of its biodiesel plant in Foam Lake, which will increase production five-fold — making Milligan the largest biodiesel producer in western Canada by the end
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
The Future of Biorefining Policy
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) ...While some in the industry doubt that a Congress so focused on debt reduction will extend VEETC and the biodiesel tax credit, Greg Jenner, a partner in Stoel Rives LLP’s tax practice, offers a unique
September 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Breaking Oil's Monopoly on Transportation
by Geoffrey Styles (Energy Outlook) I've been thinking about an op-ed in Tuesday's New York Times written by a former National Security Advisor and a former CIA chief. ...The op-ed was apparently timed to mark the introduction of a new group
September 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Still Needed: More Ethanol Fuel Pumps
by Philip Brasher (Des Moines Register) But it's unclear where money will come from to install them around U.S. ...(Dave) Hicks, who’s getting a $28,000 federal grant and additional money from the state of Iowa to replace his two existing fuel
September 27, 2011 Read Full Article
House Bill Would Lower Mandate to Use Ethanol
by Charles Abbott (Reuters) Legislation was being drafted in the U.S. House that would reduce the federal mandate to use fuel ethanol when corn supplies are tight. ...According to consulting firm MF Global, the legislation would reduce the ethanol mandate by
September 27, 2011 Read Full Article
EPA Mandate Waivers Create New Uncertainties in Biodiesel Markets
by Seth Meyer and Wyatt Thompson (FarmDocDaily/University of Illinois) ...Biofuel mandates are directly relevant for biofuel producers, and indirectly important to feedstock markets. Biofuel refiners sell outputs that serve fuel blenders in two ways. The biofuel can be mixed
September 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Some Clean-Energy Firms Found U.S. Loan-Guarantee Program a Bad Bet
by Steven Mufson and Carol D. Leonnig (The Washington Post) ...The Obama administration’s vaunted initiative to catalyze the U.S. clean-energy industry — under attack for betting half a billion dollars on the solar-panel manufacturer Solyndra, which closed last month — has become
September 27, 2011 Read Full Article
World Bank: Ditch Fossil Fuel Subsidies to Address Climate Change
by John Vidal (The Guardian) Leaked World Bank documents propose that rich countries should eliminate the $50bn a year they give in fossil fuel subsidies, in order to financially help poor countries address climate change. The documents, due to be presented to the
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Continued Progress in Advanced Biofuels Relies on the RFS
by Jim Greenwood (Biotechnology Industry Organization/The Hill's Congress Blog) There is widespread agreement among experts, policy makers and the public that the United States must overcome its addiction to fossil fuels to protect the environment and for reasons of
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
More than Just an Incentive
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Illinois, B11 and Vehicle Warranties ...Specifically, the state employs a sales tax exemption for biodiesel blends of B11 or higher sold by retail stations in the state, which is good through Dec. 31, 2013. Created
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
25 x '25 Releases Green Jobs Report
(25 x '25) The 25 x '25 Alliance released a report from the University of Tennessee's Bio-Based Energy Analysis Group demonstrating that millions of new jobs could be created over the next 15 years by pursuing the 25x'25 clean energy
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Singapore Airlines Looks to Biofuels as It Becomes Latest Airline to Join Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group
(GreenAirOnline) Singapore Airlines has become the latest member of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG) that was set up in 2008 to accelerate the development and commercialisation of lower-carbon renewable aviation fuels derived from environmentally and socially sustainable sources.
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Government Gives Hope for Ensus Plant
by Rob Merrick (The Northern Echo) Production at one of Europe's largest biofuel plants will soon be "up and running again" after the Government pledged to come to its rescue, an MP vowed yesterday. In May Ensus said it was temporarily
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Military Spearheads Clean-Energy Drive
by Juliet Eilperin (The Washington Post) ...As the nation’s single biggest energy consumer, the Pentagon has many reasons to want to diversify its fuel sources. (Navy Secretary Ray) Mabus and others say the move toward alternative energy is about national security
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Geithner Slams China's Intellectual Property Policies
(Fox News/Reuters) Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Thursday that China is holding to its decades-old strategy to steal American intellectual property, in a pointed statement reflecting U.S. officials' growing impatience with Beijing. "They have made possible systematic stealing of intellectual property
September 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Groups Challenge 15% Ethanol Rules and Label
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Groups representing small engine, automakers and marine manufacturers announced a formal legal challenge to regulations and labeling proposed for the use of 15% ethanol blends (E15) in older model vehicles. The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) and other organizations object
September 23, 2011 Read Full Article
From Feedstocks to Finance: Upscaling Sustainable Biofuels
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe News) Deployment of innovative biofuels technologies, possible, but requires strong political commitment, say European biofuels stakeholders. The annual meeting of European biofuels stakeholders stressed that advanced biofuels technologies are now available and called for robust support to ensure
September 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Discusses Energy Policy "Then and Now" on Platts TV
(Platts TV) Watch streaming video online for a candid conversation with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. From the Carter Center in Atlanta, the 39th president discusses the energy challenges he faced more than 30 years ago, and the outlook for
September 23, 2011 Read Full Article
FuelChoiceNow’s FFV Statement and Focus on Methanol for Cars Needs Correction Says Advanced Biofuels USA
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Correction posted 9/22/11. The nonprofit educational organization, Advanced Biofuels USA, advocates for the adoption of renewable sustainable advanced biofuels as an energy security, economic development, military flexibility and climate change/pollution control solution. In addition,
September 22, 2011 Read Full Article
President Obama's Green Losing Streak
by Darren Samuelsohn (Politico) With Solyndra's collapse, the GOP is promising to make green jobs politically toxic. ...Obama arrived in the White House embracing the green jobs mantra that previously existed mainly in California environmental policy and in congressional Democrats'
September 22, 2011 Read Full Article
SAFER Makes Information about Farm Bill Energy Program Proposed Cuts
(Southeast Agriculture and Forestry Energy Resources Alliance) As you know, Congress is in the midst of negotiations regarding FY2012 appropriations for the Farm Bill. Of particular interest to SAFER is the proposed cuts to the Farm Bill’s energy programs —
September 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Pew Charitable Trusts Releases Report on Department of Defense Renewable and Alternative Energy Programs
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Today Phyllis Cuttino, director of Pew’s Clean Energy Program, joined by John Warner, former five-term U.S. Senator from Virginia and senior policy adviser to the Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate; Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, assistant
September 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Turkey Demands Domestic Additives for Biofuels From 2013
by Ercan Ersoy (Bloomberg) Turkey’s energy regulator will require domestically-produced additives for biofuels from 2013, in a decision aimed at lowering the country’s current account deficit and encouraging production of biofuels. At least 2 percent ethanol must be added to all gasoline
September 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Plants Back from the Brink
by David Shaffer (Los Angeles Times) Across the nation, biodiesel plants have been restarting or ramping up production, spurred by a revived federal tax credit and renewable energy mandates. ...At least 52 of the nation's 170 biodiesel plants were idled last
September 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Fast Food Chains Place Order for No New Ethanol Subsidies
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Anti-ethanol interests have launched their latest campaign focused on ensuring the demise of ethanol subsidies with a letter sent Sept. 15 to all members of Congress urging them not to pass any last-minute extensions
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Congress Needs Courage to End Oil, Gas Subsidies
by Ryan Alexander (Taxpayers for Common Sense/Seacoastonline.com) ...For 16 years, Taxpayers for Common Sense has been advocating for the elimination of federal spending that does not deliver a fair return to taxpayers. Topping our list are a menu of tax