by Jennifer A Dlouhy and Jeffrey Bair (Bloomberg Green) HollyFrontier’s Cheyenne refinery will no longer use crude oil; Company expects to lose EPA exemption for small refiners -- In a sign of changing times, a U.S. oil refining company is converting
Transportation Fuels Policy
Back TO HOMENational Wildlife Federation Joins GOP Governors Calling for RFS Waivers
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The National Wildlife Federation believes EPA's Andrew Wheeler should use the agency's waiver authority to reduce blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The green group, one of a handful of enviros to engage
June 02, 2020 Read Full Article
FEATURE: Surging RVO Cost Negligible for US Fuel Producers, Importers Amid Pandemic
by Joshua Brown, Margaret Rogers, Ellie Valencia, Maha Cristina Husseini (S&P Global/Platts) RVO cost highest since March 2018; USGC WTI MEH margin down $6.45/b on year; US fuel exports fall to two-year low -- Fallout from the coronavirus has so disrupted normal refined
June 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: Ethanol Industry Groups Disappointed in EPA Emissions Study
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) EPA's release of a so-called "anti-backsliding" study on Friday that calls for no further action to mitigate potential adverse air quality effects from renewable fuels, was met with disappointment by two ethanol industry interest groups. The
June 01, 2020 Read Full Article
EU Commission’s Farm-to-Fork Strategy: UFOP Misses Economically Sustainable Perspective
(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen) “This is not what perspective and collaboration look like.” This is how UFOP (Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen) summarises its criticism of the “Farm-to-Fork Strategy” presented today by the European Commission. Strategies
June 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Neste MY Renewable Diesel Available at More than 200 Sales Points in Sweden by Year-End
(Neste) Neste, the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel and the 3rd most sustainable company in the world*, deepens its partnership with one of Sweden’s largest fuel companies, OKQ8. Neste MY Renewable Diesel™, produced from renewable and sustainable raw materials, will become
June 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Indonesia Removes Ethanol Ban, Recognizes Octane Benefits Of Ethanol
(U.S. Grains Council) U.S. ethanol can now enter the Indonesian market by way of pre-blended fuel, following the recent removal of a ban on pre-blended product entering the country. This change creates a potential market of more than 200 million gallons
June 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Implementation Agendas: 2018-2019 Update Compare and Contrast Transport Biofuels Policies
by Mahmood Ebadian, James D. McMillan, Jack (John) N. Saddler and Susan van Dyk (University of British Columbia, Canada/National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA/IEA Bioenergy) Global production and use of transport biofuels Global biofuels production has continued to increase over the last decade,
May 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuels Production and Consumption in Germany: Status, Advances and Challenges
by Franziska Müller-Langer, Nicolaus Dahmen and Gabriel Costa de Paiva (Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum/Karlsruhe Institute of Technology/IEA Bioenergy) ... This feature article summarizes the current status of transport sector biofuels in Germany including major policy drivers, decarbonization strategies and initiatives as well
May 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Aviation and Fuel Sectors Respond Favourably to Major EU Policy Initiative to Boost Sustainable Aviation Fuels
(GreenAir Online) The European Commission has received a largely enthusiastic response to its new roadmap initiative, ReFuelEU Aviation, aimed at boosting the supply and demand for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in the EU. The Commission acknowledges that without EU-level intervention, the demand
May 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Spain Approves Push for 100% Renewables, Bans All New Fossil Fuel Projects
(EnergyMarketPrice) The Spanish Government has approved an ambitious draft climate law which seeks, among other things, to reach net zero emissions “no later than 2050, in coherence with the scientific criteria and the demands of the citizens.” The draft climate law –
May 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Liquid Fuels Trade Association Adds to the Government’s E10 Debate
(Biofuels International) The trade association for the liquid fuels distribution industry UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) has submitted its views on the Government's consultation on the introduction of E10 petrol at filling stations across the country. The consultation closed
May 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Biodiesel’s Contribution to the Modern Food System
by Don Scott (Biodiesel Sustainability Now/National Biodiesel Board/Medium.com) ... Biodiesel was developed in the U.S. as a beneficial use for the excess fats and oils created as co-products or byproducts of protein production. Biodiesel uses excess fats and oils from
May 28, 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
LEAKED: Europe’s Draft ‘Green Recovery’ Plan
by Frédéric Simon (EURACTIV.com) The European Commission’s promised green recovery plan will focus on building renovation, renewables and hydrogen as well as clean mobility and the circular economy, according to a leaked working document obtained by EURACTIV. The European Commission is busy
May 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Oral Comments for Fuels Regulatory Streamlining Rule Public Hearing
by Trevor Hinz (Urban Air Initiative) Good morning, my name is Trevor Hinz, and I am the Director of Urban Air Initiative, Inc., a non-profit focused on developing cleaner fuels to reduce harmful gasoline-related air pollution. I would like to start by
May 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Q&A on Cellulosic Ethanol with Clariant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) DigestConnect hosted a wildly popular webinar in late April with Clariant’s Head of Business Line, Biofuels & Derivatives at Clariant but there were so many fantastic audience questions we didn’t to, that we decided to follow
May 28, 2020 Read Full Article
At Last, a Climate Policy Platform that Can Unite the Left: The Factions of the Democratic Coalition Have Come into Alignment on Climate Change.
by David Roberts (Vox) ... Robinson Meyer captured it well in a 2017 piece in the Atlantic: “Democrats Are Shockingly Unprepared to Fight Climate Change.” But something different has been happening lately, as groups across the left come together to hash
May 28, 2020 Read Full Article
One Year Later, E15 Adoption Grows Modestly at Retail Locations
(Agri-Pulse) E15, gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, saw modest growth over the last year as President Donald Trump's order to lift the ban on year-round sales approaches its one-year anniversary at the end of this week. READ MORE
May 27, 2020 Read Full Article
The Ethanol Sector Needs Major E15 Growth To Thrive
by Tristan R. Brown (Seeking Alpha) Summary: -The share prices of U.S. ethanol producers have mostly retraced the major declines that they experienced in March and April as the COVID-19 pandemic set in. -Ethanol production margins moved to their highest levels
May 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Just Because It's in Popular Science That Doesn't Mean It's True: An Open Letter to Jennifer Lu and Popular Science Magazine
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) ... The reason I'm contacting you today, in 2020, is because yesterday I received a message from a reader who disagrees with my advocacy of ethanol based upon your article. In my reply to
May 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Assam: NRL’s Bio Refinery Plant to Use 5 Lakh MT Bamboo as Raw Material Annually
(Northeast Now News) Sonowal lauds NRL authority for regularly making monthly payment to its workers to the tune of Rs. 1.20 cr during lockdown period -- The Bio Refinery Plant, which is being executed by the NRL, with a project cost of
May 26, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA Calls on EPA to Deny Secretive “Gap Year” Refinery Waiver Requests
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association on Friday urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to deny new petitions submitted by refiners for past-year waivers from their renewable volume obligations. In a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, RFA President and
May 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Government Launches New £40 Million Clean Growth Fund to sSupercharge Green Start-ups
(U.K. Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and The Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP) Clean Growth Fund launched as a venture capital vehicle to accelerate early-stage green businesses. -- Government to contribute half of initial £40 million fund pot
May 26, 2020 Read Full Article
3 Things that Need to Happen for Sustainable Aviation Fuel to Take Off
by Lloyd Ritter (Green Capitol LLC/Biofuels Digest) A timely new report came out recently on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), “Ready for Takeoff: Aviation Biofuels Past, Present, and Future,” written by the Atlantic Council (herein AC). The key takeaways are three-fold. First, aviation
May 26, 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
Commission Re-opens Controversial Advanced Biofuel List in Transport
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EURACTIV.com) The European Commission has launched a stakeholder consultation to expand the list of the so-called advanced or second-generation biofuels of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), EURACTIV.com has learned. RED II has been adopted but needs to be
May 25, 2020 Read Full Article
ePURE: EU Ethanol Production Is Vital to Ag, Climate Goals
(ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Experts agree that achieving the EU Green Deal will require a massive increase in bioenergy, so it is important that we rely on renewable energy sources that are sustainable, preserving Europe’s biodiversity and protecting its food security. Fortunately, the
May 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Oil Exec: It Would Be a Mistake for the US Government to Bail Us out
by Dan K. Eberhart (CNN Business Perspectives) ... President Trump indicated that some sort of financial bailout for the US oil industry -- and the millions of jobs it supports -- could be in the works. ... "We will never let the
May 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Oil Firms See Relief from Stimulus Tax Provision
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) Oil and gas companies that have struggled for years under low crude prices are reaping hundreds of millions of dollars in tax refunds under a provision of the $2 trillion stimulus package passed by Congress
May 22, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA: SRE Petitions Filed for Compliance Years 2019, 2020
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on May 21 released updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data, reporting that two additional SRE petitions have been filed with the agency; one for compliance year 2019 and one for compliance year
May 22, 2020 Read Full Article
The Covid-19 Crisis Is Hurting but Not Halting Global Growth in Renewable Power Capacity
(International Energy Agency) ... Successful transitions to clean energy will require decarbonising the rest of the economy as well, including transport fuels and the heating of buildings. The Covid-19 crisis has radically changed the global context for biofuels, which are a
May 22, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA Chief Says No Decision Yet on Industry Requests to Reduce 2020 Biofuel Mandates
by Valerie Volcovici and Richard Valdmanis (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has not yet decided whether to grant requests from the oil refining industry to reduce biofuel blending mandates this year, agency chief Andrew Wheeler told lawmakers in a hearing
May 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuel Quotas to Get Small Lift Under Draft of EPA Plan
by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg/Yahoo! Finance) The Environmental Protection Agency has drafted a plan to slightly lift biofuel-blending targets next year, while so far skirting potentially controversial decisions about exempting refineries from U.S. mandates to use plant-based fuels, according to three
May 20, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA Thanks Sens. Grassley, Klobuchar for Renewable Fuel Feedstock Reimbursement Act of 2020
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association today thanked Sens. Chuck Grassley and Amy Klobuchar for introducing bipartisan legislation to provide much needed emergency relief to ethanol producers hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new bill would reimburse renewable fuels producers for
May 20, 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
Ethanol Production: Sugar Mills Pitch for Tripartite Contracts with Banks, OMCs
by Ty Jayan (The Hindu Business Line) Govt recently approved an additional ethanol capacity of 600 crore litres -- Sugar industry, which has been trying to augment ethanol production to meet the requirement for fuel blending in the country, has made
May 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuel Backers' Zoom Fly-In
by Ryan McCrimmon (Politico's Morning Agriculture) Growth Energy, which represents ethanol producers and supporters, is hosting its first “virtual fly-in” this week to press Midwestern lawmakers on their coronavirus relief efforts, along with trade barriers and other biofuel issues, starting
May 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuel Bolsters Economy and Environment - Humber LEP Responds to E10 Consultation
by David Laister (Business Live) Department for Transport gets response from home of UK's largest bioethanol plant -- ... Biofuels are being explored as Net Zero commitments loom large, with the Humber home to the UK’s largest bioethanol plant, mothballed
May 19, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA Biofuel Policy Fight Stalls Out At Supreme Court
(Law360) The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policy that fuel blenders aren't responsible for mixing biofuels into gasoline, in a defeat for refiners who claim the EPA is unlawfully giving blenders a free
May 19, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA’s Anti-Competitive Limits On Ethanol Blending Are Illegal
(Urban Air Initiative) Attorneys for a broad alliance of ethanol, agriculture and clean fuel organizations filed their opening brief arguing that EPA regulatory barriers that prevent ethanol from competing for greater market share are illegal. The brief was filed in the Court of
May 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethiopian Sustainable Biofuel Future Scenario at a Glance
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) As part of the Fuelling the Sustainable Bioeconomy powered by Boeing’s Global Engagement Portfolio, RSB gathered a group of key stakeholders in the Ethiopian bioeconomy to examine and uncover strategies and scenarios for the future development of
May 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Urges EPA COVID-19 Panel to Examine Air Toxics
(Growth Energy) In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB), Growth Energy urged members of a new COVID-19 Review Panel to examine the impact of toxic gasoline additives on respiratory health, as well as the potential benefits offered by bio-based
May 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Do We Need an Activist Army?: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Renewable Fuels in a Green Recovery
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) On last week’s DigestConnect webinar about the Green Recovery, Joanne Ivancic from Advanced Biofuel USA shared this illuminating presentation about the need for more education and understanding of renewable fuels. From the evidence that it’s a problem
May 19, 2020 Read Full Article
DOE Funds CCUS Project at Ethanol Plant, Opens New CCUS FOA
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy on April 24 announced plans to award funding to a carbon capture and storage (CCUS) project under development at an Illinois ethanol plant. The agency is also soliciting applications for
May 18, 2020 Read Full Article
The Door Is Open for Ethanol Producers and CCS
by Roxby Hartley (EcoEngineers/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is receiving a lot of traction thanks to two exciting developments in 2018 and 2019: 1) California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard recognized CCS as a viable pathway to reduce emissions from
May 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Australian Biofuels Industry Says COVID-19 Pandemic the Perfect Time to Review Energy Policy
by Goulburn Murray, Erin Somerville (ABC) The biofuels sector says the pandemic is an ideal time to review Australia's commitment to biofuels; Bioenergy Australia says a boost in domestic biofuel consumption could help create regional jobs; Australia's major biodiesel producer
May 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Report 5-15-20
(Ag NewsWire) The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on the U.S. ethanol industry, slashing production by half and leading to the idling of scores of plants across rural America. But there are positive signs that demand is starting
May 18, 2020 Read Full Article
WEBINARS: DigestConnect --- various dates
(Biofuels Digest) DigestConnect is a weekly online get-together for the bioeconomy, featuring trendsetters and online commentary by real leaders on the real issues. DigestConnect #9 is here. Today we are joined by Joanne Ivancic with Advanced Biofuels USA, Graham Noyes of
May 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Merchant Refiners Face A Return Of 'RINsanity' In 2021
by Tristan R. Brown (Seeking Alpha) -Expectations of U.S. gasoline demand in 2021 are continuing to decline as the country has failed to suppress the spread of COVID-19. -Gasoline demand in 2021 is now expected to be as low as
May 18, 2020 Read Full Article
'The Worst May Be behind Us': U.S. Ethanol Industry Says Inching Back from Collapse
Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The U.S. ethanol industry is showing some signs of recovery as government officials ease stay-at-home orders that depressed fuel demand, while a vote Friday in Congress could bring the industry one step closer to federal aid, industry
May 18, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA Delivers Proposed Rule to Set 2021 RFS RVOs to OMB
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has delivered its proposed rule to set 2021 renewable volume requirements (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard and the 2022 RVO for biomass-based diesel to the White House Office of Management and
May 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Fueling the Sustainable Bioeconomy – Updates from RSB’s Project with Boeing
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Switzerland, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials offered updates on their “Fueling the Sustainable Bioeconomy” project powered by Boeing’s Global Engagement Portfolio, including the latest activities in three countries identified to be of key importance given
May 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Fuels Regulatory Streamlining: A Proposed Rule by the Environmental Protection Agency PUBLIC COMMENT DEADLINE June 29, 2020
(Environmental Protection Agency) This action proposes to update the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) existing gasoline, diesel, and other fuels programs to improve overall compliance assurance and maintain environmental performance, while reducing compliance costs for industry and EPA. EPA is proposing
May 15, 2020 Read Full Article
Brief Filed in Case Over EPA Limits on Higher Blends
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) An alliance of ethanol, agriculture and clean fuel organizations led by the Urban Air Initiative is challenging the EPA over regulatory barriers to higher blends of ethanol they say are illegal. An opening brief in the case was filed this week
May 15, 2020 Read Full Article
Joni of Ernst Leads the Defense of the RFS
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Leading the defenses is Joan of Ernst, er, Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa along with Tina Smith of Minnesota, Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Two Republicans, two Democrats, now urging
May 15, 2020 Read Full Article
Why We Shouldn’t Leave out Biofuels in the Energy Transition
by Matthew Capuano-Rizzo (Leaders in Energy) ... In an Oxford University study, Nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglize outlined how government spending on low-carbon industries and activities would better benefit the economy in the short and long term than bailing out the
May 15, 2020 Read Full Article
Germany Registers Strong Increase in the Share of Biomethane in CNG Fuel
(DVGW (German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water)/NGV Journal) The ‘Industriekreis CNG-Mobilität’, a group of companies and associations composed of representatives of the automotive and energy industries as well as infrastructure operators and providers of renewable fuels like biomethane,
May 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Evergreen Action Plan
by Sam Ricketts, Bracken Hendricks and Maggie Thomas (Medium) A National Mobilization to Defeat the Climate Crisis and Build a Just and Thriving Clean Energy Economy -- ... As we recover and rebuild from the economic collapse created by global pandemic,
May 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Carper, Alexander Bill Would Spur Clean Refueling Growth
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Appropriations Energy-Water Subcommittee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) will introduce legislation today to expand the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Investment Tax Credit and encourage private investment in clean
May 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Move to E10 Fuel Presents Benefits but Union Calls for Lessons to be Learned from Filter Blocking Issues
(National Farmers Union of Scotland/Press Release Point) NFU Scotland has welcomed the opportunities that switching to E10 petrol on forecourts could bring but consumers must be protected to ensure problems like those encountered in agricultural vehicles last winter are to be
May 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Indonesia Weighing Subsidy Options to Support Biodiesel Programme
by Gayatri Suroyo, Tabita Diela, Bernadette Christina Munthe and Fransiska Nangoy (Reuters) The Indonesian government is considering alternate plans to increase subsidies for the country’s ambitious biodiesel programme after crude oil prices tumbled, a finance ministry official said on Wednesday. A historic
May 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Running for Office on Climate Change?
by Peter Brown (Euro Marketing Tools/Biofuels Digest) This election cycle has confirmed that the United States’ political hopefuls have abdicated any participation, influence and presence in the climate change debate as it is being set out in the various ecosystems around
May 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Climate Power 2020 Seeks to Change the Politics of Climate Change
(Our Daily Planet) Today, the Center for American Progress Action Fund, the League of Conservation Voters, and the Sierra Club announced the launch of Climate Power 2020 — an independently run campaign dedicated to changing the politics of climate in
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Help for Coronavirus-Stricken Biofuel Industry and Others is Needed Now!
(Solutions from the Land) ... Compared to the relief that is being considered for the oil industry, it is still a meager response. Changes made late last month by the Federal Reserve to a $600 billion loan program created to help small- and
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Z Energy Puts Biofuel Plant to Sleep, Asks for Govt Money
by Eloise Gibson (Stuff) Z Energy is "hibernating" its biodiesel plant but may re-open in a year. --Z Energy has put its Auckland biofuel plant to sleep after a bidding war broke out for the fatty animal waste it runs
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Soybean Industry Calls for Increased Biodiesel Mix at Next Auction
(Reuters (Google Translation)) The soybean industry, which accounts for most of the raw material used in biodiesel production in Brazil, is pleading that, given the drop in consumption due to measures against the coronavirus, the mixture of renewable fuel in
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
This Is Not the Green Stimulus You're Looking for
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) House Democrats unveiled a $3 trillion package on Tuesday to respond to the coronavirus crisis that they're planning to vote on at the end of the week. The 1,815-page measure is largely a messaging bill with
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Extend Biofuel Subsidies to Get Moving on Transport Emissions
(UK Haulier) The Gas Vehicle Network, GVN, has called on the Department for Transport to extend a key component of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) which are due to expire at the end of 2020. Current plans will see subsidies
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Zounds, 40% More Algae! Leading Paradoxically to the Big Feedstock Problem
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A new technology that produces a doubling of overall biomass in algae and 40 percent in camelina has appeared on the horizon, and I’d like to draw your attention to this work in The Plant Journal and this
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Reducing Transportation-Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions in New Jersey Should Include All Efficient Technologies and Low-Carbon Fuels
(Diesel Technology Forum) ... New technology diesel engines, advanced renewable biofuels can deliver benefits faster and should be included in transportation climate plan. -- In a letter to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, the Diesel Technology Forum called for the Garden
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Midwesterners Were Already Doubting Trump. Covid Could Seal His Political Fate
by Art Cullen (The Guardian/Storm Lake Times) ... “A lot of voters wanted to believe Trump – that out there in Washington it’s all BS, and that a savvy businessman could straighten it out,” (Drake) Custer said. It’s hard for many
May 12, 2020 Read Full Article
POET, EPA Tussle over Cellulosic Ethanol in Appeals Court
by Steve Davies (Agri-Pulse) Lawyers for EPA and POET Biorefining squared off in court Monday over whether the agency’s guidance for measuring production of cellulosic ethanol is tantamount to a rule containing requirements that are impossible to meet. One of the major issues is
May 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Ag Groups Ask Congress to Address GHG Emissions from Annual Crops
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Biogenic CO2 Coalition sent a letter to Capitol Hill on May 11 asking lawmakers to direct the U.S. EPA to promptly publish a rule that states neither agricultural biomass nor woody biomass contribute to
May 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Groups Ask Congress to Provide COVID-19 Relief for Biofuels
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A group of 11 ag and biofuel groups sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on May 11 asking congress to provide COVID-19 relief for ethanol and biodiesel
May 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Ernst, Grassley, Bipartisan Senators Reject Legality of Waiving the RFS, Call on Administration to Protect Biofuels
(Office of Senator Joni Ernst) Ernst and her colleagues write, “We urge you to direct the EPA to reject all calls to waive the RFS. The RFS is more important now than ever as farmers, the biofuel sector, and rural
May 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Brazil's Bolsonaro Rejects Idea of Gasoline Tax to Support Ethanol Industry
by Roberto Samora, Ricardo Brito and Gram Slattery (Reuters) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro effectively ruled out raising gasoline taxes on Thursday, a blow to the ethanol industry which had asked for a gasoline tax hike to boost its own competitiveness
May 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Natural & Renewable Gas, Key Actor for European Sustainable Recovery
(GasNaturally/NGV Journal) ... Therefore, GasNaturally, partnership of seven associations that together represent the whole European gas value chain (including NGVA Europe), urges the EU institutions and Member States to make natural, renewable and decarbonized gases as well as secure and affordable energy
May 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Biodiesel Industry Groups Commend 24 Senators’ RFS Letter to President
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, D.C., two biofuels groups, Iowa Biodiesel Board and Renewable Fuels Assocation, both released notes of thanks to 24 Senators that signed the bipartisan letter to President Trump urging him to uphold the
May 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Hit by Oil Crash, Indonesia Set to Delay B40 Biodiesel, Stay with B30 for Now
by Bernadette Christina (Reuters) Indonesia is likely to delay plans to raise bio-content in palm oil-based biodiesel to 40%, and keep going with an already ambitious 30% content, a senior official said, amid speculation that low crude prices could force a government
May 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Electric Cooperatives Ask Congress to Provide Aid for Ethanol
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Three dozen Midwestern electric cooperatives and rural electric associations send a letter to 20 federal lawmakers on May 7 asking Congress to provide much-needed economic relief for rural America, which continues to suffer from
May 11, 2020 Read Full Article
The EPA Introduced the First-Ever US Airplane Carbon Regulations
by Dharna Noor (Gizmodo) This week, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed carbon dioxide standards for the airline industry. Yes, the Trump EPA. The standards would be the first time the federal government has ever regulated the airplane emissions. But let’s be clear, this isn’t exactly cause for
May 08, 2020 Read Full Article
CVR Energy to Explore Converting Refining Units for Renewable Diesel Production
by Laura Sanicola (Reuters) CVR Energy Inc is looking to convert certain units in its refineries to renewable diesel production to reduce its exposure to the cost of renewable fuel credits (RINs), the company said on Thursday. The project, which would involve using
May 08, 2020 Read Full Article
How Much Clean Air Could $100 Million Buy?
by Todd Campbell (California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership/Advanced Clean Tech News) ... (L)et’s look at what a hypothetical $100 million government investment could achieve when using one of California’s most popular funding programs. Which option would you chose if both cost
May 08, 2020 Read Full Article
Jet Fuel, Isooctane Gasoline, Ethanol and Isobutanol: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Gevo’s Low Carbon Drop-In Transportation Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Gevo’s business strategy is to secure off take agreements for jet fuel and isooctane striking a price that gives attractive returns for project financing for large scale build out of capacity. But how? How will they
May 08, 2020 Read Full Article
Don’t Lose Heart or Courage
by Brian Jennings (Ethanol Producer Magazine/American Coalition for Ethanol) ... I encourage us to consider something Winston Churchill said during World War II that has resonance now. “It would be foolish to disguise the gravity of the hour. It would be
May 07, 2020 Read Full Article
How to Make Sure the EU Doesn’t Backtrack on Biofuels
by Emmanuel Desplechin (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ePURE) In Europe, biofuels continue to be the predominant source of clean transportation fuels, and we will still need low-carbon fuels like ethanol beyond 2030. Policymakers need to make sure the Green Deal does not
May 07, 2020 Read Full Article
Using Damaged Grains to Make Ethanol: Oil Retailers Await Norms
by Richa Mishra, TV Jayan (The Hindu Business Line) Commitment to EBP scheme gives sugar industry confidence to set up distilleries -- To ensure that the country does not miss any opportunity to generate its own fuel and bring down import
May 07, 2020 Read Full Article
US Green Plains Expects China to Stick to Trade Agreement, Make Ethanol Purchases
by Alex Snodgrass (Independent Commodity Intelligence Services) US ethanol producer Green Plains said it still expects China to stick to the first phase of the US-China trade agreement that requires ethanol purchases. Green Plains remains optimistic about China and their role
May 07, 2020 Read Full Article
Policy Action Needed to Advance SAF, Even During Covid-19: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Sustainable Aviation Fuel Policy in U.S.
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Aviation’s current reliance on fossil fuels, its expected continued growth rate following the COVID-19 pandemic, the service lifespan of aircraft, and the lack of nonliquid fuel alternatives make it a challenging sector to decarbonize, especially
May 07, 2020 Read Full Article
EIA Proposes to Collect Data on Biogas, RNG Production Public Comment DEADLINE: June 29, 2020
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Energy Information Administration could soon begin publishing data related to the production of biogas and renewable natural gas (RNG). The agency has proposed to modify an existing information collection focused on natural gas to
May 06, 2020 Read Full Article
European Bioeconomy Alliance Position on the EU Green Deal
(The European Bioeconomy Alliance (EUBA)/Biofuels Digest) The ambitious European Commission strategy to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the EU and achieve climate neutrality by 2050 has recently been set in motion as the European Green Deal. The European Bioeconomy Alliance (EUBA),
May 06, 2020 Read Full Article
NFU Responds to Government E10 Consultation
(National Farmers Union) The government’s proposal to introduce E10 petrol in 2021 came after years of NFU lobbying to introduce the biofuel to petrol stations across the UK. Last year the NFU wrote to various government departments outlining how implementing
May 06, 2020 Read Full Article
RNG’s Untapped Potential
by Michael Bakas (Distributed Energy Systems/Ameresco/Biofuels Digest) In the final weeks of 2019, the American Gas Foundation updated its nearly decade-old report assessing the market and technical potential for renewable natural gas (RNG) supply and emissions reductions. One of the biggest takeaways was
May 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Dems on COVID-19 Relief: Leave Fossil Fuels out of This
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin led 60 Democratic lawmakers in a letter to House leadership Monday opposing any efforts by the fossil fuel industry to use Covid-19 recovery legislation to "confer immunity" for climate change or pollution, citing efforts that
May 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuel Giant Sees More Driving Than Before in Post-Pandemic Era
by Isis Almeida (Bloomberg) Ethanol to benefit as people avoid mass transit: Green Plains; For now, biofuel plants have idled as drivers stay home -- There’s light at the end of the tunnel for the battered American ethanol market, according to
May 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Midwest Lawmakers: Biofuel Producers Need Relief Aid
(Nexstar Media Wire/Fox40) Midwest lawmakers say biofuel producers should be getting the same support and protection as oil companies. Coronavirus shutdowns have slashed the demand for gasoline, and while the White House is pledging to buy 75 million barrels of oil, ethanol
May 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Drax Launches Biomass Carbon Calculator to Measure Supply Chain Emissions
(Biofuels International) Drax has launched a Biomass Carbon Calculator to help the industry accurately measure emissions in the biomass supply chain. The new tool will allow the sector to identify where emissions reductions can be made and help to make
May 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuel Could Blossom if Govt Gives Industry Fertile Ground
by Jamieson Murphy (North Queensland Register) ... Nuffield scholar and a fourth generation farmer Steven Hobbs said if the federal government got the bioenergy strategy right, the industry could be "quite phenomenal". He began experimenting with alternative fuel sources nearly 20 years
May 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuel for Ships: Diesel and Gasoline Sourced from Renewables
by Iris Kumpmann (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft/Tech Xplore) ... Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT in Oberhausen have been looking into alternative climate-friendly fuels. They are now able to produce a renewable biofuel that can be converted
May 05, 2020 Read Full Article
USDA to Make $100 Million Available for Biofuels Infrastructure
by Jake Rinehart (KEYC News) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced Monday the U.S. Department of Agriculture intends to make up to $100 million available in competitive grants for activities that are designed to expand the availability and sale
May 05, 2020 Read Full Article
CRS Trips Over Itself in Assessing Whether COVID-19 Will Affect RFS Compliance
by Scott Richman(Renewable Fuels Association) The report “The 2020 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): COVID-19 Impacts” released last week by the Congressional Research Service demonstrates a conflicted understanding of the mechanics of the RFS, leading to vague and erroneous conclusions about whether compliance will
May 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Policy in the United States: A Pragmatic Way forward
by Fred Ghatala (Atlantic Council) The aviation sector has been working to decarbonize, but it faces unique challenges since decarbonization options that may work for ground or maritime transport are generally not feasible for air travel. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) present an
May 04, 2020 Read Full Article
OPINION: Ethanol Dominates in Clean Air Contest
by Chris Bliley (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... When it comes to transportation emissions, newsrooms around the world generally preserve their biggest headlines for the urgent, high-stakes battle against climate change. Biofuels are a major part of that conversation, and
May 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Fossil Fuel Firms Linked to Trump Get Millions in Coronavirus Small Business Aid
by Emily Holden (The Guardian) Revealed: Oil and mining firms – some with ties to Trump officials – taking advantage of funding, review shows -- US fossil fuel companies have taken at least $50m in taxpayer money they probably won’t have
May 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Energy Transition to Be Shaped by World Response to COVID-19
by Allison Good, Taylor Kuykendall and Dan Testa (S&P Global) ... The coronavirus pandemic may accelerate a shift from fossil fuel spending to investments in renewable energy, but the pace of that transition depends heavily on how governments direct economic recovery
May 04, 2020 Read Full Article
New UK Statistics Reveal Biofuels Boost
(Biofuels International) The UK government has announced that 2,351 million litres of liquid biofuels were used in transport last year, which was an increase of 24% on the year before. In 2018, 1,899 million litres were consumed. The Renewable Transport
May 01, 2020 Read Full Article
We Need Health Warning Labels on Points of Sale of Fossil Fuels
Mike Gill, Kristie L. Ebi, Kirk R. Smith, Lorraine Whitmarsh and Andy Haines (The BMJ Opinion) Mike Gill and colleagues explain how the implementation of of fossil fuel labelling could have a significant impact on the awareness of climate change. This article is part of The BMJ’s Health
May 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Doubling Down on the Energy Transition Post Pandemic
by Tammy Klein (Future Fuels Strategies) ... According to a new IRENA study, accelerating investment in renewable energy would help tackle the climate crisis, provide a post COVID-19 stimulus and would in effect pay for itself. IRENA notes that investments
May 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Brazil Agriculture Minister 'Frustrated' with Lack of Ethanol Supports
by Jake Spring and Nayara Figueiredo (Reuters) Brazil’s Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias said on Thursday she was “frustrated” that measures to help the country’s ethanol and sugarcane sector have not been announced yet, after predicting supports would be unveiled last
May 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Coalition Opposes API Petition on 2020 RFS Obligations
(Renewable Fuels Association) A coalition of ethanol and farm groups today sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency opposing the American Petroleum Institute’s recent petition requesting reconsideration of the 2020 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) final rule. API claims reconsideration of the
May 01, 2020 Read Full Article
With Oil Reeling under Pandemic, Clean Energy Looks to Capitalize
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) As a sudden drop in demand decimates the oil industry, international efforts are underway to ride the lull in fossil fuel consumption to expedite the clean up of the world’s energy sector. Even as the coronavirus
May 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Poised to Offer Bridge Loans to Ailing Oil Companies
by Saleha Mohsin, Ari Natter and Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg/RigZone) The Trump administration may announce as soon as Thursday a plan to offer loans to the ailing oil industry possibly in exchange for a financial stake, according to two people familiar
April 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Sector in Brazil Wants to Anticipate Mixing 13% Diesel to July 1st
(Explica) The biodiesel sector is pleading with the government to anticipate the mixture of 13% of biofuel to diesel by July 1, as a way to contribute to the development of the sector and stimulate the economy in the midst of
April 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Precedent Exists for EPA to Reject RFS Waiver Requests by States
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) The governors of Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Utah and Louisiana have sent letters to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler asking the agency to waive 2020 Renewable Fuel Standard blending requirements due to market impacts caused by
April 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Clean Fuel Standard – Revised Publication Timeline
(Government of Canada) In late 2016, the Government of Canada announced that it would consult with provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples, industries, and non-governmental organizations to develop a clean fuel standard to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions through the increased
April 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels and Chemicals: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Where are the Gallons?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Missed the recent DigestConnect discussion where The Digest shared the latest on the U.S. goal of 36 billion biofuels gallons by 2022 and where we are now? Check out this slide guide that takes a
April 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Bill Authorizes $600 Million to Support Biofuel Infrastructure
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rep. Abby Finkenauer, D-Iowa, on April 28 announced the introduction of the Clean Fuels Deployment Act of 2020. The bill aims to provide funding for installing and converting fuel pump infrastructure to deliver higher blends
April 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Tax Groups, Think Tanks Want RFS Waiver: Letter Cites Diversion of Hand Sanitizer Production as Reason for Request
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Pressure is mounting on President Donald Trump to change the Renewable Fuel Standard in light of the economic downturn brought on by COVID-19. A number of tax, environmental and political think tanks sent a letter
April 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Available Now: Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Governor's Council on Biofuels Presentations
(Minnesota Department of Agriculture) On April 6, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture hosted a meeting of the Minnesota Governor's Council on Biofuels which included presentations from Jeremy Martin, Clean Transportation Program, Union of Concerned Scientists, speaking on Relative environmental effects
April 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Biodiesel vs. Diesel: Everything You Need to Know
(Car and Driver) Are you thinking about switching to a biodiesel-compatible vehicle or running your current diesel car or truck on biodiesel fuel? Continue reading to learn the pros and cons of biodiesel vs. diesel, what's driving the market, and
April 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Anaerobic Digestion and Farm Powered RNG: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Vanguard’s Renewable Natural Gas
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Cow poop. It’s a problem for farmers across the country, something that has to be dealt with, something that environmentalists and vegetarians often cite as a reason to cut your steak intake, but Vanguard Renewables
April 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Brazil's RenovaBio Emissions Reduction Credits Start Trading in the Stock Exchange
(Biofuture Platform) On Abril 27th, the final step for the full operationalization of Brazil´s National Biofuels Policy (RenovaBio) was taken, as decarbonization credits (CBIO) start being sold in the Brazilian stock exchange. From today, certified biofuel producers will be able to
April 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blends Saving Lives Through Reduced Vehicle Emissions
(Urban Air Initiative) That is the conclusion of a new peer reviewed technical paper published in the Journal of Air & Waste Management, validating previous research efforts by the Urban Air Initiative that find when ethanol is added to gasoline, it significantly reduces
April 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Oberon Fuels Combats Covid-19 Economy with New Hires, Renewable DME Facility Upgrades
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... In comes news of public-private investments, rural economic development and employment, and even human health. With two new executive position veteran hires, up to 8 new plant managers, and putting to use a
April 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Oil Prices Have Fallen below $0 a Barrel. What Does It Mean for the Climate? This Could Be an Opportunity to Reshape Our Energy System. But It Could Also Simply Lead to a Bailout of Oil Companies.
by Adele Peters (Fast Company) ... Fracking companies have lost billions over the past decade. Some investors may be even more reluctant to invest in the sector now. “I think on the financial side, I would think twice as a
April 24, 2020 Read Full Article
Supreme Court to Consider RFS Point of Obligation Case on May 15
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to consider whether it will review a challenge to the Renewable Fuel Standard point of obligation on May 15. Court documents related to the challenge were distributed to the
April 23, 2020 Read Full Article
An Economic Rebound Will Need Ethanol
by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Biofuels Digest) ... I want build on the theme that now, when we’ve been knocked down and are on the mat is when we need support, but from an additional angle—to preserve some sense of energy
April 23, 2020 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Boss: Green Deal Could Use Available Technologies ‘Without Prejudices’
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EURACTIV.com) The much-awaited re-visit of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) as part of the new Green Deal should get rid of “prejudices” and take advantage of technologies and products already placed on the market, a biodiesel stakeholder
April 22, 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
Economist Expects "Battle Royal" over RFS in Washington
by Larry Lee (Brownfield Ag News) An ag economist expects Washington lawmakers will be revisiting the Renewable Fuel Standard. Scott Irwin with the University of Illinois says, “I think we’re going to see the mother of all political battles over the RFS
April 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Work Continues on Developing a Low Carbon, High Octane Fuel Standard
by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) ... “Working with Congress to find a pathway forward to come up with a minimum octane standard with some sort of carbon metric is what we believe to be the next step,” Palmer (Mark Palmer,
April 22, 2020 Read Full Article
As Price of Oil Drops, Trump Orders Plan to Help U.S. Energy Companies: Energy Secretary Says Funds from Fed’s Main Street Loan Program Might Be Needed to Help Oil Companies
by Will Englund (Washington Post) President Trump said Tuesday he has ordered his administration to come up with a plan to provide federal assistance to the oil and gas industry in the United States, which has been staggered by the
April 22, 2020 Read Full Article
NTU and SMI Launch Comprehensive Report to Help the Shipping Industry Adopt Alternative and Greener Fuels
(Nanyang Technological University) Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) have launched a report that outlines how companies can use alternative fuels to power their ships. This will help them meet the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) long-term greenhouse gas (GHG)
April 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Techno-Economic Assessment of Zero-Carbon Fuels.
(Lloyds Register and University Maritime Advisory Services) ... This paper is an example of this collaboration; it examines three important elements of zero-carbon fuels when compared with traditional fossil-based fuels. All candidate fuels considered in this paper have some emissions
April 22, 2020 Read Full Article
All the Buzz on Biodiesel Fuels: Fill It up Please
by Allen Schaeffer (Diesel Technology Forum/Progressive Dairy) ... In California, home of the nation’s most progressive climate policy that is now nearly a decade old, the Air Resources Board motto is, “Electrify everything possible and use low-carbon fuels in everything
April 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Diesel Technology in the Circular Economy
(Diesel Technology Forum) ... One of the benefits of diesel technology is its ability to operate on a variety of advanced biofuels like biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel. These fuels are recycled from waste animal fats and vegetable oils and are capable up
April 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Interpreting Tradable Credit Prices in Overlapping Vehicle Regulations
by Benjamin Leard and Virginia McConnel (Resources for the Future (RFF)) The rapid transformation of the US transportation sector is partly due to three policies that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from light duty vehicles: the federal corporate average fuel
April 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Harvard Study Bolsters Ethanol's Role In Protecting Public Health, Saving Lives
(Oklahoma Farm Bureau) ... The Harvard team's recent findings underscore the need to power more of our transportation system with non-petroleum-based fuels, like ethanol. The research team looked specifically at polluted areas beleaguered by fine particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5). Motor vehicle emissions
April 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Govt Approves Plan to Convert FCI's Surplus Rice into Ethanol
(Outlook The News Scroll) The government on Monday approved that surplus rice available with Food Corporation of India (FCI) can be converted into ethanol in order to manufacture alcohol-based hand sanitisers and also for blending with petrol. The decision was taken
April 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Coronavirus Stimulus Money Will Be Wasted on Fossil Fuels
by David Roberts (Vox) Oil and gas companies were already facing structural problems before Covid-19 and are in long-term decline. -- ... I wrote about how shortsighted it is for Republicans (enabled by learned Democratic passivity) to reject aid for the
April 21, 2020 Read Full Article
New RFA Analysis: Ethanol Industry Could See $10 Billion in Losses Due to COVID-19
(Renewable Fuels Association) As the COVID-19 pandemic and crude oil glut continue to ravage world fuel markets, U.S. ethanol sales in 2020 could fall by more than $10 billion and the industry’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) could drop by
April 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Brazil Development Bank Says Money for Ethanol COVID-19 Support Depends on Consortium of Banks
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Brazil, EPBR reports that the Brazilian Development Bank, BNDES, does not have the resources to fulfill the financing line demanded by the ethanol sector to help with the Covid-19 impact of drastic price and demand drops
April 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Left Out of USDA Aid Plan
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) U.S. ethanol producers struggling with the largest downturn in the history of the industry were disappointed to hear that the new $19 billion USDA aid program will provide no direct help for them. “While we appreciate that USDA’s new program
April 20, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA Weighs Lifting Ethanol Requirements for Oil Refiners
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is weighing whether to let oil refineries skip on adding ethanol to their fuels, a move being requested by governors in oil-rich states who say the industry can’t afford the expense of
April 19, 2020 Read Full Article
USDA Prepares Aid Package: Perdue Says Aid Coming 'Very Soon' as Groups Highlight Struggles for Industries Such as Ethanol
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) ... Regarding ethanol, (Agriculture Secretary Sonny) Perdue talked about helping the export market, but he did not talk about providing direct aid to ethanol. On a webinar Wednesday with a Democratic-leaning group, "Focus on Rural,"
April 17, 2020 Read Full Article
EU Canola Demand in Doubt over Biodiesel
by Sean Pratt (Western Producer) Europe has been a strong customer of Canadian canola, but there are concerns over slumping biodiesel demand -- The European Union should continue to be a top customer for Canadian canola despite slumping biodiesel demand in that
April 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Coronavirus Spurs New Clash between Big Oil and Big Corn over U.S. Biofuels
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) ... The oil refining industry and its backers have asked the Trump administration to help the industry weather the pandemic by reducing a regulatory requirement that they blend billions of gallons of corn-based ethanol into their gasoline
April 17, 2020 Read Full Article
PODCAST: Ethanol: The Future of the Fuel Industry, with RFA's Bob Dinneen and NCGA's Mark Palmer
(National Corn Growers Association) This may be a tumultuous time for corn farmers and ethanol producers. But then again, the ethanol industry's entire history has been a roller coaster ride. In this episode, NCGA CEO Jon Doggett revisits the battles that got us
April 17, 2020 Read Full Article
15 Newest Projects – Who’s Got What Underway?
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) While the world may be at a standstill,there are still many projects going on and moving forward. But where are these projects? Who’s involved? How far along are they? What are they working on? From