by O. Kay Henderson (RadioIowa) Iowa’s gas tax would be eight cents per gallon higher by April, 2014 under a proposal that has cleared a five-member House panel. The bill also calls for new yearly fees for hybrid vehicles and for
Legislation-State
Back TO HOMEChanges to Ohio’s Definition of “Agriculture” Could Benefit Bio-Energy
by Chris Kick (Farm and Dairy) A bill that would broaden the definition of agriculture in Ohio to include algal production and anaerobic digesters is making its way through the House and Senate. ...The bill defines the production of bio-energy
February 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Road Use by E.V. Drivers: To Tax or Not to Tax?
by Jim Motavalli (New York Times) Drivers of purely electric vehicles avoid paying the gas taxes included in the cost of a petro-product fill-up. Consequently, if E.V.’s were to become widely adopted, less money could flow into accounts that pay to build
February 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Production of Castor Beans as a Biofuel Source Would Be Outlawed under Oklahoma Measure
by Michael McNutt (NewsOK) Oklahoma House panel passes measure that would prohibit growing the ornamental plant commercially as a biofuel crop. The flowering plant still may be grown by nurseries. Growing castor beans for commercial purposes would be illegal under a
February 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Mississippi Senator Seeks to Require Ethanol-Free Gasoline
by Kent Misegades (General Aviation News) Mississippi State Senator Michael Watson has just introduced Senate Bill 2137, “An act to require retail dealers and distributors of gasoline to offer for sale or use nonethanol-blended unleaded premium grade gasoline.” When asked for his motivation,
February 02, 2012 Read Full Article
California Bill Seeks to Eliminate Future Corn Ethanol Funding
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The California State Assembly is expected to vote soon on a watered-down version of a bill initially proposed last year, targeting corn ethanol production for elimination from a state subsidy program. AB 523
February 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Bills Aim to Help Establish Arizona as Algae-Farming Center
by Jessica Testa (Cronkite News) Anticipating a day when Arizona becomes a leader in producing algae for biofuel, a Tucson lawmaker is pushing to have algae farms and related facilities defined — and taxed — like any corn field
January 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Washington State Horticultural Association Opposes Bill to Provide Additional Water for Organic Crops and Biofuel Crops
(PR NewsWire/Organic Tree Fruit Growers Alliance) At a recent legislative hearing in Olympia, the Washington StateHorticultural Association and its lobbyist Jim Halstrom (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvVO8tJc7zI) publicly opposed legislation (House Bill 2192) that would provide a relatively small amount of new water to allow apple and tree
January 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Expiring Ethanol Credit to Add to Gas Price Jump
(WRAL) Lack of action by state lawmakers and Congress is expected to raise gas prices in North Carolina by more than 8 cents a gallon, starting Sunday. Half of the increase comes from the state. North Carolina's gas tax is linked
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Fla. Shouldn't Give up on Renewable Fuels
(Orlando Sentinel) Editorial: ...This month a state House panel approved a bill to repeal the 2008 state law that requires most gasoline sold in Florida to include up to 10 percent ethanol. Sponsor Matt Gaetz, a Republican from Fort Walton
December 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
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
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
Gaetz Bill Would Let Gasoline Sellers off the Ethanol Hook
by Tom McLaughlin (TheDestinLog.com) State Rep. Matt Gaetz has proposed the repeal of the Florida Renewable Fuel Standard Act. If a bill he introduced in early August becomes law, gasoline distributors would no longer be required to sell fuel containing 9
September 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Louisiana Biofuels Plan Would Decentralize Production
by Michael K. Bullard (Ethanol Producer Magazine) How the 2008 Recession Halted the Progress of Louisiana’s Advanced Biofuel Industry Development Initiative ...The Advanced Biofuel Industry Development Initiative (Act 382) represents a complete strategy to not only address the aggressive federal mandates
August 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Legislation Friendly to Biodiesel
by Gene Lucht (Iowa Farmer Today) ...On the biodiesel front, there are three basic components, says Randy Olson, executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board: =Extension and change of the retailer tax credit. The current credit is for 3 cents per
June 27, 2011 Read Full Article
California's Clean Fuel Push Opens Door To Brazilian Ethanol
by Ben Lefebvre (Dow Jones News Wires) California's push to reduce fuel emissions in the next decade could lead to Brazilian ethanol makers making new inroads into the U.S. The Golden State is attempting to reduce the carbon intensity of its transportation
June 15, 2011 Read Full Article
N.D. Continues Expansive Biofuel Infrastructure Build-Out
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) North Dakota is poised to continue its impressive expansion of biofuels infrastructure with the continuation of a program to encourage the installation of retail ethanol and biodiesel fuel pumps. Originally established in 2009, the state’s
June 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Kitchen Grease Fuels House Bill
by Anne Blythe (The Charlotte Observer) Yellow kitchen grease has become as good as gold as gasoline prices soar and biodiesel fuel becomes more appealing. Just as one industry's waste becomes a hot commodity for another, a slippery underworld of fry
June 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Iowa Becomes First State to Incentivize E15
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad is expected to sign a bill today, May 26, which will provide a boost to the state’s renewable fuels producers and distributors. The bill, S.F. 531, was passed by the state
May 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Vermont Heating Oil to Contain Biodiesel
(National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) Vermont continues the momentum for clean air policies in the North East by passing a requirement for renewable, cleaner-burning biodiesel to be used in home heating oil throughout the state. ...The broad-based energy legislation establishes low sulfur
May 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Port of Vancouver, USA First to Step up to Biodiesel Challenge
(Port Technology International) The Port of Vancouver, USA is one of the first pots in the United States to replace regular diesel fuel with environmentally-friendly biodiesel for use in almost all of its own vehicles and heavy equipment. Biodiesel is
May 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Iowa Legislature Passes Renewable Fuels Legislation
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The Iowa Legislature today (May 4, 2011) approved comprehensive renewable fuels legislation intended to increase E15 sales and biodiesel production. ...(T)the bill includes a new 3 cent per gallon retailer tax credit for E15 sales, allowing
May 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Rep. George: Alternative Fuels Grant Program Accepting Applications
(The Progress News) State Rep. Camille "Bud" George, D-74 of Houtzdale, encouraged local businesses and political subdivisions to apply for grants available through the state's Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant program. "The AFIG program was established in 1992 and has consistently helped
May 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Incentives of Biofuels Industry Clear Final Legislative Hurdle
by O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa) A bill on its way to Governor Branstad’s desk extends a variety of tax breaks and incentives for so-called “biofuels”. For example, the legislation creates new tax incentives for retailers who sell E-15, the slightly
May 05, 2011 Read Full Article
California Committee Drops Bill to Eliminate Corn Ethanol Funding
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The California State Assembly Committee on Transportation voted 6-3 on May 2 to defeat a bill that would have repealed the state’s ethanol producer incentive program (CEPIP) and made corn ethanol projects ineligible for
May 05, 2011 Read Full Article
The Golden Landfill State: California Democrats Continue to Block Use of Waste for Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Jim Stewart, Chairman of the Board, BioEnergy Producers Association reports: “Democrats on California’s environmental committees, for more than six years, have blocked corrective legislation that would enable the state to make constructive use of its
April 29, 2011 Read Full Article
MINN. LEGISLATURE ROUNDUP: Ag Bill Could Get Dayton Signature
by Don Davis (Grand Forks Herald) Gov. Mark Dayton likely will sign an agriculture funding bill despite earlier demands that the Republican-controlled Legislature agree on all of its spending plans before he approves any individual bill. ...The most-discussed item in the
April 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Oregon’s Diesel to Contain 5 Percent Renewable Biodiesel
(National Biodiesel Board) Oregon is about to become the second state to require that most of the diesel sold there contain at least 5 percent biodiesel (B5). The National Biodiesel Board applauded the state on its progressive upgrade. “Policymakers in Oregon
April 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Indirect Land Use Change: A Second-Best Solution to a First-Class Problem
by David Zilberman, Gal Hochman, and Deepak Rajagopal (AgBioForum) Concern about the possible effects of biofuels on deforestation have led to assigning biofuel producers with the responsibility for the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the indirect land-use changes (ILUC) associated
April 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Budget Cuts May Target MSU-N Biodiesel Facility
by Kay Rossi (KXLH.com) ...Five years ago, Montana State University-Northern received $800,000 in grant funding for infrastructure and staffing for a new biofuel lab at the MSU-N Bio-Energy Center Now the nationally-certified facility performs a variety of functions, from researching
March 25, 2011 Read Full Article
South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard Signs Bill to Boost Ethanol Industry, Development Loans
by Chet Brokaw (AP/The Republic) Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed into law Thursday a measure aimed at boosting ethanol sales at South Dakota gas stations and providing extra money for economic development loans. ...The ethanol measure was proposed by the governor and
March 25, 2011 Read Full Article
New Hampshire House Bans Ethanol
(KRVN) The New Hampshire House has passed a bill that would ban the sale of corn-based ethanol in the state. Earlier the House Science Technology and Energy Committee voted down the piece of legislation, however, Representative David Campbell spoke up
March 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Bill Requiring Increased Use of Biodiesel Sparks Dispute
by Cy Ryan (Las Vegas Sun) Truckers would be required to use 10 percent biodiesel in their fuel under a bill introduced in the Senate, which is already sparking a disagreement. Paul Enos, representing the Nevada Transport Association, said such a
February 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Doyle Signs Renewable Fuels Bill into Law
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) A legislative proposal that would encourage the development, production and use of renewable fuels in Wisconsin is now the law of the land. On Tuesday, Governor Jim Doyle signed SB 279, also known as the 'ethanol bill,'
May 20, 2010 Read Full Article
Push Is on for Higher Ethanol Blends
by Chris Lusvardi (Herald-Review.com) ...(T)he Illinois Senate has approved a measure that will eventually allow higher blends of ethanol to receive the state sales tax exemption. Marketers can sell ethanol blended fuel with a sales tax reduction of 20 percent