In Washington, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking applications for funding to help support the development of advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals and biobased products. Funding is being provided through the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program, formerly known as the Biorefinery Assistance Program. Congress established […]
In the Philippines, the Sugar Regulatory Authority has lowered the monthly allocations for ethanol supply during the fourth quarter by 4,500 cu m to 62,400 cu m. Ethanol production will ramp up during the last part of the year, from 18,000 cu m in October to 24,100 cu m. Oil companies must buy ethanol from […]
In Pennsylvania, Hillary Clinton’s energy advisor has chosen to stay mum about potential reforms to the RFS following comments by President Barack Obama’s former energy advisor that the blending mandate could use some adjustments. Though the advisor cautioned against “throwing the baby out with the bathwater,” she said that some modifications could be made to […]
In Washington, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), and Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) led a bipartisan letter, signed by 36 of their Senate colleagues, urging the Obama administration to increase its proposed 2018 Renewable Volume Obligations for biodiesel to encourage continued growth in the industry and diversity in the nation’s energy […]
In Belgium, a leaked EU document obtained by Friends of the Earth Europe and covered in a story by The Guardian confirms that TTIP would “sabotage” the Paris climate agreement and US and EU commitments to tackle global warming. The 14th round of negotiations were held earlier this month in Brussels for the European Union-US trade […]
In Brussels, a European Court of Auditors report published found that “there are a number of gaps in the European Commission’s existing biofuels sustainability certification framework.” ePURE said that the sustainability regime for biofuels in Europe can and should be strengthened further to ensure that only the most sustainable biofuels, like European ethanol, are promoted […]
In Washington, the Renewable Fuels Association charged that Washington state’s proposed carbon caps eschews globally accepted bioenergy carbon accounting methods out of fear that properly recognizing the carbon benefits associated with biofuels would trigger the so-called ‘poison pill’ legislative provision that would shift funding from climate-friendly transportation investments to road and highway construction projects”. Analyses […]
In Washington, the USDA and Holland & Knight have scheduled a July 27th webinar (2 ET) to update companies on the latest developments in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 9003 Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program. Complete registration details are here. The 9003 Program, which is an attractive source of capital for […]
In Luxembourg, weaknesses in the system of certifying sustainable biofuels could undermine the basis of the EU’s 2020 targets for renewable energy in transport, according to a new report from the European Court of Auditors. Under the Renewable Energy Directive, EU Member States can only use biofuels certified as sustainable to reach their 2020 target […]
In Belgium, the European Commission has published its Communication on a European Strategy for Low-Emission Mobility that explores policy options to decarbonize transport beyond 2020. The European renewable ethanol association (ePURE), representing conventional and advanced ethanol producers, welcomes the Commission’s commitment to assess the future role of low carbon fuels in Europe’s transport through a […]
