(Environmental Protection Agency) Building on rapid advancements and investments in clean vehicle manufacturing, including investments in domestic manufacturing in the Inflation Reduction Act, EPA’s proposed standards would deliver on President Biden’s agenda to tackle the climate crisis Today, the U.S. Environmental
Safer and Affordable Fuel Efficient Vehicles (SAFE)
Back TO HOMEDOE Proposes Slashing Key Metric for Electric Vehicles' Fuel Economy Public Comment DEADLINE: June 12, 2023
by Alex Guillén (Politico Pro) DOE's plan comes just days before EPA is expected to propose significantly reducing the greenhouse gas emissions standards for model year 2027 vehicles. The Energy Department on Monday proposed lowering the calculation used to determine the equivalent fuel
April 11, 2023 Read Full Article
Biden Is Set to Propose Toughest-Ever Rules on Car Pollution to Spur EVs
by Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Proposal will not mandate EVs or ban gas-powered models; EPA will outline standards for cars, light trucks in Detroit -- ... The proposed standards on cars and light trucks, set to be announced Wednesday in Detroit,
April 07, 2023 Read Full Article
Ag, States Challenge EPA Action on EVs: Ag Groups, States Say EPA, California Used Back Door to Spread Electric Vehicle Use
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Agriculture, fuel interests and several states see EPA's March 2022 decision to reinstate California's legal authority to implement a zero-emissions vehicle sales mandate and greenhouse gas emissions standards as a back-door way to move the
October 28, 2022 Read Full Article
USDOT Announces New Vehicle Fuel Economy Standards for Model Year 2024-2026
(U.S. Department of Transportation) Standards to require fleet average of 49 mpg by 2026, save consumers money, and advance U.S. energy independence -- The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today announced new, landmark fuel economy standards which
April 01, 2022 Read Full Article
Ohio Soybean Association Joins Federal Petition in Support of Domestic Biofuels
(Ohio Soybean Association/Highland County Press) At a time of growing consensus on the need for greater reliance on domestic fuel sources, the Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) joined other state soybean associations in support of a petition to include biofuels in
March 21, 2022 Read Full Article
EPA Restores California’s Right to Set Stricter Car Regs
by Anne C. Mulkern (E&E News) EPA today officially restored California’s ability to set its own rules for vehicle tailpipe emissions and to require automakers to sell an increasing number of clean cars. The Biden administration granted the nation’s most populous state
March 10, 2022 Read Full Article
Ag Groups Challenge EPA’s Vehicle Emissions Rule
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Representatives of the biofuels industry on Feb. 28 filed two separate petitions in with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging a final rule issued by the U.S. EPA in December setting greenhouse gas (GHG)
March 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Rival Fuel-Makers Unite In Opposing Biden’s Electric-Car Push
by Joel Rosenblatt (Bloomberg) Renewable fuel producers join Valero unit in court challenge; EPA rule governs release of carbon dioxide from car tailpipes -- The gasoline industry and alternative fuel makers, frequent foes, put aside their differences for court challenges to
March 01, 2022 Read Full Article
Texas Leads 14-State Fight On Biden Vehicle Emissions Regs
by Clark Mindock (Law360) A Texas-led group of states is slamming the Biden administration's push to strengthen greenhouse gas standards for auto emissions, telling the D.C. Circuit on Monday it must intervene and stop a purported federal war on fossil fuels. The
March 01, 2022 Read Full Article
Court Ruling on Social Cost of Carbon Upends Biden’s Climate Plans
by Maxine Joselow (Washington Post) A recent court ruling that bars the Biden administration from accounting for the real-world costs of climate change has created temporary chaos at federal agencies, upending everything from planned oil and gas lease sales to infrastructure
February 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Reflections from The Hill
by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... I (Geoff Cooper, Renewable Fuels Association CEO and President) also think the industry understands that we have a vision for the future of ethanol production that’s progressive and exciting. Too many people are
January 28, 2022 Read Full Article
California Missing Opportunity to Better Advance State’s Climate Goals
(Solutions from the Land) California is known for pursuing aggressive greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets and the effort to stem climate change that can achieve those goals. But state leaders were taken aback by research now showing the state is unlikely
January 27, 2022 Read Full Article
Americans Should Pay More for Gas, Not Less
by Jinjoo Lee (Wall Street Journal) There are some glaring holes in the way the U.S. regulates fuel economy and emissions. Understanding how it works (or doesn’t) is key to understanding why oil demand is likely to remain high. --
January 21, 2022 Read Full Article
OPINION: Take the Opportunity to Save on Capital Improvements
by Robert White (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... While the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit expired at the end of 2021, it still provides fuel marketers the ability to claim a tax credit for 30 percent of the cost, up
January 06, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. Reverses Trump Effort to Quash California Vehicle Emissions Rules
by David Shepardson (Reuters) The Biden administration on Tuesday finalized a reversal of a rule issued under then-U.S. President Donald Trump that sought to pre-empt California's vehicle emissions regulations. The Department of Transportation said it was issuing final rules rescinding the Trump
December 23, 2021 Read Full Article
EPA’s Final Vehicle Emissions Rule Fails to Address Biofuels
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Dec. 20 issued a final rule setting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for model year (MY) 2023-2026 passenger cars and light trucks. Despite calls from the renewable fuels industry and several
December 21, 2021 Read Full Article
RFA Analyses of 2022 Automobile Models: More E15 Approvals, but Fewer FFVs
(Renewable Fuels Association) Environmentally conscious and budget-savvy consumers who are in the market for a new car, SUV, or pickup will find both good news and bad news as they peruse auto dealer lots and showrooms this holiday season. The good news?
December 16, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden to Toughen Auto Emissions Limits to Counter Climate Change
by Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg Quint) The Biden administration is preparing to impose more stringent limits on car and truck emissions in an effort to clamp down on a top U.S. source of the greenhouse gases fueling climate change. The standards,
December 16, 2021 Read Full Article
EPA Delivers Final Vehicle Emissions Standards Rule to OMB
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Nov. 11 submitted its final rule to revise greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for model year (MY) 2023 and later light-duty vehicles to the White House Office of Management and Budget.
November 12, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden’s Crackdown on Auto Emissions to Be Tougher than Proposed
by Jennifer Dlouhy (Bloomberg) EPA head Regan said final mandate to be ‘more aggressive’; Methane curbs for oil wells may also be strengthened -- The Biden administration will strengthen its proposed limits on auto and truck emissions, U.S. environmental chief
November 11, 2021 Read Full Article
ACE Urges EPA Recognize Ethanol’s Role in Reducing Vehicle GHGs and Improving Fuel Efficiency in Final Rule
(American Coalition for Ethanol/GrainNet) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) set forth recommendations today (Sept. 27) on how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards can and should place much greater emphasis on improving the quality of
September 28, 2021 Read Full Article
U.S. Environment Agency Urged by 21 States to Toughen Vehicle Emissions Rewrite
by David Shepardson (Reuters) A group of 21 state attorneys general, the District of Columbia, and several major U.S. cities urged the Biden administration to finalize significantly stricter vehicle emissions rules than it has proposed. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in
September 28, 2021 Read Full Article
EPA Emission Standards Require Improvements in Fuel Quality Public Comment DEADLINE September 27, 2021
(Solutions from the Land) The EPA is proposing to revise the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for light-duty vehicles for 2023 and later model years to make the standards more stringent. As part of an executive order issued in January by President Biden, the
September 16, 2021 Read Full Article
NGVAmerica Asks for NGV Inclusion in Light-duty CAFÉ Standards Redo DEADLINE: September 27, 2021
(NGVAmerica/NGV Journal) NGVAmerica President Dan Gage provided testimony at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) hearing on the Biden administration’s notice of proposed rulemaking to revise the greenhouse gas emission standards for light-duty vehicles for Model Year 2023 and later. The much-expected
September 06, 2021 Read Full Article
Biofuels Industry Hopes Its Efforts to Cut GHG Emissions Will Keep It Relevant as White House Pushes EVs
by Jeff Barber (OPIS) After four years of the Trump administration’s often-chaotic approach to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), many in the biofuels industry were hoping President Joe Biden would bring a level of stability and support to the program. While the
August 26, 2021 Read Full Article
The Fuel Economy Rule: An EPA That Won’t See, Hear, or Speak to the Facts
by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Biofuels Digest) The release of the highly anticipated revision of the Safe Affordable Fuel Efficient Vehicle (SAFE) proposed rule this month was, for the biofuels industry, yet another poke in the eye as the EPA
August 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Growth Energy’s Bliley Testifies before EPA on Proposed Emissions Standards
(Growth Energy) Today, Growth Energy’s Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley testified before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during its hearing on the proposed rulemaking, Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards. Earlier this month,
August 25, 2021 Read Full Article
RFA Testimony to EPA Calls for Inclusion of High-Octane Low-Carbon Fuels
(Renewable Fuels Association) In a hearing today on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed greenhouse gas emissions standards for 2023-2026 light-duty vehicles, the Renewable Fuels Association is spotlighting the role high-octane, low-carbon fuels like ethanol can and must play in increasing fuel efficiency
August 25, 2021 Read Full Article
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Model Years 2024-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks Public Comment DEADLINE: September 27, 2021 Hearing: August 25, 2021
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) NHTSA, on behalf of the Department of Transportation, is proposing revised fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks for model years 2024-2026. On January 20, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order (EO) 13990, “Protecting
August 13, 2021 Read Full Article
RFA Founder Calls for Correction of EPA Transportation Office’s “Shocking Miscarriage of Environmental Justice”
(Dakota Ag Energy) Speaking to the 14th Annual Bioenergy Conference hosted by Brazilian government and industry stakeholders, the founder of the U.S. Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) charged U.S. EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) bureaucrats with a “shocking
August 10, 2021 Read Full Article
CAFE Penalty Review Slips
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is behind schedule in reviewing the Trump administration’s delay of a congressionally mandated increase in the penalties for missing fuel efficiency targets under the Corporate Average Fuel Economy,
August 09, 2021 Read Full Article
Ethanol Groups to Biden: Biofuels Can Reduce GHG Emissions Now
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) President Biden on Aug. 5 signed an executive order that sets a target to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles. Representatives of the ethanol industry, however, say biofuels can
August 06, 2021 Read Full Article
Proposed EPA Vehicle Emissions Standards Fail to Address Biofuels
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Aug. 5 released a proposed rule to set light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards through 2026. Despite calls from government officials and industry trade groups, the rule does not address
August 06, 2021 Read Full Article
EPA to Overhaul Pollution Standards for Passenger Vehicles and Heavy-Duty Trucks, Paving Way for Zero-Emission Future PUBLIC COMMENT DEADLINE: September 27, 2021
(Environmental Protection Agency) Today (August 5, 2021), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to set robust federal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks to secure pollution reductions through Model Year (MY) 2026. The proposal, which revises
August 06, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Seeks to Electrify Auto Industry: White House Driving Electric Vehicles, Raising Questions on Direction of Biofuel Policies
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) The president will sign an executive order to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 "zero-emission" vehicles, including battery, fuel-cell and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The executive order also will set new long-term
August 05, 2021 Read Full Article
U.S. to Set Electric-Vehicle Sales Target of 50% by 2030
by Ben Foldy and Katy Stech Ferek (Wall Street Journal) General Motors, Ford and Stellantis executives with union leaders are expected to join President Biden in announcing voluntary targets -- Auto makers including General Motors Co. , Ford Motor Co.
August 05, 2021 Read Full Article
To Undo the Damage of Trump Rollbacks, Biden Needs to Set Car Standards Stronger than Obama’s
(American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE)) The Biden administration can soon undo the damage of President Trump’s clean car rollback, but only by setting more stringent standards to make up for lost progress. In the face of recent climate change-related extreme
July 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Governors Ask Biden Administration to Expand the Market for Higher-Octane Gasoline in New Fuel Economy Rule
(Governors' Biofuels Coalition) High-Octane Ethanol Should Replace Carcinogenic Gasoline Aromatics -- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem sent a letter to the Biden Administration pointing out the role that higher-octane ethanol could play in meeting the Administration’s climate and
July 23, 2021 Read Full Article
Groups Urge EPA to Propose Higher Octane Fuel Standard
(South Dakota Farmers Union) South Dakota Farmers Union is among a coalition of agriculture and biofuel groups urging the administration to propose a higher octane fuel standard as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updates its greenhouse gas emissions standards for passenger
July 19, 2021 Read Full Article
Agriculture and Ethanol Groups Echo Automakers Call for Higher-Octane Gasoline Standard in Fuel Economy Rule
(Clean Fuels Development Coalition) Dozens of agricultural, ethanol, automotive, and manufacturing organizations are calling for higher octane in gasoline to help automakers increase vehicle fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gases. In a letter to President Joe Biden, signed by a range
July 14, 2021 Read Full Article
Blocked By EPA, Biofuels Group Asks OMB For Octane Limit In Vehicle Rule
by Stuart Parker (Inside EPA/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) A coalition of biofuels and farm groups, led by former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), is poised to press White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) officials to include a high-octane standard
July 13, 2021 Read Full Article
Buttigieg Hints Fuel Economy Standards Will Be Ambitious
by Josh Siegel (Washington Examiner's Daily on Energy) Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stressed the importance of strict fuel economy standards to clean up the transportation sector because, even as the U.S. shifts to more electric vehicles, gas-powered cars will still be on the
July 12, 2021 Read Full Article
Report — Stronger Tailpipe Rules Coming
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA and the Transportation Department soon will propose a rule boosting federal tailpipe standards almost to Obama-era levels, with an eye toward more aggressive requirements later this decade to goose electric vehicle sales, the
July 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Auto Alliance Underlines Importance of High Octane Low Carbon Fuels
by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) Commends Daschle HOLC Alliance Fight for National Higher Octane Gasoline Standard in SAFE-2 Rule -- The Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC) called a recent letter from automakers in support of high octane
June 25, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Hits Roadblocks on Path to Low-Carbon Economy
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) ... The decision by a Louisiana federal judge Wednesday requiring the Department of Interior to end its pause on oil and gas leasing came as the administration’s plan to spend hundreds of billions of dollars
June 18, 2021 Read Full Article
EPA Previews More Tailpipe Rules
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA air officials said Tuesday they’re in the early stages of additional regulations related to conventional and greenhouse gas emissions from tailpipes. The agency says it is on track to propose new federal light-duty
June 16, 2021 Read Full Article
Daschle: New Administration Could Put Ethanol into ‘Orbit’
by Mikkel Pates (AgWeek) Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., talks about corn ethanol opportunities in the Biden administration and reflects on the recent passing of Orrie Swayze, a farmer and former Marine fighter pilot from Wilmot, S.D., who
June 15, 2021 Read Full Article
A Two for One – Biofuels Reduce Carbon for Both Climate and Health
by Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative/Biofuels Digest) ... Carbon emissions include not just CO2 but a range of unburned hydrocarbons that are criteria pollutants that form ground level ozone, or summertime smog. Fine and ultra-fine particulates from toxic aromatics in gasoline
June 08, 2021 Read Full Article
California Urges EPA to Let State Set Car-Emissions Standard
by Matthew Daly (Associated Press) Officials from California, New York and other states urged the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday to allow California to set its own automobile tailpipe pollution standards, an action that would reverse a Trump administration policy and
June 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Carper Urges Tough US Rules Barring Gas-Powered Cars by 2035
by Hope Yen and Tom Krisher (Associated Press) A top Senate Democrat is urging U.S. anti-pollution standards that would follow a deal brokered by California with five automakers and then set targets to end sales of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035,
May 01, 2021 Read Full Article
Regan Defends EPA Budget Boost, Role of Ethanol and Biofuels in Emissions Reduction
by Spencer Chase (Agri-Pulse) ... On the issue of biofuels, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, pressed (Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael) Regan on the administration’s views on the future of ethanol, expressing her concern about the fact that advanced biofuels are
April 29, 2021 Read Full Article
California Scores Tailpipe Emissions Win
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) The EPA on Monday said it will reassess the Trump-era rule preventing California from setting stricter car pollution standards than the federal government after a similar move last week by the National Highway Traffic
April 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Administration Takes Step toward Allowing California to Set Its Own Tailpipe Emissions Standards
by Rachel Frazin (The Hill) ... The Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed a withdrawal of its part of a Trump-era rule that preempted states from setting their own standards. Early next week, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected
April 23, 2021 Read Full Article
Experts on the Outside Looking in: EPA’s Technical Experts Were Largely Shut out
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA’s technical experts were largely shut out of the rulemaking process when the Trump administration rolled back tailpipe greenhouse gas standards, according to a report by the agency’s internal watchdog. OIG’s review could help
April 21, 2021 Read Full Article
Ethanol Infrastructure Push: RFA Makes Case for Including Biofuels in Infrastructure Plans
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) After renewable biofuels appeared to be effectively shut out of President Joe Biden's plan for infrastructure, leaders in the ethanol industry and their advocates on Capitol Hill are trying to make the case that biofuels
April 20, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Wins CAFE Penalty Court Dispute
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York has sided with the Biden administration in a lovers’ quarrel with green groups, blue states and Tesla over the Trump administration’s delay
April 07, 2021 Read Full Article
Tailpipe Litigation Put in Park
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) Despite procedural objections from states and environmentalists, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday granted the Biden administration's request to pause litigation over federal auto emissions and fuel economy standards. That will give
April 05, 2021 Read Full Article
Auto Industry Urges Biden to Back 'Comprehensive' EV Plan
by David Shephardson (Reuters) ... “Neither the current trajectory of consumer adoption of EVs, nor existing levels of federal support for supply- and demand-side policies, is sufficient to meet our goal of a net-zero carbon transportation future.” The White House did not
March 30, 2021 Read Full Article
Meeting Emissions Goals Will Save Consumers A LOT of Money -- Fact Sheet: Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards
(Consumer Reports) The Biden-Harris Administration has committed to getting the U.S. on a path to a low-carbon economy by 2050, bringing back the Obama-Biden vehicle standards, and setting new, ambitious ones. Meeting those commitments will require steady progress on gasoline vehicle
March 23, 2021 Read Full Article
Mess with Texas: Time for a 2nd Look at Electric Vehicles
by Burl Haigwood (Clean Fuels Development Coalition) ... Imagine it is 2050 and Texas gets hit by another winter storm, flood, heat wave, or God forbid, a physical or cyber terrorist attack on a vulnerable electric power system. As news cameras
March 18, 2021 Read Full Article
Corn Growers Back Higher Ethanol Blends
by Kellan Heavican (Brownfield Ag News) A group of midwestern corn growers associations is attempting to raise fuel efficiency standards by increasing the ethanol blend. ... Nebraska Corn introduced a resolution at the recent Corn Congress calling for 95 RON E15,
March 15, 2021 Read Full Article
A Large PR Firm Pledged to Fight Climate Change. Then It Took Millions from a Notorious Fossil Fuel Trade Group.
by Zahra Hirji and Kendall Taggart (BuzzFeed News) Edelman, a PR firm that’s pledged to “work with an environmental conscience,” was paid $4 million to promote one of the most extreme fossil fuel trade groups in the country, new tax
March 15, 2021 Read Full Article
Automakers Push for Lower Emissions Standard
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) Automakers are proposing a vehicle emissions standard lower than both the Obama administration's rates and the deal that California set with five automakers, the Associated Press reports. The standards would be above the Trump administration’s
March 15, 2021 Read Full Article
CFDC Calls On EPA to Prioritize Octane in New Fuel Economy Rule
(Clean Fuels Development Coalition) The Clean Fuels Development Coalition called the pending revision of the nation’s fuel economy rules one of the most immediate and tangible actions the Biden Administration can take to address a range of issues impacting climate, health,
March 12, 2021 Read Full Article
CFDC Calls Nebraska E30 Demonstration One More Step Towards Higher Blends
(Clean Fuels Development Coalition) The Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC) today applauded the work of the State of Nebraska following the release of a report that found higher ethanol blends are safe, efficient, and cost effective when used in conventional vehicles. The
March 08, 2021 Read Full Article
SDFU Calls for Repeal & Replace of Fuel Economy Rule to Include Octane and Higher Ethanol Blends
by Rusty Halvorson (KFGO) Speaking at the National Farmers Union National Convention February 26, 2021, South Dakota Chapter President Doug Sombke said ethanol advocates need to prioritize support for a high octane standard in the new fuel economy rule that could triple
March 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Biofuels Can Contribute Now to a Cleaner Energy Future
by Tom Daschle (Roll Call/The Daschle Group) Smart agriculture policy that has a role for ethanol can help advance Biden’s agenda on all fronts -- Growing up in South Dakota, agriculture has always been in my blood. For nearly three decades, I
February 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Virginia Expected to Adopt Clean Car Standards
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The Virginia legislature is poised to adopt California's vehicle emissions standards after the measure cleared the state Senate on Friday, reports the Virginia Mercury. The clean car standards in House Bill 1965 — which won the
February 22, 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 Team in Talks with Utilities, Car Companies about Emissions: Climate Adviser
by Jeff Mason and Valerie Volcovici (Reuters) U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has started discussions with the utility and automobile sectors about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, White House domestic climate change adviser Gina McCarthy told Reuters. ... The White House has met some
February 04, 2021 Read Full Article
EPA Races to Draft Interim Auto Standards for CO2
by Maxine Joselow (E&E News) President Biden's EPA is expected to draft interim auto emissions standards based on an agreement last year between California and five car companies, according to sources following the matter. EPA is poised to unveil the interim
February 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Toyota, Fiat Chrysler Drop Support for Trump Effort to Bar California Emissions Rules
by David Shepardson (Reuters/Yahoo!Finance) Toyota Motor Corp, Fiat Chrysler and other major automakers said on Tuesday they were joining General Motors in abandoning support for former President Donald Trump's effort to bar California from setting its own zero emission vehicle rules. The
February 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Farm, Biofuels, and Environmental Groups Oppose SAFE Rule
(National Farmers Union) An alliance of farm, biofuels, and environmental organizations last night filed an amicus brief in objection to the Safer Affordable Fuel Efficiency Vehicle (SAFE) Rule on the grounds that it both fails to account for toxic pollution from aromatic-laden fuel
January 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Administration to Review SAFE Vehicles Rule
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA's Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficiency (SAFE) Vehicles Rule is one of the many federal regulations that are set to be reviewed by the Biden administration, according to an executive order issued Jan. 20. “Our Nation has an abiding
January 26, 2021 Read Full Article
All EVs by 2035? Report Shows Roadblocks
by David Ferris (E&E News) This study, an update by the California Energy Commission on the state's EV charging needs, is the first to try to game out the implications of Gov. Gavin Newsom's earthshaking order to ban the sale of
January 25, 2021 Read Full Article
RFA Review: Automakers Approve E15 in Nearly All 2021 Vehicles, but FFV Offerings Continue to Slide
(Renewable Fuels Association) An annual analysis of vehicle owner’s manuals and warranty statements by the Renewable Fuels Association reveals that while nearly all new 2021 automobiles are explicitly approved by the manufacturer to use E15 gasoline, far fewer models are being offered as
December 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Ford Says Automakers Should Consider Backing California Emissions Deal
by David Shepardson (Reuters) Ford Motor Co is urging major automakers to consider backing a framework deal with California on vehicle emissions in a bid to reach industry consensus before President-elect Joe Biden takes office, according to a letter seen
December 01, 2020 Read Full Article
An Open Letter to the Ethanol Community from Ethanol Producers
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... (T)he overriding objective should be to increase demand, which increases ethanol volume and corn grind. With that in mind, do we continue to fight for what is almost certain to be a reduced
November 30, 2020 Read Full Article
A National Zero Carbon Transportation Plan for the US
by Dan Sperling, Lew Fulton, and Vicki Arroyo (University of California Davis) ... Summary of Policy Recommendations Rapidly increase the sales of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) by implementing the following: National ZEV sales requirements for cars National ZEV sales and fleet
November 27, 2020 Read Full Article
GM Reverses on Trump, Exits Suit Challenging California's Tougher Emissions Standards
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) ... General Motors will no longer be siding with the Trump administration in a legal battle to hinder California’s ability to set tougher vehicle emissions standards. In a letter to environmental groups involved in the same suit,
November 24, 2020 Read Full Article
California Official Sees State Auto Emissions Deal as 'Template' for Biden
by Nichola Groom, David Shepardson (Reuters) California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols, who sources say could be the next federal environment chief, said on Thursday her state’s agreement with manor automakers for fuel efficiency requirements could serve as a “good
November 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Elected Officials Urge Automakers to Support Cleaner Cars
by Chris Teale (Smart Cities Dive) More than 200 elected officials at the city and state level issued a joint declaration Thursday calling on automakers to stop supporting the Trump administration's rollback of national and state clean car standards. The "Clean Cars Declaration" urges
October 09, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA Seeks Input on F-factor for E85 FFVs DEADLINE: October 26, 2020
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA published notice on Aug. 26 requesting comment on sources and analytical approaches on which to base an EPA determination of an updated weighting factor (F-factor) for E85 flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) for
August 27, 2020 Read Full Article
E.P.A. Inspector General to Investigate Trump’s Biggest Climate Rollback
by Coral Davenport and Lisa Friedman (New York Times) The Environmental Protection Agency’s internal watchdog said Monday it had opened an investigation into the agency’s weakening of Obama-era regulations that would have limited automobile emissions by significantly raising fuel economy standards. The inspector general
August 04, 2020 Read Full Article
DOJ Asks Court to Block Automakers from Suit
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The Trump administration on Thursday asked a court to block Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW from becoming directly involved with litigation over the SAFE Vehicles rule (Reg. 2060-AU09). The automakers, which struck a voluntary
July 10, 2020 Read Full Article
Farming, Biofuels, Health Groups Challenge EPA on SAFE Rule
(Morning Ag Clips/South Dakota Farmers Union) Broad coalition challenges the Safer Affordable Fuel Efficiency Vehicle Rule; In response to EPA’s failure to credibly consider and advance mid-level ethanol fuel blends as an alternative to conventional fuels, the groups filed a
June 30, 2020 Read Full Article
The Standoff for E30
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy may be just a block or two apart on Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C., but they are miles apart on their long-term outlook for ethanol. Seemingly
June 12, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA to Float Cost-Benefit Reforms for Air Rules
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA as soon as today will release its proposed changes to how the agency calculates the costs and benefits of regulations under the Clean Air Act (Reg. 2060-AU51), sources told ME. Administrator Andrew Wheeler
June 04, 2020 Read Full Article
States, Greens Sue over Car Rule
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) California and 22 other states sued the Trump administration over its rollback of auto emissions standards and fuel economy rules, Pro's Alex Guillén reports. The Trump administration's final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles rule requires
May 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Auto Industry to Fight Lawsuit Saying Auto Standards Too Stringent
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which includes automakers and vehicle parts manufacturers, on Friday moved to defend EPA's auto emissions rollback — from a libertarian think tank that argues the weakened rule is still
May 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Tom Carper (D-Del.), Laid out Concerns over EPA's Final Auto Emissions Rule
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) ... EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler will testify before a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee oversight hearing this morning, in his first appearance before the panel since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. Ahead of the hearing,
May 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Vehicle Test Procedure Adjustments for Tier 3 Certification Test Fuel DEADLINE: August 11, 2020
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to make adjustments to certain laboratory tailpipe emission testing procedures for automobiles, light trucks, and heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans as the result of a test fuel change that was finalized
April 22, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA, NHTSA Fail to Address High-Octane Fuel in SAFE Vehicles Rule
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA and U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released the final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles rule on March 31. The rule sets corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) and
April 07, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA Loses Case Seeking Modeling behind Obama Mileage Rollback
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was wrong to withhold information about how it devised its new fuel efficiency standards, a panel of judges ruled just a day after the Trump administration rolled back Obama-era mileage standards. The
April 02, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Administration Cuts Fuel Economy, CO2 Standards with Final Regulations
by Sean Szymkowski (Road Show) The changes, wrapped into the SAFE Vehicles Rule, will result in less stringent CAFE improvements through 2026. -- The SAFE Vehicle Rule, announced by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, lowers
April 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Administration to Finalize Weaker Mileage Standards, Dealing a Blow to Obama-Era Climate Policy
by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The new rule will improve the U.S. car and light truck fleet’s efficiency by 1.5 percent a year, versus nearly 5 percent under current law. The new rule will improve the U.S. car
March 31, 2020 Read Full Article
Reality EV: Let’s Not Overlook Biofuels
(Clean Fuels Development Coalition) The widespread introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) as a means of reducing carbon emissions presents a far greater challenge than the public is being led to believe, according to new research by the Clean Fuels Development Coalition
March 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Carper Asks EPA IG to Open Investigation into Process Irregularities and Potential Illegalities Associated with the SAFE Vehicles and Secret Science Rules
(Office of U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE)) U.S. Senator Tom Carper, top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Inspector General (IG) to open an investigation into potentially unlawful efforts and
March 17, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA Board: Trump Replacement of Obama-Era Emissions Rule May Not Be as Good for Society
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) The Trump administration's plans for addressing vehicle emissions may not be as good for society as an Obama administration rule, according to a review released Monday by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) independent science board. The analysis
March 03, 2020 Read Full Article
DOJ Drops Probe of Carmakers that Aligned with California on Pollution
by Zack Coleman and Alex Guillén (Politico) DOJ was investigating whether Ford, Volkswagen, Honda and BMW illegally coordinated last year. -- The Justice Department has ended its antitrust investigation of automakers who formed a voluntary deal with California to reduce
February 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Experts to Gather to Discuss the Public Health Threat from Gasoline Aromatics --- February 6, 2020 --- online from Miami Beach, FL
The discussion will highlight alternatives to gasoline aromatics that benefit public health, the environment/climate change, national security, and the economy. These solutions could be implemented in the upcoming Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule. Governors, public health, environmental, energy, public
January 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Roadblock to Higher Blends
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA’s rule allowing year-round sale of E15 is a monumental achievement for the ethanol industry, but might also stymie growth for higher blends. Challenges to the rule could take the issues to
January 23, 2020 Read Full Article
Plan to Gut Obama’s Auto Mileage Rules Is Getting Dialed Back
by Ryan Beene and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Revised proposal will require modest annual efficiency gains; Draft rule is under review by White House budget office -- ... A draft of the final rule, now undergoing a final White House
January 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Auto Rollback Goes to OMB Review
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA and NHTSA on Tuesday sent their new auto emissions and fuel efficiency rules to the Office of Management and Budget for review, EPA confirmed to ME. This is the second half of the
January 15, 2020 Read Full Article
Dem Senators Urge Shareholders on Climate:
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) A trio of Democratic senators urged four major Marathon Petroleum shareholders to exert influence to shift the refining company's climate change lobbying efforts. The letters from Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii) and Martin Heinrich (N.M.) to JPMorgan Chase, BlackRock, State Street and Vanguard cited
January 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Advisory Panel Slams Trump's Regulatory Rollbacks
by Sean Reilly, Kelsey Brugger, Maxine Joselow and Ariel Wittenberg (E&E News) ... The SAB (Science Advisory Board) also lobbed extensive criticism at the Trump administration's rollback of Obama-era clean car standards. "There are significant weaknesses in the scientific analysis of the
January 09, 2020 Read Full Article
What's Looming in 2020?
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) ... Another looming fight: EPA's proposals to weaken rules on greenhouse gas emissions from cars. The Trump administration has revoked California's waiver authority, but its sweeping rollback of federal emissions standards has stalled ahead
January 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Why Electric Cars Still Don’t Live up to the Hype
by Charles Lane (Washington Post) ... For the past 10 years, I’ve waged a quixotic counteroffensive against electric-car boosterism, raining skepticism on the vehicles’ potential to cure climate change, much less to be the clean, green wave of the transportation future. ... Otherwise, electric cars will
December 31, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Chief Denies Coordinating with DOJ on Investigation of Automakers Siding with California
by Josh Siegel and Abby Smith (Washington Examiner) Environmental Protection Agency head Andrew Wheeler said he was not involved with the Justice Department’s decision to launch an antitrust investigation against four automakers that joined with California on fuel efficiency rules, a move that
December 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Is Big Oil Feeling the Heat?
by Matt Carr (New Energy American/The Hill) ... In 2016 Big Oil received the gift of the century in a Donald Trump presidency. Despite promises in Iowa to grow the renewable fuels industry and to promote clean air, he immediately set out to do exactly
December 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Says U.S. Will Finalize New Fuel Efficiency Rules Next Year
by David Shepardson (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration will finalize its rollback of Obama-era vehicle emissions standards next year and expected it would provoke a new legal challenge by California. ... Trump said on Friday that
December 10, 2019 Read Full Article
New Consumer Reports Analysis Shows Near-Freeze of Fuel Economy Rules Would Cost Consumers $300 Billion
(Consumer Reports) Rolling back fuel economy requirements down to 1.5% annual increases would raise net cost per vehicle by $2,100 -- As the federal government reportedly moves closer to finalizing plans to weaken fuel economy and vehicle emissions standards, Consumer Reports
December 03, 2019 Read Full Article
EESI Submits Recommendations to House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) today submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Climate Crisis an extensive set of policy recommendations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change. “The Select Committee’s
November 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Governors Ask President Trump to Remove Gasoline’s Deadly Aromatics
(Governors' Biofuels Coalition) Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem Say Poisonous Aromatics Put Our Health at Risk -- In a letter to President Trump today, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem asked him
November 25, 2019 Read Full Article
DC Circuit Finds That EPA Will Have to Explain Its Rejection of Facts in Rollback of Clean Car Standards
(Sierra Club) (October 25, 2019) the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C Circuit confirmed that EPA cannot ignore the record of facts supporting the conclusion that the clean car standards are achievable. In January 2017, the Obama administration went through a
October 30, 2019 Read Full Article
Car Clash Hits Cap Hill: Motor Madness
by Gavin Bade (Politico's Morning Energy) House lawmakers will hold a hearing today to critique the White House plan to roll back vehicle fuel economy standards, a day after GM, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota said they would side with the
October 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Lawmakers Pitch Plan to Trash Ethanol Mandate Amid Industry Clashes
by Brian Dabbs (National Journal) ... Now, though, two retiring Republican House members want to carve out a new future for U.S. liquid transportation fuel policy. Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois, who represents some of the most prolific corn-producing counties
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
South Dakota Farmers Union Says RFS "Fixes" Lack Vision and Progress
(South Dakota Farmers Union) Following yet another disappointing announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on their management of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke said it’s time to recognize the RFS Is broken. "The
October 17, 2019 Read Full Article
The Most Detailed Map of Auto Emissions in America
by Nadja Popovich and Denise Lu (New York Times) Transportation is the largest source of planet-warming greenhouse gases in the United States today and the bulk of those emissions come from driving in our cities and suburbs. The (interactive) map ... shows
October 10, 2019 Read Full Article
White House Nixes Climate Change Language from Vehicle Emissions Proposal
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) The White House removed language calling climate change a “serious challenge” from a proposal that limits California’s ability to set tougher vehicle emissions standards, according to reporting from E&E News. A draft of the document obtained by E&E
October 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Groups Sue Federal Government over Move to Block CA Emission Standards
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) Nine environmental advocacy groups are suing the Trump administration over its attempt to prevent California and other states from setting their own vehicle emission standards. The complaint challenges a final rule recently issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic
October 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Daschle, Sombke Call Pending SAFE Rule the Path to Higher Ethanol Volumes
(Safe Gasoline Campaign) In a wide-ranging interview on a popular South Dakota Business Radio program, Sombke and Daschle stressed that moving to high octane gasoline is a way to build on the success of the Renewable Fuel Standard. The path to get there
September 30, 2019 Read Full Article
New Mexico Commits to Climate Action in the Face of Trump Administration’s Attack on Clean Car Standards
(Sierra Club) Today, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that New Mexico will join 14 other states in adopting clean car standards requiring new cars sold in the state to emit fewer greenhouse gases. They also mandate an increasing percentage of cars
September 25, 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
Market Movers
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Projections for E15 have been inconsistent since the May 31 Reid vapor pressure waiver. Ethanol Producer Magazine explores some of the factors that will influence the blend's trajectory in the coming years. ... Before the waiver,
September 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Administration Announces One National Program Rule on Federal Preemption of State Fuel Economy Standards
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) President Trump promised the American people that his Administration would address and correct the current fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards, and today (September 19, 2019), his Administration is taking steps to fulfill this promise. Today, the
September 20, 2019 Read Full Article
California Sues Trump Administration over Revoking Authority to Limit Car Pollution
by Dino Grandoni and Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) 22 other states, plus D.C., Los Angeles and New York City, joined in the lawsuit -- California and 22 other states filed a lawsuit in federal court Friday against the Trump administration,
September 20, 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
Trump Administration to Revoke California’s Power to Set Stricter Auto Emissions Standards
by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The Trump administration will revoke California’s right to set stricter air pollution for cars and light trucks on Wednesday, according to two senior administration officials, as part of a larger effort to
September 17, 2019 Read Full Article
In Wake of Saudi Attacks, Ethanol Can Help Provide Real Energy Security
(Renewable Fuels Association) Drone attacks Saturday in Saudi Arabia destroyed oil fields and caused a record spike in oil prices overnight, again calling into question claims that increased U.S. oil production has made America energy independent. The following is a statement
September 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Arnold Schwarzenegger: Trump Can’t Erase a Decade of Clean Air Progress with a Sharpie
by Arnold Schwarzenegger (Washington Post) California has been a leader in the fight to clean our air since one of my heroes, Ronald Reagan, was our governor. The Trump administration, for some reason, is hellbent on reversing decades of history and progress.
September 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Justice Dept. Launches Antitrust Probe of Automakers over Their Fuel Efficiency Deal with California
by Juliet Eilperin and Steven Mufson (Washington Post) The Justice Department has launched an antitrust investigation of four leading automakers over an agreement they forged with the state of California to maintain higher fuel efficiency standards than those sought by the
September 06, 2019 Read Full Article
California, Trump Clash over Cars
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) California and the Trump administration will duke it out in court today over EPA's initial decision to undo Obama-era auto emissions standards. ... It's California vs. Donald Trump today at the D.C. Circuit in an
September 06, 2019 Read Full Article
View from a Former Fed: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Multi-Slide Guide to Policy Nexus Advisors’ Federal Programs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s nothing like a former fed to give a unique perspective on federal programs and policy. Paul Argyropoulos, President of Policy Nexus Advisors, gave this illuminating overview of what he thinks the future holds, influencing
September 03, 2019 Read Full Article
A Farmer's Plea to the President: Fix our Fuel
by Doug Sombke (The Hill/Farmers Union Enterprises and the South Dakota Farmers Union) ... I recently wrote a letter to the president suggesting a pathway out from under the proverbial rock. I urged him to direct the EPA to enforce the mandatory provision
September 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Administration Moves to Finalize Weakening of Car Efficiency Standards: The White Houes’s Rule Would Cost the Economy $400 Billion by Midcentury, According to a New Analysis from Energy Innovation.
(GreenTechMedia) An analysis published Wednesday by clean energy advocacy group Energy Innovation found that if the administration does eliminate California’s waiver, costs from the rule change would total $400 billion in 2018 dollars by 2050. By 2035, Energy Innovation projects that
August 08, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA’s Final SAFE Vehicles Rule under OMB Review
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA submitted its final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks to the White House Office of Management and Budget on Aug. 2. OMB review
August 06, 2019 Read Full Article
States Sue Trump Administration for Reduced Penalties on Fuel Efficiency
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) Thirteen states filed suit against the Trump administration Friday, arguing it was breaking the law by cutting penalties for automakers that do not meet Obama-era fuel efficiency standards. The suit, led by California's and New York’s attorneys general, goes
August 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Major Automakers Strike Climate Deal with California, Rebuffing Trump on Proposed Mileage Freeze
by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The agreement could have vehicles hit 50 miles per gallon on average by 2026 -- Four automakers from three continents have struck a deal with California to produce fleets that are more fuel-efficient in
July 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Admin Abandons Fast Timeline for Rollback — Sources
by Maxine Joselow (E&E News) The Trump administration appears to have abandoned its initial strategy for defending the rollback of Obama-era clean car rules from court challenges, according to three people with knowledge of the situation. The administration was previously rushing to finalize
July 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards / Greenhouse Gas Standards
by Caitlin McCoy, Robin Just (Harvard University Environomental and Energy Law Program) The Environmental & Energy Law Program is tracking the environmental regulatory rollbacks of the Trump administration. ... The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the Department of Transportation (DOT)
July 15, 2019 Read Full Article
24 Governors Call on Trump to Halt Rollback on Rules for Clean Cars
by Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times) The opposition to one of President Trump’s most consequential regulatory rollbacks — a plan to weaken pollution standards for automobiles nationwide — widened on Tuesday when 24 governors, including three Republicans, urged the president to abandon his plan. The governors’ plea adds
July 10, 2019 Read Full Article
California Canada Pollution California, Canada Sidestep Trump, Ink Deal on Emissions
(Associated Press) California picked up an important partner its long-running dispute with the Trump administration over vehicle emissions and fuel economy by announcing a deal with Canada to work on pollution reductions. The agreement comes as the state is in a standoff
July 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Exxon Working to Push Trade Group on Climate Change
by Amy Harder (Axios) ... At issue here is the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, whose focus is oil and gas refining. Driving the news: Royal Dutch Shell, under pressure from activist investors, announced earlier this year it was leaving AFPM, citing "material
July 01, 2019 Read Full Article
The Energy 202: Ex-EPA Engineer Says Wheeler Is Misleading Congress about Car Rule
by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) Jeff Alson was sitting in his apartment in Ann Arbor, Mich., when he felt like he was going to explode. ... (Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew) Wheeler said Nichols never offered a counterproposal and accused Nichols of not being “a
June 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Top EPA Official Resigns Amid Scrutiny over Possible Ethics Violations
by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) Bill Wehrum’s ties to his former law firm and power sector clients prompted a congressional probe. -- Bill Wehrum spent only a year and a half as the Environmental Protection Agency’s top air official before
June 27, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Officials Face off on Car Rule: King, Nichols Headline Auto Rule Hearing
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Top EPA and Transportation Department officials will likely face intense grilling from Democrats today at a joint hearing of two House Energy and Commerce subcommittees on the Trump administration's proposed rollback of auto emissions standards.
June 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Senator Amy Klobuchar Releases Plan of More Than 100 Actions for Her First 100 Days as President
by @AmyForAmerica (Medium.com) U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released a plan outlining the more than 100 concrete steps she will take in her first 100 days as President of the United States to take on the biggest challenges we face at home
June 19, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA's Internal Advisory Board Recommends Investigating Science behind Auto Emission Rollback
by Miranda Green (The Hill) The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) is recommending a review of the agency's decision to roll back a prominent Obama-era policy on auto emissions. The independent group made up of researchers and scientists wrote in a