(American Energy Society/Energy Matters) From experience, we all know that when Donald Trump is president, nothing is certain. It is hard to predict how the energy sector will change, both domestically or around the world. This special issue of Energy Matters
Litigation-State
Back TO HOMEPhillips 66 Hit with $604.9 Million US Verdict in Fuel Trade-Secrets Case
by Blake Brittain (Reuters) Phillips denied Propel's trade secrets claims; Jury decided the case in Oakland, California -- Energy company Phillips 66 (PSX.N) owes biofuel maker Propel Fuels $604.9 million in damages for stealing Propel's trade secrets to build up its renewable-fuel capabilities, a jury
October 17, 2024 Read Full Article
Iowa Supreme Court Hears Landowner Case against Summit Pipeline Survey
by Cami Koons (Iowa Capital Dispatch) Affected landowners and pipeline opposers protest at Capitol --Iowa Supreme Court justices and an uncommonly large audience heard oral arguments Tuesday on the constitutionality of an Iowa law that allows a carbon pipeline company to
October 09, 2024 Read Full Article
Republican Lawmakers Call Summit Pipeline Approval an ‘Attack on the Constitution’: Lawsuits Challenge Permit Approval in State and Federal Courts
by Cami Koons (Iowa Capital Dispatch) Republican lawmakers opposing the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline said the Iowa Utilities Commission’s approval of the project was an attack on “God-given” Fifth Amendment rights. The remarks came from a group of nearly 40 lawmakers who
September 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Summit Jumpstarts Additional Pipeline Efforts with Purchase of Navigator Easements
by Jack O'Connor (Charles City Press/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Summit Carbon Solutions has purchased land easement agreements from a former rival company to help speed up its carbon pipeline construction project, Summit officials confirm. Summit’s former rival, Navigator CO2, attempted its own carbon
August 27, 2024 Read Full Article
Landowners Score Court Victory in Bid to Stop Carbon Pipeline Project
by Jonathan Ellis (Dakota Scout) Supreme Court ruling reverses circuit court rulings, calls into question Summit Carbon Solutions as a common carrier eligible for eminent domain -- A group of South Dakota landowners fighting to prevent a carbon pipeline from crossing their
August 23, 2024 Read Full Article
Propel Fuels’s Trade Secrets Theft Case Against Phillips 66 Scheduled for Trial August 26, 2024
(Propel Fuel/Business Wire) Propel Fuels, Inc. (“Propel”), a leading retailer of low-carbon fuels at stations throughout California, shared today that its trade secret misappropriation case against Phillips 66 Company (“Phillips 66”) has been scheduled for jury trial on August 26,
July 30, 2024 Read Full Article
These Ethanol Plants Want to Bury CO2 in Kansas to Cut Their Carbon Footprints
by Calen Moore and Celia Llopis-Jepsen (KMUW/NPR) Kansas has three carbon dioxide pipelines. Next, it could get two carbon sequestration wells, linked to ethanol plants. Here’s what we know. Two companies seek to build the first sites in Kansas where carbon dioxide emissions
February 20, 2024 Read Full Article
Action Allowing Year-Round Sales of E15 in the US Could Be Near: Trade Group
by Kate Winston (S&P Global) December deadline looming in lawsuit; Spending bill could be vehicle in 2024 -- In the next few months, legislative or legal proceedings could set the stage to allow year-round sales of a gasoline blend containing 15% ethanol
November 27, 2023 Read Full Article
Judge Inclined to Halt Los Angeles Biofuel Refinery Expansion, Siding with Environmental Groups
by Hillel Aron (Courthouse News Service) AltAir Paramount wants to expand its biofuel refinery. Environmental justice groups say the project would increase pollution of the surrounding residential neighborhood. -- A Superior Court judge on Friday said he was likely to halt the
November 20, 2023 Read Full Article
Imperial Announces Progress with RD Project, Coprocessing Trials Public Comment DEADLINE December 8, 2023
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Phillips 66 on Oct. 27 confirmed the renewables conversion of its refinery in Rodeo, California, is progressing on schedule with startup expected during the first quarter of 2024. Once fully operational, the facility will have the
November 08, 2023 Read Full Article
US Supreme Court Won't Hear Minnesota 'Clean Car' Challenge
by Scott McClallen (The Center Square/Crow River Media) The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an auto group's challenge of Minnesota adopting "clean car rules" that will require automakers to introduce more low-emission vehicles. Minnesota will be the first Midwest state to
October 18, 2023 Read Full Article
US Says Lead Emissions from Small Piston-Engine Aircraft Pose Public Health Danger
by David Shepardson (Reuters) The U.S Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday issued a final determination declaring that emissions from aircraft that use leaded fuel pose a danger to public health, following years of study. Commercial aircraft use jet fuel, which does not contain
October 18, 2023 Read Full Article
Judge Halts Major Bay Area Refinery Project for State Environmental Review
by Natalie Hanson (Courthouse News Service) Phillips 66 cannot begin operations at a new California biofuel refinery until Contra Costa County fixes flaws in an environmental analysis of the project. -- Phillips 66 must halt a plan to start operating a new
October 13, 2023 Read Full Article
Major Navigator CO2 Pipeline Project Is on Hold while the Company Reevaluates the Route in 5 States
by Josh Funk (Associated Press) Navigator CO2 Ventures announced Tuesday that it is putting on hold one of the two biggest proposed carbon dioxide pipeline projects in the Midwest so it can reassess the project. The company withdrew its application for a
October 11, 2023 Read Full Article
California Wades into Oil Lawsuits
by Arianna Skibell (Politico's Power Switch) California’s lawsuit against some of the world’s largest oil companies could supercharge a yearslong campaign to force the industry to pony up for its role in driving climate change. The state joined a growing number of
September 18, 2023 Read Full Article
Minnesota EV Mandate Lawsuit on Hold
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Federal Judge Stays Minnesota Lawsuit Challenging State's EV Mandate -- A federal judge in Minnesota has stayed an ongoing lawsuit to prevent the state from adopting California's electric-vehicle mandate as a similar case continues in a
September 06, 2023 Read Full Article
Democrats Ask EPA to Mandate More Zero-Emission Trucks The Lawmakers Want Federal Standards to Match California Mandates.
by Camille Von Kaenel (E&E Daily) Dozens of Democrats on Monday asked EPA to tighten its sales requirements for zero-emission trucks. The request from Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and others is aimed
September 06, 2023 Read Full Article
Attorney General Bonta Secures Settlement Against SoCalGas Ooer Misleading Marketing Statements
(California Office of the Attorney General) California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a settlement against Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) in connection with numerous unqualified environmental marketing claims the company made in 2019 that natural gas is “renewable.” Such claims are misleading. The vast majority of natural gas — including a vast majority of the
August 16, 2023 Read Full Article
Oil Majors Target Judges as Climate Suits Multiply
by Arianna Skibell (Politico's Power Switch) Oil companies and their allies are trying out a new legal defense tactic: Blame the judge. The claims — which include accusations that judges are biased — come as a flood of lawsuits against the fossil
August 15, 2023 Read Full Article
Groups Win Legal Challenges to Massive Bay Area Biofuel Refinery Projects
(Center for Biological Diversity) Flawed Reviews Downplayed Harms to Communities, Environment -- Communities for a Better Environment and the Center for Biological Diversity won legal victories today over Contra Costa County’s approval of two proposed biofuel refinery conversions in the Bay Area.
July 24, 2023 Read Full Article
Dispute over Biofuels Tech Leads to a Third Round of Litigation
by Clark Kauffman (Iowa Capital Dispatch) A long-simmering dispute over biofuels technology has resulted in a Massachusetts company suing Iowa’s Clean Fuels Alliance America for allegedly disclosing confidential company information now being used by an Ames company. It’s the third round of
May 24, 2023 Read Full Article
Iowa Court: Pipeline Survey Law Unlawful
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Court Rules Iowa Law Governing Pipeline Surveys on Private Land Unconstitutional -- It is unconstitutional for pipeline companies to enter private land to survey without compensating landowners in Iowa, a district judge in the state
May 05, 2023 Read Full Article
What to Make of California’s Advanced Clean Fleet Rule
by Allen Schaeffer (Diesel Technology Forum) The California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted another far-reaching regulation that dictates what kind of trucks and fuels can be used in California in the future. Last week’s move comes on the heels of the
May 02, 2023 Read Full Article
Judge Rejects Attack on Bioenergy in North Carolina
(Smithfield/Biomass Magazine) A North Carolina administrative law judge has rejected a challenge to a general permit issued by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) authorizing the construction and operation of methane digesters for animal waste management. The judge held that
April 26, 2023 Read Full Article
How Truly ‘Green’ Are Electric Cars?
by Nick Landekic (Boston Globe) According to retired biotechnology CEO Nick Landekic, the uncomfortable reality is that EVs alone will not help the planet much if the electricity is coming from non-renewable primary sources -- ... The elephant in the room
April 25, 2023 Read Full Article
Farmers Sue Minnesota on Zero Emissions
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Minnesota Ag Interests Sue State on Adoption of California Zero-Emission Mandate -- Agriculture, biofuels and convenience store groups allege the state of Minnesota violated the Constitution and federal law in adopting California's zero-emissions vehicles mandate,
March 15, 2023 Read Full Article
South Dakota Suggests Delaying Summit Carbon Pipeline Hearings to September or Later
by Jeff Beach (AgWeek) Iowa-based Summit Carbon Solutions wants to start construction in 2023 to benefit the ethanol industry, but some farmers have concerns about damage to farmland and property values. -- South Dakota regulators say they may need to push
December 30, 2022 Read Full Article
Pearl Man Pleads Guilty as Feds Tackle Biofuel Business for Illegal Dumping
by Alex Rozier (Mississippi Today) A Pearl man pleaded guilty this week for his role in allowing a Brandon company to illegally dump its waste into Jackson’s worn-down sewer system. The U.S. Department of Justice is alleging that leadership of the company,
October 21, 2022 Read Full Article
IUB Addresses Request for Environmental Impact Study on Proposed Summit Carbon Solutions CO2 Pipeline
(Iowa Utilities Board) The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) issued an order today that denies a request for an environmental impact study (EIS) regarding the proposed carbon capture pipeline by Summit Carbon Solutions LLC (Summit Carbon), which is pending before the IUB in Docket
October 11, 2022 Read Full Article
Carbon Pipeline Company Takes Unwilling Iowa Landowners to Court
by Jared Strong (Successful Farming/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Navigator CO2 Ventures, one of three companies that have proposed liquid carbon pipelines in Iowa, recently sued four sets of landowners to gain access to their properties to survey the land, according to court
September 08, 2022 Read Full Article
GM Flex Fuel Engine Class Action Lawsuit Filed In Illinois
by Sam McEachern (GM Authority) A class action lawsuit that was filed against GM in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois alleges certain Flex Fuel capable Chevrolet Impala manufactured by the American automaker cannot run E85 fuel
August 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Climate Lawsuits Proliferate, Confronting Corporate Polluters
by Sara Schonhardt (Politico Pro Climatewire) Experts predict climate litigation will continue to rise over the next year, with a focus on "filling the gaps" of corporate and government policies. -- Lawsuits are increasingly targeting governments and companies for climate
July 15, 2022 Read Full Article
EMA Lawsuit: CARB Emissions Rule Violates Clean Air Act
(TruckingInfo.com) The Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association has sued the California Air Resources Board, saying the agency has not provided enough lead time for truck and engine makers to meet its latest emission standards due to go into effect in 2024. On
June 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Lawsuits Challenge Two Massive Bay Area Biofuel Refinery Projects
(Center for Biological Diversity) Rushed Review Ignored Dangers to Communities, Environment -- Communities for a Better Environment and the Center for Biological Diversity sued Contra Costa County on Tuesday over its rushed approval of two proposed biofuel refineries in the Bay
June 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Bombshell: Propel Fuels Sues Phillips 66 over “Year-Long Extraction of Trade Secrets”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Judge Evelio Grillo of the Superior Court of Alameda County has unsealed a Propel Fuels-Phillips 66 lawsuit, ordered that Propel Fuels file an unredacted copy of the suit. According to Propel, the suit alleges hat “the Texas-based
May 19, 2022 Read Full Article
Conservationists Sue to Stop SoCal Biofuel Refinery Expansion
by Hillel Aron (Courthouse News Service) Biofuels are considered by some to be an important tool in the fight against climate change. But it has a growing number of detractors, including those within the environmental justice movement. -- Three environmental nonprofits
May 17, 2022 Read Full Article
Environmentalists Skeptical about Converting East Bay Refineries into Biofuel Plants
by Wilson Walker (KPIX/SanFrancisco/CBSlocal.com) Two Bay Area oil refineries looking to convert to processing biofuels are facing what some might consider unlikely opposition. On the edge of Suisun Bay is Marathon’s Martinez refinery. Marathon would like to convert the facility into a
May 04, 2022 Read Full Article
Protests Pay Off: Students Win Long Climate Change Campaign
by Bella Carpentier (Minnesota Daily/Associated Press) After years of pressure from student groups and numerous resolutions passed within the University of Minnesota’s Minnesota Student Association (MSA), the University recently announced plans to fully divest from fossil fuels in the next five
December 06, 2021 Read Full Article
Maine Is in Danger of Losing Some of Its Best Agricultural Land to Solar Farms
by Julia Bayly (Bangor Daily News) Approximately 67,000 fixed-tilt, bifacial panels will comprise a solar farm under construction at the Eastern Piscataquis Industrial Park in Milo. There is growing concern that development of solar farms will come at the expense
October 18, 2021 Read Full Article
Lawsuits Target Exxon’s Social Media ‘Green Washing’
by Maxine Joselow (E&E News Climatewire) Two years ago, Exxon Mobil Corp. took to Twitter to promote its research into algae biofuel. The oil giant tweeted a photo of swirling beakers of bright green liquid to its hundreds of thousands of followers. "We’re researching
July 22, 2021 Read Full Article
How a Powerful US Lobby Group Helps Big Oil to Block Climate Action
by Chris McGreal (The Guardian) The American Petroleum Institute receives millions from oil companies – and works behinds the scenes to stall or weaken legislation -- ... Shell issued a separate report revealing that its single largest donation to political lobby groups last year
July 19, 2021 Read Full Article
Minnesota 'Clean Cars' Rules May Move forward, Administrative Law Judge Says
by Greg Stanley (Star Tribune) Judge says governor can bypass GOP opposition. -- More electric vehicles could soon be for sale on Minnesota car lots after an administrative law judge ruled Friday that the Walz administration can set new emissions standards
May 10, 2021 Read Full Article
Big Tobacco Had to Pay $206B. Is Big Oil Next?
by Maxine Joselow (E&E News) In 2006, a federal judge issued a scathing ruling that would reverberate across the country. "Over the course of more than 50 years, Defendants lied, misrepresented and deceived the American public," Judge Gladys Kessler of the U.S.
March 10, 2021 Read Full Article
AG Peterson Files Complaint Alleging Multiple Environmental Violations by AltEn, LLC.
(Office of Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson) Attorney General Doug Peterson filed a complaint in the District Court of Saunders County alleging multiple environmental violations by AltEn, LLC. AltEn is an ethanol plant located near Mead, Nebraska. The complaint alleges violations of the
March 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: Valero Sues Texas-Based Commodity Group for Failure to Deliver 106 Million RINs
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Valero has filed a lawsuit in Texas state court alleging a Cypress, Texas,-based commodity group failed to deliver renewable identification numbers, or RINs, as part of an agreement with Valero. In the lawsuit filed on Dec.
January 22, 2021 Read Full Article
Renewable Diesel Producer Settles with Air Resources Board over Low Carbon Fuel Standard Violations
(California Air Resources Board) $132,500 settlement includes environmental project for Fresno area -- The California Air Resources Board today announced a settlement with AltAir-Paramount, LLC addressing reporting violations under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The settlement is valued at $132,500. “The Low Carbon
January 12, 2021 Read Full Article
“Flim Flam” Biofuels Company Wants to Buy the Largest East Coast Oil Refinery
by Steve Horn (The Real News) ... The little-known company has pitched its proposal to convert the site into a biofuels refinery. It is run by a man one mayor has dubbed the “Flim Flam Man,” and the company has never actually opened
October 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Nebraska Environmental Trust's $1.8 Million Grant for Ethanol Pumps
by Martha Stoddard (Omaha World-Herald) Critics of the Nebraska Environmental Trust board’s decision to award $1.8 million to a project installing ethanol blender pumps and storage tanks at gas stations are taking their fight to court. Two of those critics, W. Don
October 09, 2020 Read Full Article
Climate Change Suit on SCOTUS Docket
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) : The Supreme Court will hear an appeal from oil companies aiming to overturn lower court rulings that state court is the proper venue for the climate change lawsuit brought by the city of
October 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Climate Cases Put Big Oil’s Behemoth Trade Group in Bull’s-Eye
by Ellen M. Gilmer (BloombergLaw) American Petroleum Institute named in state, local suits; Legal approach could pay off for plaintiffs, attorneys say -- State and local governments taking Big Oil to court over climate change have a new target: the
September 15, 2020 Read Full Article
Delaware AG Jennings Claims Deception by Big Oil in Climate Change Lawsuit
(Delaware Business Now) Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Thursday that Delaware will sue 31 fossil fuel companies. “Delawareans are already paying for the malfeasance of the world’s biggest fossil fuel companies,” said General Jennings. “Exxon, Chevron, and other mega-corporations knew exactly what
September 11, 2020 Read Full Article
As Natural Gas Bans Go National, Can Cities Fill the Gap?
by David Iaconangelo (E&E News) ... But efficiency researchers say activists' favored alternative to natural gas — electric heat — is still a costlier option for consumers. Mass adoption of electric heating could overload the grid without significant infrastructure upgrades,
August 04, 2020 Read Full Article
District of Columbia Sues 4 Oil Majors for Misleading Consumers on Climate Change
by Valerie Volcovici (Insurance Journal/Reuters) The attorney general for the District of Columbia on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Exxon Mobil Corp, BP Plc, Chevron Corp, and Royal Dutch Shell Plc for “systematically and intentionally misleading” consumers about the role their products
June 26, 2020 Read Full Article
AG Ellison Sues ExxonMobil, Koch Industries & American Petroleum Institute for Deceiving, Defrauding Minnesotans about Climate Change
(Office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison) Claims violations of state and common law regarding consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices, misrepresentation, failure to warn; seeks injunctive relief, restitution, and corrective public education campaign; Minnesota joins growing list of states and local
June 25, 2020 Read Full Article
North Dakota Soybean Processors Abandons Spiritwood Energy Park Site
(North Dakota Soybean Processors) After more than three years, $6 million of investment and thousands of hours of management time, North Dakota Soybean Processors announced that it is abandoning its efforts to build a large-scale soybean crushing facility at the
February 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Making Big Oil Pay for Climate Change May Be Impossible
by Erik Larson (Bloomberg) Across America, cities and states are using the courts to force energy companies to address the damage done by fossil fuels. It’s not going well. -- Exxon Mobil dodged a bullet last month when a judge
January 24, 2020 Read Full Article
The New Science Fossil Fuel Companies Fear
by Zack Coleman (Politico) Researchers can now link weather events to emissions – and to the companies responsible. A string of lawsuits is about to give “attribution science” a real-life test. -- Richard Heede spent a decade digging through “disheveled, dusty”
November 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Tesoro Fined $1.36 million for Low Carbon Fuel Standard Violations
(California Air Resources Board) Company misreported 1.9 billion gallons of fuel -- The California Air Resources Board today (May 30, 2019) announced a $1.36 million settlement with Tesoro Refining & Marketing, LLC for violating the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The
June 03, 2019 Read Full Article
SoCalGas Leak Settlement Includes Biomethane-to-Fuel Efforts
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) The Los Angeles Superior Court has approved a settlement in a lawsuit against Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) resulting from the 2015-2016 Aliso Canyon natural gas leak, according to an announcement from the California Air Resources Board
February 28, 2019 Read Full Article
California Fueling Files Suit over Biodiesel NOx Additive
(California Fueling/Biodiesel Magazine) California Fueling LLC filed suit Dec. 10 in the Los Angeles Superior Court against Best Energy Solutions and Technology Corp., doing business as “Best Corp.,” asserting claims for, among other things, unfair business practices under California’s Business &
January 04, 2019 Read Full Article
DuPont Will Repay $10.5 Million in State Incentives, under Approved Settlement
by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) DuPont will give Iowa a big check — $10.5 million — after closing and selling the world's largest cellulosic ethanol plant in Nevada. Iowa economic development leaders approved a settlement Friday that calls for DuPont to
November 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Hiring an Expert Witness in Bioeconomy Litigation
by Wayne Lee (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) In August 2017, I published an articlewhich focused on important things that attorneys involved in biofuels or biochemical litigation should look for when choosing an expert witness. This article explores the subject of expert
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Bankruptcy Judge Lets Refiner off the RFS Hook
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) A Delaware Bankruptcy judge approved a consent decree between EPA and bankrupt refiner Philadelphia Energy Solutions, allowing PES to get out of much of its obligation under the Renewable Fuel Standard for 2016, 2017 and
April 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Big Oil Faces Big Test in Climate-Change Court Showdown with SF, Oakland
by Kurtis Alexander (San Francisco Chronicle) A San Francisco judge who must decide whether to hold the world’s largest oil companies responsible for global warming is ordering up what many are calling the most comprehensive, and unusual, debate on climate change
March 20, 2018 Read Full Article
First U.S. City to Ban Fossil Fuel Expansion Offers Roadmap for Others
by Kevon Paynter (Yes! Magazine) Portland, Ore., climate activists celebrate a win against Big Oil as city- and state-level initiatives gain momentum across the country. -- ... A key piece of Shell’s arctic drilling fleet, the vessel had arrived in Portland for
February 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Court Rules against Delaware City Refinery in Ethanol Appeal
by Scott Goss (The News Journal/Delaware Online) A judge has breathed new life into a two-year effort to block a major expansion of the Delaware City Refinery's biofuel operations. Superior Court Judge Diane Clarke Streett on Friday sided with two civic groups seeking to halt the
January 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Meet the Lawyer Trying to Make Big Oil Pay for Climate Change
by Geoff Dembicki (Vice.com) The attorney who won a $200 billion settlement from tobacco companies in the 90s has set his sights on an even bigger target. When you want to sue the largest, most powerful companies on the planet,
January 02, 2018 Read Full Article
CARB Working to Address Biodiesel NOx Emissions: Court Filing
by Josh Pedrick (Platts) Ongoing legal challenges to the way California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard deals with nitrogen oxide emissions from biodiesel could continue to hamper the state's efforts to meet carbon reduction goals. Earlier this week, the California Air Resources Board told
December 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Judge Rules State Can’t Enforce Inslee Order to Cut Greenhouse-Gas Emissions
by Jim Brunner (News Tribune) Dealing a setback to Gov. Jay Inslee’s climate agenda, a judge has invalidated major portions of a state rule requiring greenhouse-gas cuts by refineries, fuel distributors and dozens of other major industrial emitters. ... The ruling means the
December 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Embattled Utah Biofuel Company with Polygamous Ties Should Pay Millions for Breach of Contract, Jury Says
by Paighten Harkins (Salt Lake Tribune) A Box Elder County biofuel company fined for exploiting federal tax credits by importing fuels they claimed they produced may pay millions to one such importer after the company abandoned a $90 million deal
December 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Court Fight Begins over Delaware City Refinery's Ethanol Project
by Scott Goss (The News Journal/DelawareOnline) A court battle over the Delaware City Refinery's plans to significantly expand its biofuel operations is now officially underway – nearly a year after state regulators approved the project. The dispute pits one of the state's
November 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Okla. Supreme Court Rules Electric Vehicle Fee Unconstitutional
by Joseph Bebon (NGT News) On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down H.B.1449, a bill that sought to implement an annual fee on electric vehicles (EVs), ruling the tax unconstitutional because the fee was untethered from a regulatory purpose. In August, the Sierra
October 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Stanfield Biodiesel Plant Was a Scam
(My Columbia Basin) The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services is fining Robert D. “Bob” Doughty and his companies for bilking investors of $250,000. Officials say the Ontario man with a Stanfield connection is fined $35,000 for selling fraudulent securities
October 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Oakland and San Francisco Lawsuits to Hold Fossil Fuel Companies Accountable for Their Contributions to Sea Level Rise a 'Bold and Necessary Step to Protect Their Communities,' Says Science Group
by Ken Kimmell (Union of Concerned Scientists) Oakland and San Francisco today (September 20, 2017) announced lawsuits against fossil fuel companies seeking compensation for current and future costs of adapting to climate-related sea level rise. These lawsuits come on the
September 21, 2017 Read Full Article
California’s Supreme Court Denies ARB Petition To Review LCFS Case
By Joshua T. Bledsoe and Kimberly Farbota (Latham's Clean Energy Law Report) In a previous post, we described how potential delays in the resolution of the case commonly known as POET I could create uncertainty regarding the future of the California Low Carbon Fuel
September 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Delaware City Refinery Ethanol Project Heading to Court
by Scott Goss (The News Journal/DelawareOnline.com) The battle over Delaware City Refinery's planned expansion of its ethanol operations has been renewed. Two civic groups that unsuccessfully challenged the state's approval of the project in February are now asking a judge to let their lawsuit
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Smoking Gun Found in Biofuels’ Billion Dollar Baby Brawl?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But almost nothing about the Billion Dollar Baby Brawl has been standard fare as Aemetis, Edeniq, a string of investors and more lawyers than you can easily chain to the bottom of the ocean
April 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Court Upholds State Environmental Permits for Controversial Fiberight Waste Plant
by Madeline St. Amour (CentralMaine.com) The decision by a Superior Court justice marks the end of the Fiberight project's last legal battle and one of its major hurdles. -- A Maine Superior Court justice on Wednesday affirmed state environmental permits
March 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Twin Challenges to LCFS Advance in California Courts
by Joshua T. Bledsoe and Max Friedman (Latham & Watkins LLP/Biodiesel Magazine) Two related cases, advancing in parallel, have the potential to upend California’s low carbon fuel standard (LCFS), whether via full suspension of the LCFS or carving out diesel
March 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Refinery, DNREC Seek Dismissal of Ethanol Challenges
by Scott Goss (The News Journal) The legal battle over Delaware City Refinery’s plans to expand its ethanol operations is heating up, days before a state board will hear the case. ... On its surface, the dispute centers on refinery owner PBF
February 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Senate Republicans Suspend Committee Rules to Approve Scott Pruitt, Trump’s EPA Nominee
by Brady Dennis and Chris Mooney (The Washington Post) Senate Republicans on Thursday again used their majority to suspend committee rules and push through another Trump administration nominee, Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, bypassing Democrats who for the second
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Environmentalists Appeal PBF Ethanol Permit
by Scott Goss (News Journal/Delaware Online) A legal fight over Delaware City Refinery's plans to expand its ethanol operations officially began this week. Two groups filed fundamental challenges Friday to a recently issued state permit that – for the first time – allows
January 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Volkswagen to Recall 83,000 3.0 Liter Diesel Vehicles and Fund Mitigation Projects to Settle Allegations of Cheating Emissions Tests on Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche Vehicles
(Environmental Protection Agency) Settlement requires Volkswagen to offer to buy back older vehicles, and spend $225 million to mitigate NOx pollution. Volkswagen will also repair newer vehicles to comply with the standards to which they were certified In a second partial
December 20, 2016 Read Full Article
KiOR: The Inside True Story of a Company Gone Wrong. Part 5, The Collapse
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In 2011, KiOR raised $150 million in its June IPO, claiming that it was generating yields of 67 gallons per ton in its Demo unit operations. But it was miles short of that. In our previous
November 25, 2016 Read Full Article
PERC Sues Maine DEP over Fiberight Licensing
by Faith DeAmbrose (The Weekly Packet) Owners of the Orrington-based trash-to-energy facility Penobscot Energy Recovery Company have filed suit in Kennebec County Superior Court against the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, seeking to overturn the issuance of licenses for the
August 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Three U.S. States Plan Lawsuits over Volkswagen Diesel Pollution
by David Shepardson (Reuters) Three U.S. states plan to unveil new lawsuits against Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) on Tuesday tied to the automaker's sale of diesel vehicles with emissions-cheating software, even after they announced settlements with the German automaker in June. Maryland
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
California's Landmark Cap and Trade Program Faces Uncertain Future
by Rory Carroll (Reuters) California's greenhouse gas reduction program is in a battle for its life, and uncertainty about its future has spooked buyers of its carbon permits -- California in 2012 became the first U.S. state with a comprehensive
June 16, 2016 Read Full Article
California Wants Back $1.7M From Biofuel Project
by Elizabeth Warmerdam (Courthouse News Service) California sued a bioenergy company, claiming it improperly spent as much as $1.7 million in public money targeted for equipment purchases for a project to refine sugar beets into ethanol fuel. ... The commission helps fund
April 13, 2016 Read Full Article
CA Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Questioned: Study Raises Doubts About Long-Term Viability of Rule
by Todd Neeley (DTN/The Progressive Farmer) California's controversial low-carbon fuel standard may not be able to survive long term unless more biodiesel and corn-based ethanol are allowed into the state's market quickly, according to a new study. The analysis, conducted by
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
A.G. Schneiderman Reaches Agreement With Buffalo Biodiesel Over Lawsuits Targeting Small Businesses
(Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced an agreement with Buffalo Biodiesel, a company that collects cooking oil waste and converts it into biodiesel, over claims that the company filed lawsuits against hundreds of small
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuel Company with Polygamous Ties Spent Big on Utah Politicians even as Frauds Were Found
by Nate Carlisle and Brian Maffly (The Salt Lake Tribune) Federal agents raided offices of Washakie and Kingstons amid claims the company hasn’t actually manufactured its own biofuels. -- The storage tanks Washakie Renewable Energy was planning to build while
February 15, 2016 Read Full Article
L.A. County Files Criminal Charges over Porter Ranch Gas Leak
by Paige St. John and Alice Walton (Los Angeles Times) Southern California Gas Co. on Tuesday was charged with failing to immediately notify state authorities about the natural gas leak in Aliso Canyon. L.A. County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey filed four misdemeanor
February 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Air Regulator Sues California Utility over State's Historic Methane Leak
by Alex Dobuzinskis (Reuters) A California utility failed to protect residents from the largest methane leak in state history at its natural gas field near Los Angeles, a regional pollution watchdog said in a lawsuit filed against the company. The suit, filed
January 28, 2016 Read Full Article
California Launches New Fuel Policies in 2016
by Graham Noyes (Biodiesel Magazine/ Keyes, Fox & Wiedman LLP) California will be the biodiesel market to watch in 2016 as the state implements a diverse portfolio of policies that will directly impact the industry. The state’s landmark greenhouse gas
January 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Washington State Judge Rules that States Have a “Mandatory Duty” to “Preserve, Protect, and Enhance the Air Quality for the Current and Future Generations”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington state, King County Superior Court Judge Hollis R. Hill issued a groundbreaking ruling that the “scientific evidence is clear that the current rates of (emissions) reduction mandated by Washington law. . . cannot
November 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Judge Dismisses Challenge to Oregon Climate Change Program
by Jonathan J. Cooper (Associated Press/MMC News) A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by oil companies challenging an Oregon carbon-reduction mandate. U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken said Oregon’s low-carbon fuel standard does not violate federal law or
September 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Amyris and Solazyme at Risk of Taint from Volkswagen NOx Scandal, Says Website; Solazyme Says “Heck No!”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, TheTruthAboutCars reported that Amyris and Solazyme risk being painted with the same tainted brush as Volkswagen due to the fact that both companies collaborated with the company to test emissions of their fuels. It
September 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Oregon's Clean Fuels Law Ignites More Political Wrangling
by Ian K. Kullgren (The Oregonian/Oregon Live) ... One of the law's biggest advocates threatened to join forces with opponents this week over proposed changes. A new environmental coalition launched ads attacking proposed ballot measures. Lawsuits are pending in state and
September 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Oil companies Can Be Sued by Earthquake Victim, Oklahoma Court Rules
(Thompson Reuters) An Oklahoma woman who was injured when an earthquake rocked her home in 2011 can sue oil companies for damages, the state's highest court ruled on Tuesday, opening the door to other potential lawsuits against the state's energy
July 01, 2015 Read Full Article
Lawsuit Filed Challenging Minnesota's Biodiesel Mandate
(Minnesota Trucking Association) A coalition of vehicle and fuel industry organizations have stood up for Minnesota consumers and small businesses by filing suit in federal court alleging that Minnesota’s Biodiesel Content Mandate could create significant harm to vehicles that are not
April 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Truckers Sue to End Biodiesel Mandate
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) Minnesota truckers and other interests sued Minnesota on Friday seeking to end the state’s requirement that diesel sold at the pump contain 10 percent biodiesel. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota alleges that
April 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Mississippi Files Fraud Lawsuit against Khosla over KiOR
by Jeff Amy (The Dispatch/Associated Press) The state of Mississippi has sued billionaire Vinod Khosla and others, saying they knew long ago that bankrupt biofuel firm KiOR had poor prospects for success, but misled the state into loaning the company
January 16, 2015 Read Full Article
How Two Small New York Towns Have Shaken up the National Fight over Fracking
by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) The multibillion-dollar Anschutz Exploration Corp., which helped make its founder, Philip Anschutz, one of the richest men in America, filed a lawsuit three years ago against Dryden, a small town in Upstate New York. The issue: Dryden
July 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Court Rules to Uphold California LCFS, but Requires Corrective Action
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On July 15, California’s Fifth District Court of Appeal issued its opinion in the lawsuit filed by Poet LLC against the California Air Resources Board. The lawsuit, originally filed in November 2011, challenged the
July 22, 2013 Read Full Article
AFPM, RFA Trade Charges after Verdict in MTBE Case
by Jordan Godwin (Platts) ...(American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers President Charles T.) Drevna responded Wednesday to a New Hampshire verdict earlier that day in a case where ExxonMobil was found negligent for putting MTBE in gasoline without warning the state of its risks.
April 12, 2013 Read Full Article
The Information Source for Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles
(US Department of Energy) The Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) provides information, data, and tools to help fleets and other transportation decisions makers find ways to reduce petroleum consumption through the use of alternative and renewable fuels, advanced vehicles, and
November 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Benishek under Pressure to Block Federal Funding for Ethanol ‘Boondoggle’
by Eartha Jane Melzer (The Michigan Messenger) Rep. Dan Benishek (R-Crystal Falls) campaigned on cutting federal spending. Now some of his constituents are asking him to keep the U.S. Dept. of Energy from spending $58 million on a project to
March 29, 2011 Read Full Article
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