by Emmanuel Desplechin (Politico/ePURE) The European Commission wants to phase out the use of crop-based biofuels in Europe, even though biofuels like renewable ethanol are currently the main driver of EU transport decarbonization. They also deliver significant greenhouse gas savings
Transportation Fuels Policy
Back TO HOMEMalaysia’s Biodiesel Production to Rebound This Year
(The Star) Malaysia is expected to produce between 800,000 and 900,000 tonnes of biodiesel in 2017 from 500,000 tonnes last year when the government implements the biodiesel mandate, said the Malaysian Biodiesel Association. Its president, U.R Unnithan said the B10 mandate
March 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Two Percent Bio-Diesel Blending before Year-End
(The ManicaPost) Government is targeting two percent blending of bio-diesel extracted from the jatropha plant with imported diesel by year end through its parastatal, the National Oil Infrastructure Company (NOIC) as it moves towards easing the country’s huge fuel importation
March 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Senators Press Icahn on White House Influence, Business Conflicts
by Valerie Volcovici (Reuters) Several Democratic senators pressed billionaire investor Carl Icahn on Monday to clarify his role as an adviser to President Donald Trump, saying his position in the administration raised "alarming" questions about potential conflicts of interest with his
March 28, 2017 Read Full Article
LCFS to Drive New Advanced Biofuel Demand
by Leticia Phillips (UNICA/Ethanol Producer Magazine) California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, America’s second-largest driver of biofuels consumption after the federal Renewable Fuels Standard, could soon dramatically increase demand for low-carbon fuels under a proposed statewide decarbonization plan. The California Air Resources
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Columnist Misstates the Facts on Corn
by Troy Knecht (Rapid City Journal) Columnist Frank Carroll recently took shots at the corn/ethanol industries so I’d like to share some facts. Carroll opines that corn ethanol isn’t environmentally friendly. On the contrary, a recent federal study concluded that
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
UAI Coalition Challenges Clean Air Act Interpretation
by Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative/Ethanol Producer Magazine) For decades, the U.S. EPA has insisted that it gets to decide how much ethanol can be used in gasoline. If ethanol producers want higher ethanol blends sold to ordinary (nonflex-fuel) vehicles,
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
GRFA Calls on G20 Leaders to Increase Action on Climate Change in Light of New Report
(Global Renewable Fuels Alliance) Bliss Baker, the President of the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA), called on G20 leaders to build on the historic international cooperation achieved in 2016 with the ratification of the first binding climate agreement, the Paris Accord
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Fuel Economy Rules: Someone Is Listening
by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Biofuels Digest) The recent announcement that the Trump Administration was taking another look at Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards was a welcome reality check for what is a complex and multi-layered issue. There was
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
CARB Finds Vehicle Standards Are Achievable and Cost-Effective
(California Air Resources Board) CARB votes to move forward with greenhouse gas reductions and zero emission programs through 2025; action sets the table for accelerating programs post-2025 -- Today (March 24, 2017) California re-affirmed its commitment to clean air, protecting
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
U.S. Oil Refiners Push for Biofuels Overhaul at White House
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) U.S. oil refining executives met with a senior official in President Donald Trump's administration at the White House last week to argue their position for an overhaul of the nation's biofuels program, two people in the
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
The Long Road to Cellulosic Ethanol
by Stephanie Mercier (Farm Journal Foundation/AgWeb) This blog will present the author’s perspective on a wide range of timely agricultural policy topics, touching on both domestic and international issues. ... The long term answer, that ultimately ethanol will primarily be produced from inedible
March 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Scientists Made a Detailed “Roadmap” for Meeting the Paris Climate Goals. It’s Eye-Opening.
by Brad Plumer (Vox) ... They start with the big picture: To hit the Paris climate goals without geoengineering, the world has to do three broad (and incredibly ambitious) things: 1) Global CO2 emissions from energy and industry have to fall in
March 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Multiple State, Federal Bills Introduced to Stop the Spread of E15
by Daniel Strohl (Hemmings Daily) ... The most extreme of those bills, H.R. 1314, which Virginia Representative Robert Goodlatte introduced, calls for the elimination of the Renewable Fuel Standard, the portion of the Clean Air Act enacted in 2005
March 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Opportunities and Risks of Seaweed Biofuels in Aviation
(Algae Industry Magazine) When it comes to cutting emissions from transport, shipping and aviation are often considered the elephant in the room: having been excluded from the Paris agreement and being inadequately addressed under existing UN conventions and EU legislation.
March 24, 2017 Read Full Article
EU Sees ‘Strategic Advantage’ of Biofuels in Aviation
by Hannah Black and Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv) In sectors like aviation where decarbonisation options are limited, there is a strategic advantage in encouraging the use of biofuels, a European Commission official has said. The aviation sector is dependent on liquid fuels and has
March 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Oh, the Irony! 'Eco-Friendly' Biodiesel Found Environmentally Destructive
(Sputnik News) Whereas biofuel is often touted as the "greenest" solution to the Earth's climate woes, such as global warming, many experts find it at least as damaging to the environment as ordinary fuel. Another characteristic worth considering is the
March 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Loyalty to Rural Votes Under Scrutiny at Confirmation (1)
(Bloomberg/Washington Post) When Sonny Perdue III appears before a Senate panel Thursday for his confirmation hearing to become U.S. secretary of agriculture, lawmakers and farm groups will likely have few concerns about whether the former Georgia governor can do the
March 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Problem of Producing Cheap Biofuel from Cassava Solved
(Bangkok Post) New yeast species is key to cutting cost -- ... After 18 months of research and experiments, the Thailand Institute of Science and Technological Research (TISTR) has found that they can use a species of yeast named Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
March 23, 2017 Read Full Article
DC’s Climate Change: Renewables Adapting to Shifting Political Weather
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Over at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, new lab director Martin Keller told the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association that “renewable energy needs a new story to tell.” The Denver Business Journal’s Cathy Proctor reported
March 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Eliminating Energy-Related Carbon Emissions Possible, IRENA Study Finds
(Zawaya) ... The report also describes how the energy sector transition needs to go beyond the power sector into all end-use sectors. Renewables need to account for the majority of power generation in 2050, based on continued rapid growth especially
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
As Carbon Tax Increases Costs, Calgary Transit Considers Renewable Diesel
by Annalise Klingbeil (Calgary Sun) With the province's new carbon tax expected to cost Calgary Transit at least $3.75 million over the next two years, city bureaucrats may soon study if switching buses to renewable diesel is a good idea. Jeff
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
2017-'18 RVOs Assumed Intact as Regulatory Freeze Deadline Passes
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) March 21 represents the end of the 60-day freeze period on new regulations pending review, implemented by the incoming U.S. administration Jan. 20. Among the regulations on hold during the two-month freeze period was the
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Veterans Encourage President to Include Ethanol, RFS in Energy Plan
by Rachel Gantz (Renewable Fuels Association) More than 120 military veterans working and investing in the ethanol industry sent a letter to President Trump last week, urging him to include a prominent role for ethanol and the Renewable Fuel Standard
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
As OPEC Falls, What Is the Liberated Market Signaling to Producers?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... There’s a theory going around that biofuels are “government fuels” — and prices are set around a table in Washington, DC. But if you visit the big biodiesel and ethanol firms, you’ll see right
March 22, 2017 Read Full Article
National Farmers Union Passes Resolution to Support E30 Use
by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) National Farmers Union called for the U.S. EPA to open the market to higher blends of ethanol in a landmark resolution passed during the group’s annual meeting held last week in San Diego. "National Farmers
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Senators Urge Trump to Maintain RFS Point of Obligation
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) Nearly two dozen U.S. senators have signed a letter advising President Trump not to change the federal biofuels program's longtime compliance protocol. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., today led 23 senators in a bipartisan
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Icahn Bets against Renewables Market He Wants Trump to Overhaul
by Zachary Mider and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Special adviser to president urges change in EPA rule; ‘It’s bothersome that one guy can control RIN markets’ -- Carl Icahn, the billionaire investor and adviser to President Donald Trump, said he’s betting
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Wassup, DOE? The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the Bioenergy Technologies Office
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s up at the DOE? Bioenergy Technologies Office Director Jonathan Male answered the question in this update, given at ABLC 2017 in Washington. In this deck, he looks at milestones ahead, programs, goals and challenges.
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Big Bird, You’re Fired! And All of You Enviros, too! Trump Thumps, Dumps in New Budget
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Good-bye ARPA-E, DOE, Loan Guarantee program, Energy Star, OPIC, USTDA, NEA, and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program. Even Big Bird gets the guillotine. In Washington, the White House released its budget requests for 2018,
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Groups Hail Recall of EPA’s Federal Fuel Economy and Emissions Rules
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the High Octane Alliance called the Trump Administration’s recall the fuel economy rule “an important first step in achieving realistic reductions in fuel consumption.” Alliance Chairman Tom Daschle said the recall was necessary due
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Files Comments on Ontario's Development of Renewable Fuel Standard
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy recently filed comments and exhibits to Canada’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change on the Canadian province of Ontario’s discussion paper, “Developing a Modern Renewable Fuel Standard for Gasoline in Ontario.” The comments focused on the
March 20, 2017 Read Full Article
The Role of Biodiesel in Curbing Pollution
by Sandeep Chaturvedi (Biodiesel Association of India/Financial Express) Rapidly increasing vehicular pollution and complete neglect by the authorities to take pollution-reduction measures over the past few decades have resulted in deterioration of ambient air quality across the country. A recent
March 14, 2017 Read Full Article
CBA Event Highlights California's Thriving Biodiesel Market
by Celia DuBose (California Biodiesel Alliance/Biodiesel Magazine) Jennifer Case, chair of the California Biodiesel Alliance, ended her opening address at the sixth annual California Biodiesel Conference March 1 in Sacramento with one simple message: The world of biodiesel is trending up.
March 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Government of Canada Invests $43 Million in Clean Technology Innovation
(Government of Canada/CNW) Investments support Canadian-based technologies and create opportunities for businesses to grow and contribute to clean economic growth. -- Technology and the innovation it helps promote are key to the future of Canada's economy. This is why the
March 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Now is the Time to Act on RFS Reform: Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Re-introduce Bill to Reform Ethanol Mandate
(Office of Congressman Bob Goodlatte) (R-Va 6)) Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Steve Womack (R-Ark.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following statement today after reintroducing the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Reform Act (H.R. 1315): “The Renewable Fuel Standard
March 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Vietnam Revives Biofuel Plan, Sets National Switch in 2018
(VnExpress) After years failing to promote ethanol blended fuel, the government makes a big move. After more than two years failing to promote a locally-produced biofuel product in major cities, Vietnam has announced an even more ambitious plan: a national switch. The
March 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Academics and IEA Slam ‘Misleading’ Chatham House Bioenergy Report
by Liz Gyekye (Bioenergy Insight) More than 125 academics have joined the International Energy Agency Bioenergy Technology Collaboration Programme (IEA Bioenergy) slamming Chatham House’s recent report on bioenergy, calling it ‘misleading. The group of academics from across the world and the IEA
March 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Pruitt Allies Lobby on EPA’s Ethanol Mandate
by Timothy Cama (The Hill) ... Glenn Coffee and Crystal Coon, through their firm, Coffee Group, filed paperwork this week with Congress to represent Oklahoma-based gasoline station and convenience store owner QuikTrip Corp. on issues related to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Pruitt
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
EU Sees ‘Strategic Advantage’ of Biofuels in Aviation
by Hannah Black and Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv) In sectors like aviation where decarbonisation options are limited, there is a strategic advantage in encouraging the use of biofuels, a European Commission official has said. The aviation sector is dependent on liquid fuels
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Cars Seen Missing U.S. Mileage Targets for First Time Since 2004
by Ryan Beene (Bloomberg) Regulator report shows U.S. fleet to fall below mileage target; Results may feed debate over Obama auto-efficiency standards -- Cars and light trucks from the 2016 model year will be the first to fall short of U.S.
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Zimbabwe: Govt Liberalises Ethanol Production
by Tinashe Makichi (The Herald/AllAfrica) Government has liberalised local ethanol production as the country's sole producer, Green Fuel has constantly failed to provide adequate supplies especially during the rainy season rains. The current inadequate supplies of ethanol from Green Fuel last
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
BioApplied: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Nova Scotia’s Biorefinery Initiative
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s a biorefinery initiative in Canada’s Atlantic region (first initiated in Nova Scotia but expanding regionally). A partnership between Emera, Innovacorp, and the Federal and Provincial governments, are aimed at creating the necessary conditions to attract and host a
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Soybean Association Discusses Trade, Biofuels, Conservation and Research
(Norwalk Reflector) ... Progressive policies for a strong farm safety net, increased funding for agricultural export programs, ambitious global trade negotiations, an aggressive support for biodiesel policies and robust funding for agricultural research and conservation programs will guide the American Soybean
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Recent Research: Biodiesel Market Expects China and India to Be Key Future Markets Due to Numerous Diesel Vehicles
(Energy Market Research/Furion Analytics Research and Consulting LLP/WhaTech) ... Several countries across the world are are busy procuring biodiesel equipment in an effort scale-up their biofuel energy supply. Hence, the Biodiesel Market is in a tremendous position to register a significant
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Parliament Committee Says Palm Oil Biofuels Usage Should End by 2020
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv) MEPs adopted a report on Thursday (9 March) urging the European Commission to phase out the use of palm oil as a component of biodiesel by 2020 “at the latest”. In November, the European Commission presented its draft
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel May Backfire as a Budget Bluff
(NewsInEnglish.no) Plans by the Norwegian government to mandate usage of much more biofuel, as another so-called “green” measure that helped secure last year’s state budget compromise, may end up backfiring as little more than a budget bluff. New statistics suggest
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Public Citizen Files Complaint Alleging Trump Adviser’s Activities May Have Violated Federal Lobbying Laws
(Public Citizen) Carl Icahn and His Businesses Haven’t Registered As Lobbyists Yet Continue to Influence Government Policy -- Icahn Enterprises, CVR Energy and their related affiliates appear to be in violation of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA), according
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuels Digest Publishes On-demand Streams from BioChannel.TV
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Major announcement: New ICM cellulosic fuels project. Major announcement: Licella JV for supercritical fuels & chemicals Major announcement: New $112M Sofinnova renewable chemicals venture fund Industry Horizons: Presentations from Amyris, Capricorn Venture Partners, Ginkgo BioWorks, Raymond James ABLC Financing &
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
ICAO Council Adopts New CO2 Emissions Standard for Aircraft
(International Civil Aviation Organization) The 36-State ICAO Council has adopted a new aircraft CO2 emissions standard which will reduce the impact of aviation greenhouse gas emissions on the global climate. Contained in a new Volume III to Annex 16 of the Chicago
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Insights about Feedstock from the Advance Bioeconomy Leadership Conference
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Biofuels Digest's Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference started with an afternoon ABLC Feedstock Summit at the US Department of Agriculture. Three points jumped out. The value of the farmers/growers perspective of biofuels; rethinking the value
March 10, 2017 Read Full Article
Malaysia Lagging in Palm Biofuel Research, Says Economist
by Koh Jun Lin (Malaysiakini) Malaysia has not done enough research on palm oil derived biodiesel although Malaysian palm oil companies are well-poised to take advantage it, according to economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram. Countries such as Cuba, Brazil, the US and
March 08, 2017 Read Full Article
‘Purest Definition of a Conflict’: Icahn’s $126 Million Gain on Biofuel Deal Draws Criticism
by Jennifer A Dlouhy, Ari Natter, and Bill Allison (Bloomberg) Investor Carl Icahn is also unpaid adviser to White House; Value of Icahn CVR Energy stake grew after biofuel deal -- Carl Icahn’s stake in a Texas refiner grew by as
March 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Jobs and Money Take Top Billing with American Biodiesel
(National Biodiesel Board) Industry Leaders Showcase biodiesel benefits with key influencers -- When it comes to American biodiesel, jobs and economic opportunities are the hot tickets. In town from across the nation, biodiesel industry leaders are meeting with key influencers
March 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Adviser Peter Thiel Questions ‘Group Think’ of Restricting Carbon Emissions
by James Osborne (Fuel Fix) Peter Thiel, the technology investor and adviser to President Donald Trump, questioned the global push towards restricting carbon emissions as “group think” while speaking Tuesday at the energy conference CERAWeek by IHS Markit. “I’m not sure
March 08, 2017 Read Full Article
RINs Not Driving Any Profits: Motiva
(Argus Media) No one profits from credits used to track compliance with US biofuel mandates, Motiva chief executive Dan Romasko said today, wading into a controversy that has split the industry. Refinery margins rise and fall to offset the cost of
March 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Watchdog to Ask U.S. Lawmakers to Probe Icahn's Role with Trump
by Chris Prentice (Reuters/Yahoo!) A government watchdog group, Public Citizen, said on Wednesday it will ask lawmakers to investigate whether billionaire investor Carl Icahn should have been subject to lobbying disclosure laws when he advised President Donald Trump to overhaul
March 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Thailand Announces 3.66 Million Tons of Rotten Rice to Be Auctioned March 23
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Thailand, the National Rice Policy Committee agreed to open another round of bidding for rotten rice on March 23 for 3.66 million metric tons. The rotten rice is allowed for industrial uses including biofuels
March 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Battle Brewing over Ethanol Program Post 2022
by Jonathan H. Harsch (Agri-Pulse) Ethanol already supplies over 10 percent of the U.S. gasoline market and the fuel’s share is growing. Yet Congressman Bill Flores, who wants to see ethanol capped at 9.7 percent of the market, is holding back on
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Oil Instability Giving New Life to Biofuels?
by Douglas L. Faulkner (Biofuels Digest) Robert McNally, the author of the new, critically-acclaimed book, “Crude Volatility: The History and the Future of Boom-Bust Oil Prices”, believes that global oil markets are entering an epic, structural shift to a protracted new
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
RNG, Cellulosic Fuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard
by Susan Olson (BioCycle Magazine) Because of an all-time high waiver credit value paired with strong advanced RIN prices, renewable natural gas could fetch $35/MMBtu in 2017. Since 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has mandated the blending of renewable fuels
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Aviation Biofuels: Won’t Get Fooled Again
by Carlos Calvo Ambel (Transport & Environment/EurActiv) ... Sustainable feedstocks available for the production of non-land using biofuels, made of waste and residues, are limited and other sectors want to use them as well. Some advanced biofuels, such as those derived from
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump to Undo Vehicle Rules That Curb Global Warming
by Coral Davenport (New York Times) The Trump administration is expected to begin rolling back stringent federal regulations on vehicle pollution that contributes to global warming, essentially marking a U-turn to efforts to force the American auto industry to produce more
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Smith and Loebsack Introduce Bill to Broaden Fuel Choices for Retailers and Consumers
(Office of Congressman Adrian Smith) Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA) reintroduced legislation today to broaden fuel choices for retailers and consumers by expanding the existing waiver of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations related to the Reid
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Administration a Wild Card for Ethanol Industry
by Mike Hughlett (Star Tribune) With production on the rise, there's anxiety over unknown policy shifts. -- ... While there are positive indicators for 2017 — corn prices are forecast to be stable and the federal mandate for ethanol production
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Governors Press Trump: Coalition Asks for Ethanol Policy Changes
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) The Governors' Biofuels Coalition on Monday asked President Donald Trump to support a number of changes to federal law to support biofuels production. In a letter signed by Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, chairman of
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
UK Biofuels Industry Faces Shutdown Due to Government Crop Cap
(FG Insight) Vivergo Fuels, which converts 1.1m tonnes of feed-grade wheat a year into bioethanol, has said it could face closure if the Government ploughs on with plans to restrict crop-based biofuels in petrol. The UK must ensure 10 per cent
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Senate Bill Introduced to Give E15 Year-Round Market Presence
(Ethanol Producer Magazine) A bipartisan trio of Senators introduced a bill today that would extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver to ethanol blends above 10 percent, a move that would give E15 year-round market presence. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Joe
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuel Is Nigeria’s New Economy –Shidok, PPPRA Boss
(The Sun) From Uche Usim, Abuja -- When the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, assumed office in 2015, one of the programmes he highlighted the Muhammadu Buhari administration would face headlong was biofuels production which he described
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Letter: Need Clear Picture of Fuel Standards
by Paul Winters (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/The Wichita Eagle) Kansans deserve a clear picture of the Renewable Fuel Standard’s future, and a recent letter did the RFS a disservice (“Winners, losers in U.S. fuel policy,” Feb. 17 Letters to the Editor). Though
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol a Hot Topic at ’17 Classic
by Andy Eubank (Hoosier Ag Today) Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly (D) joined Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to introduce the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act last week, a bill that would effectively allow the sale of
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
U.S. Ethanol Group Clashes with Icahn over Details of Biofuels Negotiation
by Chris Prentis and Jennifer Ablan (Reuters/Yahoo!Finance) The head of the Renewable Fuels Association says billionaire investor Carl Icahn told him last week President Donald Trump was about to issue an order overhauling the U.S. biofuels program - something both
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Icahn on Point on RFS
by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) Carl Icahn was the administration official who called Bob Dinneen, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, and told him an executive order changing the Renewable Fuel Standard is on the way, Dinneen told Reuters. Dinneen
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Heard on the Floor at ABLC 2017 – Day 2
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ABLC guests heard Governor Paul LePage from Maine invite all of us to his beautiful Northern state that has many existing and promising biomass projects and even backyard farms that grow tomatoes year round
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Releases New Analysis on Reasons Why Not to Change the Renewable Fuel Standard PO
(Biofuels International) Growth Energy has released economic analysis that it says “identifies numerous problems” associated with changing the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) point of obligation. The US ethanol trade body strongly supports EPA’s proposed denial to move the point of obligation. “Changing the
March 03, 2017 Read Full Article
RVO Clarity by June Top Priority for Biofuels Industry Leaders
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Amid an animated discussion of policy issues, one item gained the support of all five panelists: publication of the Renewable Fuels Standard renewable volume obligations for 2017 and 2018 by June, on schedule. Moderated by
March 02, 2017 Read Full Article
DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office Sees Greater Collaboration with DOE Office of Fossil Energy in Its Future
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) This morning at the "Defense Production Act (DPA) Advanced Drop-in Biofuels Production Project Round 2 Industry Roundtable" held at the US Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC, Zia Haq, Senior Analyst and DPA Coordinator
March 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Report Analyzes the Use of Biogas-Derived Electricity To Power Electric Vehicles
(U.S. Department of Energy) With joint funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Strategic Programs, Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), and Vehicle Technologies Office, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) published a report titled Analyzing the Impacts of a Biogas-to-Electricity
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
The RFS in 2017: A Brave New World
by Michael McAdams (Biomass Magazine) ... First, we must finalize the 2017 renewable volume obligation (RVO) rule for the RFS program. Second, we must push for the 2018 mandates to be published before the Nov. 30 deadline to send a strong
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Battle Escalates Amid Rumors of RFA-Icahn Deal
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) (R)umors of a deal surfaced between the Renewable Fuels Association and Carl Icahn, shifting renewable fuel obligations away from oil refiners, in return for Icahn’s support for a Reid Vapor Pressure waiver for E15 ethanol that
February 28, 2017 Read Full Article
IRFA: ‘Merchant Refiners Not Paying for RINs’
(Iowa Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... The main argument of the petitioners is that they are paying for millions of dollars of RINs to meet their RFS obligations, and that this is somehow unfair and inequitable. Yet, a review
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Government to Formulate Policies on Ethanol, Methanol to Bring Down Crude Import Bill: Nitin Gadkari
(PTI/The Financial Express) The Centre will soon come out with policies on the second-generation ethanol as well as methanol, non-conventional fuel resources, which will bring down the crude import bill by Rs 1 lakh crore, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Fueling Comeback of Agriculture: Commitment to Biofuels Can Help Reinvigorate Farm Economy
by Jeff Broin (POET/Journal Gazette) ... Plummeting farm income, falling land values and depressed commodity prices over the last few years threaten to undo the prosperity of the previous decade. All indicators point to farms in trouble. • Net farm income is projected
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
CPAC Panel: Ethanol Regs Aren’t Helping Corn Belt Economies
by Andrew Follett (The Daily Caller News Foundation) Members of the Conservative Political Action Conference panel “Energy Rationing: The Tragic, Unintended Consequences,” argued the federal ethanol mandate isn’t benefiting the regions of the country it’s supposed to. ... America supports ethanol via
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Interview: AFPM President Calls for Biofuels Regulation Reform, End of RFS
by Josh Pedrick (Platts) The US ethanol market is ready to stand without support from government regulations and the Renewable Fuel Standard should be repealed, Chet Thompson, president of the American Fuel and Petrochemicals Manufacturers organization, said this week in an
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Mind the (Carbon) Gap: With Sustainable Aviation Fuels, What Will It Take, Who’s Gonna Pay?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) So there’s this gap, say researchers at Utrecht University in their report on aviation biofuels, between the emission goals that airlines have set themselves (call this, carbon-neutral growth), and what is going to be achieved
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Better Science, Better Fuels
by Stephen Rapundalo (Morning Consult/MichBio) The United States Department of Agriculture just dropped a truth bomb. According to the agency’s new landmark report, the carbon benefits associated with homegrown ethanol have far surpassed previous expectations and continue to improve thanks
February 27, 2017 Read Full Article
European Parliament Votes for Reforms to the EU ETS from 2020 that Would Tighten Aviation Emissions Cap
(GreenAir Online) The European Parliament has voted to increase the ambition of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for the next phase of the scheme starting in 2021, which includes tightening the emissions cap of the aviation sector. The sector
February 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Government Policy Action Is Key to the Large-Scale Deployment of Aviation Biofuels, Hears ICAO Seminar
(GreenAir Online) Although sustainable alternative fuels are key to meeting the aviation sector’s long-term emissions goals, supportive government policies are required to bring these fuels to global deployment. This was a central theme of last week’s ICAO Seminar on Alternative
February 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Expert: Clear Sustainability Framework Needed for Advanced Biofuels
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv) If the EU wants to avoid a U-turn on advanced biofuels, then it has come up with a “clear and robust” sustainability framework that will provide policy certainty and investment security, biofuel expert Laura Buffet said
February 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Propel Fuels Serves Largest US E85 Market in California
(Propel Fuels/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Propel Fuels, the nation’s leading retailer of E85 Flex Fuel, welcomed the 2017 National Ethanol Conference to California, America’s largest E85 market. Having cracked the code to high volume E85 sales, Propel sells more than 500
February 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Signals He's Backing away from Ethanol Mandate
by Timothy P. Carney (Washington Examiner) ... Ethanol mandate champions, such as Obama Agriculture Secretary and former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack started worrying aloud in December that Trump might abandon the ethanol mandate. The letter President Trump just sent to the National
February 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Groups Call Food-vs.-Fuel Fight Truce
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) ... Now, representatives of two ag groups previously at odds over the RFS say they have moved on. The reason, they say, is that the 5 billion bushels of corn demand created by U.S.
February 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Exxon's New Chief Endorses Carbon Tax to Combat Climate Change
by Joe Carroll (Bloomberg) Darren Woods makes first blog post since succeeding Tillerson; Comment mirror’s former CEO’s long-standing position on levy -- In his first blog post since succeeding Rex Tillerson, the new head of Exxon Mobil Corp. focused on climate
February 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Back on Track: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the RFA Ethanol Outlook
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Looking to better understand the outlook for the US ethanol industry, but lack the time to wade through the entire 40-page Ethanol Outlook 2017 from RFA (which is right here, for download, in complete form)? Well,
February 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Shifting the Burden of Proof on High-Ethanol Blends
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Also appearing this week from the The Urban Air Initiative and several partners were filed comments with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that disrupts the agency’s current rationale for controlling ethanol blends under the
February 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump at the Renewable Pump: Will He Bump, Thump or Dump?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Let’s look at the letter behind the headlines. “Rest assured that your president and this administration values the importance of renewable fuels to America’s economy and to our energy independence. As I emphasized throughout my campaign,
February 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Potential LCFS for Massachusetts - - Comment Deadline is Tomorrow (Friday, February 24, 2017)
(Low Carbon Fuels Coalition) Massachusetts is currently conducting a rulemaking that could provide the basis for a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) type program in Massachusetts. The Low Carbon Fuels Coalition (LCFC) has been actively participating in the rulemaking and
February 23, 2017 Read Full Article
UNICA Says that Unintended Consequences from EPA Proposal Could Limit US Access to Advanced Biofuel
(Green Car Congress) UNICA, Brazil’s Sugarcane Industry Association, has noted with potential concern that a current EPA proposal that would allow, among other things, biofuel producers to partially process renewable feedstocks at one facility and further process them into renewable
February 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Reporters Curious About #Ethanol Issues
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Reporters covering the National Ethanol Conference in San Diego had questions about a number of topics when given the opportunity to have a press “scrum” with Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen. The first questions
February 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Dinneen: 'Ethanol Lifts Ag'
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Though there is angst in rural America about the future of the Renewable Fuel Standard and agriculture trade in particular, the leader of the nation's largest ethanol interest group told an ethanol industry
February 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Big Corn Courts Old Foe Big Oil to Combat Electric Car Threat
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) A U.S. biofuels lobbying group on Tuesday said it is seeking to work with longtime rival the oil industry to fight the threat to both from subsidies for electric vehicles. The two industries have been at loggerheads
February 22, 2017 Read Full Article
RFA Statement on Senators’ Letter to EPA on E15 Volatility Regulation
by Rachel Gantz (Renwable Fuels Association) Today (February 17, 2017), five Senators, led by Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), sent a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, asking him to address EPA’s volatility regulation that makes it more difficult to sell ethanol blends
February 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Fuel Retailers, Marketers and End Users Urge EPA to Maintain Current RFS Compliance Requirements
(NATSO/PR Newswire) Truck Drivers, Railroads, Highway Users, Renewable Fuel Groups and Fuel Retailers Unified in Opposition to Fuel Program Changes -- As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) public comment period on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) closes today, NATSO is
February 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Reaffirms RFS Support
by Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) Trump sent a letter to the National Ethanol Conference Tuesday again reiterating support for renewable fuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard, Pro's Eric Wolff reports. "Rest assured that your president and this administration value
February 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Dipping a Toe into RFS Reform
By Anthony Adragna (Politico's Morning Energy) A bipartisan group of lawmakers have begun discussing how to craft a compromise to update the decade-old rules governing the nation's biofuel market and hope to draft a bill this summer, Pro's Eric Wolff
February 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Singapore Budget 2017: 6 Things to Know about the New Carbon Tax, Tweaked Vehicle Emissions Schemes
by Lydia Lam (Straits Times) Singapore plans to implement a carbon tax from 2019, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced in Parliament on Monday (Feb 20) as part of his Budget 2017 speech. Mr Heng also announced adjustments to two vehicle
February 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Boat and ATV Owners, Others Seek Rollback of E15 Mandates on Fuel
by Mike Schoonveld (Outdoor News) ... The new administration ran on a plank of rolling back or eliminating federal regulations. It would make sense for the Renewable Fuel Standards’ ethanol mandate to be one of the first to go. Groups representing boaters,
February 21, 2017 Read Full Article
From Off-Take to Take-Off: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to the US Renewable Jet Fuels Program
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In June 2011, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy signed MOU to commit $510M (up to $170M from each agency) to produce hydrocarbon jet and diesel biofuels in the near-term. This initiative sought to
February 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Ground Delay: Where Are the Sustainable Aviation Fuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... (S)omething less than $200 million has been so far positively and affordably earmarked by lenders to revolutionize the entire supply chain of US air transportation fuels. Which is to say, you can just about get
February 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Rocky Road Ahead for Farm Bill’s Energy Title
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The Farm Bill’s Energy Title provides loans and grants to farmers, ranchers and small businesses to encourage investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and the production of renewable bioproducts such as fuels
February 20, 2017 Read Full Article
No Waiver? No Sense.
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The ethanol industry sees one-pound waiver for E15 as a no-brainer. -- Perplexed about why E15 does not get a one-pound waiver? That’s a sign you clearly understand the issue, says Monte Shaw, Iowa
February 20, 2017 Read Full Article
ZEVs Don’t Have Zero Emissions: Letter
by Don Siefkes (E100 Ethanol Group/Biofuels Digest) In an unpublished letter to the Wall Street Journal, Don Siefkes, Executive Director of the E100 Ethanol Group writes: Regarding Mike Spector’s Feb. 13 article, “Biggest Driver of Cleaner-Car Rules …,” Ms. Mary Nichols, Chairwoman
February 20, 2017 Read Full Article
Iowa to Pruitt: Don't Change RFS Point of Obligation
(Iowa Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... “We have a slogan in the renewable fuels family that says ‘Don’t mess with the RFS,’” said IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw. “Let me make this perfectly clear: changing the point of obligation is
February 17, 2017 Read Full Article
My Voice: Renewable Fuel Standard Problems after 2022?
by Merle Pochop (Argus Leader) ... Currently, stakeholders have a say in how the current RFS is operated through their congressional delegates since the program is overseen by federal lawmakers. However, in 2022, the RFS will be handed over entirely to the
February 16, 2017 Read Full Article
INTERVIEW-Argentina Could Double Percentage of Ethanol in Fuels -Official
by Maximilian Heath (Reuters) Argentina in the next two to three years could double the proportion of ethanol used in gasoline from the current 12 percent of the blend, a government official told Reuters. If the government goes forward with the
February 16, 2017 Read Full Article
AY-YI YI-YA AAAY, Gevo Just Can’t Stop Dancin’
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But there’s something so cool in that technology that we can’t take our eyes off the company and its progress, even though looking at the balance sheet can feel like watching a car crash in slow
February 16, 2017 Read Full Article
G20 Urged to Ditch Fossil Fuel Subsidies by 2020, Go Green
by Alister Doyle (Reuters) Investors and insurers with more than $2.8 trillion in assets under management on Wednesday called on the Group of 20 economies to phase out fossil fuel subsidies by 2020 despite U.S. doubts about climate change. G20 nations
February 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Letter to Editor: Ethanol Is a 'Win-Win'
by Rick Fox (Ohio Ethanol Producers Association/The Courier) ... Back in 1996, well before the Renewable Fuel Standard was ever implemented, corn was $3.67 a bushel. Today it is $3.64 a bushel. Why? Thanks to technology and improvements in farming practices, farmers are
February 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Health Effects Institute Takes Hard Look at Ethanol vs Aromatics
by David Hallberg (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Urban Air Initiative) Candid discussions at the Health Effects Institute offer hope ethanol's positive emissions profile will be taken seriously, writes a UAI advisor and Siouxland Ethanol board member in the Clearing the Air column
February 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Volumes Challenged
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) A biofuels group and two petroleum interest groups have asked a federal appeals court to review the final 2017-2018 biodiesel volumes in the Renewable Fuels Standard published in the Federal Register. A handful of
February 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Dems Probe Trump Adviser Icahn’s Role in Ethanol Policy
by Timothy Cama (The Hill) Senate Democrats are investigating the role that President Trump’s adviser Carl Icahn is playing in setting the administration’s ethanol policy. The Democrats are concerned that Icahn, a prolific investor whose holding company owns more than 80
February 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Biofuel Policies
by Nicolas Loris (DownsizingGovernment.org/The Heritage Foundation) ... The problem is not with the voluntary use of biofuels in the marketplace, but rather policies that mandate and subsidize biofuels. ... Congress should end its intervention in the biofuels industry. It should terminate subsidies
February 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Aviation Firms Turn to Seaweed, Sugar
(AFP/China Post) The air transportation sector is turning slowly toward sustainable fuels as part of the global fight against climate change. But adoption has been delayed due to a lack of incentives and low oil prices. ... Even partially replacing jet fuel with
February 14, 2017 Read Full Article
The Next Step in the Bioeconomy – Looking Beyond Fuels
by Jessie Stolark (Energy and Environmental Study Institute) The Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), in the Office of Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy (EERE), released its updated strategic plan in January. Revised every five years, the strategic plan refreshes and
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
The Ethanol Action Team Discusses Demand
(National Corn Growers Association) Members of the National Corn Growers Association’s Ethanol Action Team (ETHAT) gathered last week in Savannah, Ga. to review programs aimed at expanding demand for corn ethanol. “Our agenda covered topics from fuel dispenser infrastructure to
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
500,000+ BoatUS Members Asked to Petition New Administration and Congress to Fix Ethanol Policy
(BoatUS) Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is asking its more than half-million members – and any recreational boat owner concerned with having a safe fuel supply – to petition the new Trump administration and Congress to reform
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Comment Periods on 2 EPA RFS Proposals to Close in Mid-February
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The comment periods on two U.S. EPA proposals that impact the renewable fuel standard (RFS) close later this month. Members of the public have until Feb. 16 to weigh in on the agency’s proposed
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
The $40 Carbon Tax Is Dead as a Doornail, and Here’s Why
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This past week, a group headed by former Secretaries of State George Shultz and Jim Baker proposed dramatically to introduce a $40 per ton carbon tax in order to address the rising threat from global
February 13, 2017 Read Full Article
French, German Farmers Urge EU to Keep 7 Percent Biofuel Target
(UFOP/Biodiesel Magazine) ... UFOP and FOP focused their meeting in Berlin on the last energy proposals from the European Commission. In its “winter package,” the commission proposed to limit first-generation biofuels from 7 percent in 2020 to 3.8 percent in 2030.
February 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Letter to Editor: Protect Illinois Farmers from Crude Manipulation
by Jim Talent (Americans for Energy Security and Innovation/Belleville News-Democrat) When Illinois farmers sell wheat, rye or oats on the open market, they can rightly expect that supply and demand will set the price, with no interference from foreign cartels
February 08, 2017 Read Full Article
It’s Buffett vs. Icahn as Lobbying Heats Up Over U.S. Ethanol
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Association of American Railroads argues against Icahn efforts; Renewable fuel paper credits trading at one-week high -- U.S. railroads, including Warren Buffett’s BNSF, are joining a corporate brawl over ethanol mandates that pits American corn farmers and fuel
February 08, 2017 Read Full Article
FG Planning $50bn Funding for Domestic Biofuel Industry – CBN
by Ifeanyi Lawrence-Agbai (Today) The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Tuesday disclosed that the federal government would invest about $50 billion to the development of a domestic biofuel industry which would serve as an alternative energy source for Nigeria. It said the
February 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Outlook 2017: Rapid Adoption of E15
by Rachel Gantz (Renewable Fuels Association/Biofuels International) ... Some of the largest markets in 2016 were China, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and India, and with more countries around the world recognising the numerous benefits of ethanol, we expect US ethanol exports
February 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Unleaded with 10% Ethanol Near to Become the Preferred Gasoline of Motorists
(RTL (Google Translation)) Unleaded petrol containing up to 10% ethanol (SP95-E10), is about to become the first gasoline used in France, in front of the traditional SP95, estimated Thursday the Collective of bioethanol by presenting its balance sheet annual. For the whole
February 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Sugar Farmers Back Bioethanol Industry
(Manila Bulletin) With farmers looking to maximize profits for their harvest of sugarcane farming communities in Batangas came out in droves to attend the Farmers Festival for Bioethanol held in Sta. Teresita this province. The sugarcane industry, one of the biggest
February 07, 2017 Read Full Article
India Complains against US at WTO over Subsidies
(LiveMint) India has complained against the US at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for what it calls illegal subsidies and domestic content requirements for the renewable energy sector in eight American states, even as the Donald Trump administration pursues a Buy
February 07, 2017 Read Full Article
‘Use of Biofuels’ll Reduce Expenditure on Fossil Fuels’
by John Ofikhenua (The Nation) The Acting Executive Director, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Mr. Victor Zamani Shidok, has said the shift to biofuels could reduce expenditure on fossil fuels by 10 per cent. He spoke in Abuja at a workshop
February 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuels Groups Pleased Oral Arguments Set In Court Case Against The EPA
(WNAX) Oral arguments have been set for April 24 in a Washington D.C. appeals court where biofuel groups claim the EPA has mismanaged the renewable fuel standard. Renewable Fuels Association Senior Vice President Geoff Cooper says they’re arguing the EPA
February 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Florida Congressman Drafts Bill To ‘Completely Abolish’ The EPA
by Alexander C. Kaufman (Huffington Post) And here you thought Donald Trump’s plans would devastate the agency. -- Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has drafted a bill to “completely abolish” the Environmental Protection Agency, according to an email obtained by The
February 06, 2017 Read Full Article
European Commission Proposes Intra-European Flights Should Remain Covered by EU ETS Pending ICAO Progress
(GreenAir Online) ... Since ICAO States agreed at their Assembly in October to implement the phased Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), debate has centred around what the EU should do with its own scheme both before and
February 06, 2017 Read Full Article
SUNLIQUID® 20: Fleet Test with Mercedes-Benz Vehicles Proves Fuel Quality
(Clariant) A plus for the environment: Improves particle count emissions and guarantees significant reductions in CO2 emissions using sunliquid® cellulosic ethanol; Field test confirms: Excellent combustion characteristics without additional consumption -- Clariant, a leading global specialty chemicals company, together with Mercedes-Benz
February 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Auto Dealers Want Trump to Weaken Car Emissions Rules
by Timothy Cama (The Hill) Auto dealers are joining the call from carmakers for President Trump to roll back his predecessor’s aggressive vehicle emissions rules. At the group’s annual meeting in New Orleans, leaders and members of the National Automobile Dealers
February 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Some ‘Unrest’ in the Biofuels Industry
by K Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) Uncertainty over presidential and congressional support for biofuels and the RFS, combined with tighter ethanol production margins, is creating some “unrest” in the renewable fuels industry. So says Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable
February 05, 2017 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
by Dana Khraiche (Bloomberg) “President Trump has policies which are good for the oil industries,” (Saudi Energy Minister Khalid) Al-Falih said in an interview with the BBC. “He has steered away from excessively anti-fossil-fuel, unrealistic fossil-fuel policies.” READ MORE LISTEN/WATCH to interview
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Saudi Energy Minister Praises Trump’s Pro-Fossil-Fuel Policies
by Dana Khraiche (Bloomberg) Saudis sees no problem with U.S. oil growth: Al-Falih to BBC; Kingdom may boost investment in U.S. refining, distribution -- President Donald Trump’s energy policies are good for the petroleum industry and Saudi Arabia sees no problem
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Forestry Firm UPM Says Eyeing Next Biofuel Investment
by Jussi Rosendahl (Reuters) Finnish pulp and paper maker UPM-Kymmene is planning its next step in wood-based renewable fuel products after a successful ramp-up at its initial biofuels plant, the head of UPM's biofuels business said on Wednesday. UPM says the plant
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Ontario Seeks Input On Renewable Fuel Standard Discussion Paper
(National Law Review) On January 11, 2017, the Government of Ontario released a discussion paper titled “Developing a Modern Renewable Fuel Standard For Gasoline in Ontario,” which provides context for the new RFS requirements. The discussion paper explains that Ontario
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Fracking Biomass: Steeper Energy and the Pursuit of Renewable Hydrocarbons
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... And it (the history of fracking) reminds us that one of the great tipping points for world civilization is when technology liberates a value great enough that the fear of the risk fades for
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Urban Air Initiative Calls on EPA to Withdraw Erroneous Vehicle Emissions Model
(Urban Air Initiative) Stakeholders including the states of Kansas and Nebraska joined the Urban Air Initiative (UAI) and the Energy Future Coalition as they petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to correct the agency’s flawed models that limit the use of