In Washington, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers has filed a petition with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce mandated volumes of non-existent cellulosic biofuels. “Year after year, the cellulosic biofuel industry fails to produce the volumes mandated under the RFS, forcing refiners to pay a de facto phantom fuel tax to comply with […]
In Washington, the Sierra Club and the Gulf Restoration Network filed a lawsuit in D.C. Circuit Court challenging the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to consult with wildlife agencies to ensure that its 2018 renewable fuel volume standards do not jeopardize federally listed species. The suit claims dramatic land conversion has occurred as a result […]
In Ireland, Ethanol Europe Renewables Ltd, the operator of Europe’s largest biorefinery, is warning policymakers against placing too much hope in advanced biofuel production because according to their controversial study, researchers found that less than 1% of announced advanced biofuel capacity was a success, “a volume so small as to be irrelevant…and while the cycle […]
OK, good news and bad news on the US budget deal. First, the bad news. The budget compromise appears to be running into headwinds in the Senate, in the form of a voting delay imposed by Rand Paul of Kentucky, while opposition in the House from a group of Democrats and hardline conservatives is putting […]
In Washington, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is seeking a workaround with Senate colleagues to move forward with the confirmation of the proposed Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the USDA who has been kept from a vote due to a block by Senator Ted Cruz seeking to reform RIN policy […]
In Argentina, the president met with the US’s secretary of state to discuss a wide range of trade and diplomacy issues, including the anti-dumping duties lobbed on Argentine biodiesel exports to the US. Although other trade issues such as Argentine lemons, steel and even aluminum appear to have gotten some traction, the secretary of state […]
In Washington, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa released an internal memorandum produced by his energy policy staff who analyzed recent claims made by opponents of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), including Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES), which attributed its recent bankruptcy filing in part to the RFS. The analysis finds that the biofuels blending requirement and […]
In Indonesia, the government has at last taken the decision to file a formal complaint against US anti-dumping duties on Indonesian biodiesel at the World Trade Organization after having been pushed up against a wall with a deadline to file by February 3. Anti-dumping duties in the US are almost as high as 65%. Angered […]
In Sweden, Ambassador of Sweden to Malaysia Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt voiced opposition to the European Union’s ban on palm oil saying that the requirement to be phased out before others is discrimination. According to the Malaysian Reserve, Juhlin-Dannfelt said at the announcement of the 2nd Sweden-South-East Asia Business Summit 2018 in Kuala Lumpur “Sweden and many […]
In Washington, Reuters reports that the Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator said in an interview on Fox News that he believes Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ bankruptcy stems largely from required compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard and as such is indication that the policy must be reformed. Rather than getting rid of ethanol blending as a whole, […]
