In China, the government is expected to set import taxes for ethanol by the end of January. Last Friday, a list of import duties on a wide range of products was released but ethanol wasn’t included. Typically ethanol imports are hit with an 80% tariff, lowered to 30% for Brazil and the US, but those […]
In Belgium, following on from the November release of their joint publication “The Black Book of Bioenergy”, Birdlife Europe and Central Asia has again teamed with Transport & Environment on a documentary set for release in January that is meant to be an exposé on how European biofuel policy led to landgrabbing, deforestation, inappropriate subsidies […]
In Australia, from January 1, 2017 Queensland liable fuel retailors will be required by law to ensure that up to 3 per cent of their total regular unleaded and ethanol-blended petrol sales each quarter are bio-based fuels, such as ethanol. Biodiesel is a part of this mandate and requires 0.5 per cent of all diesel […]
In Washington, president-elect Donald Trump has tapped long-time RFS opponent Carl Icahn as a special representative for regulatory reform. Icahn specifically pointed out environmental and banking regulations as major pressures on the US economy, particularly obligated refineries under the Renewable Fuel Standard’s current rules that are open for public comment at the moment. As a […]
In Washington, on December 20, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued extensions of the comment periods for two actions: the Renewables Enhancement and Growth Support (REGS) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and the Proposed Denial to Change the Point of Obligation. The proposal specified that the public comment period would end on January 17, 2017–60 days […]
In Iowa, the agriculture secretary has voiced concerns about president-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet choices, saying that the industry must remain vigilant to ensure the Renewable Fuel Standard stays intact. From his choices for energy secretary to EPA administrator, to the president-elect’s mixed messages on ethanol during his campaign, many questions remain, especially with the oil […]
In Washington, biobased industry veteran Cynthia L. Thyfault, CEO of Westar Trade Resources, was elected as Chairman of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee , at the December 1, 2016 committee meeting. REEEAC’s mission is to advise the US Secretary of Commerce on programs and policies that will increase U.S. exports, leading to […]
In Washington, the National Wildlife Federation says the Renewable Fuel Standard has resulted in a major transformation on the landscape. Farmers, hoping to take advantage of rising prices for corn and other commodity crops, converted more than 7 million acres of native prairie, rangeland, wetlands, and forests into cropland – a devastating loss of important […]
In Denmark, the national government has just decided on the 0,9% blending mandate for use of advanced biofuels made from waste materials, i.e. straw. The mandate is to be effective by 2020 and will be applied to the transportation sector of Denmark. “This is an ambitious and progressive decision taken today by the Danish government,” […]
In Washington, a survey released by the national trade association representing truckstops and travel plazas, the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America, and the National Association of Convenience Stores found that majority of American voters believe that shifting the point of obligation under the Renewable Fuel Standar from refiners to wholesalers and fuel retailers […]
