In Swaziland, a new report estimates that energy produced from bagasse could meet half of the country’s electricity demand. The Swaziland Renewables Readiness Assessment recommends the country undertake various measures to support the implementation of renewable energy including: extending existing tax credits to the sugar industry to incentivize investment in more efficient equipment for bagasse-based […]
In Washington, the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers and the American Petroleum Institute have filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for repeatedly delaying the release of the 2014 and 2015 RFS. The two organizations blame the EPA for “ignoring” its duty to issue blending […]
In Minnesota, legislation introduced in both houses of the state legislature in early February seeks to support cellulosic ethanol production along with renewable chemicals and biomass thermal. The House version of the bill would create an incentive $2.1053 per MMBtu of annual production of cellulosic advanced biofuels with a 20% bonus payment for using perennial […]
In Malaysia, the country announced it will introduce a 4.5% export tax on crude palm oil exports in April, while Indonesia is expected to follow suit. Malaysia dropped the export tax in September, since when exports of CPO have soared 21% while exports of refined oil have fallen 15%. The Rotterdam price for CPO is […]
In Indonesia, the government is again coming to the rescue of the palm oil industry by potentially introducing tax breaks for producers, allowing it to offset the budgetary requirements that would be needed by a new 15% biodiesel blend proposed last week, up from the current 10%. The 2015 budget won’t reach to covering the […]
In the UK, parliamentarians are in agreement that political will, rather than money or technology, is holding back the UK’s renewable energy sector. Senior officials from each of the four key political parties agreed that for widespread renewable adoption, emphasis needs to be on raising awareness of the benefits of renewable energy amongst the public, […]
In California, the state’s Energy Commission has approved $21 million in grants for energy innovation and efficiency programs at its monthly business meeting. Almost a dozen innovative projects – including one to convert forest residues to electricity and another to turn dairy manure into biogas – were funded through four key grant and loan programs.
In Washington, the Advanced Biofuels Association splintered away from the rest of the industry during the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference when its head said the RFS needed to be reformed–a move that has shocked the industry. The ABA wants the loophole closed that allows oil companies to opt-out of blending advanced biofuels as well as […]
In Nebraska, by relaxing a federal ethanol mandate, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could have counteracted the impact of the 2012 drought on corn prices, a new study by University of Nebraska-Lincoln agricultural economists concludes. The study provides a guidepost for action by federal policymakers in the event of future drought, said co-author Azzeddine Azzam, […]
In Iowa, GOP presidential contenders have begun canvassing the state where not surprisingly ethanol is becoming a hot button issue. Jeb Bush said he supported the RFS but believes the policy should be phased out over the coming years. Scott Walker, on the other hand, flip-flopped his notorious anti-RFS stance and said instead that he […]
