In Indonesia, a parliamentary panel has decided the subsidy for biodiesel should be 32 cents per liter, compared to nearly 40 cents previously proposed. The ethanol subsidy will remain at the 23.5 cents per liter proposed. The panel said the proposed subsidy for biodiesel was too high considering market conditions, and that the budget committee […]
In Washington, Republican Representatives Bob Goodlatte of Virginia and Steve Womack of Arkansas and Democrats Peter Welch of Vermont and Jim Costa of California has taken yet another bill to the House floor with the intention of reforming the RFS. The group failed to pass the bill in 2013. The RFS Reform Act seeks to […]
In Indonesia, the government has decided to subsidize ethanol and biodiesel prices to help offset the growing gap with fossil fuels following lower oil prices. The government has proposed to the House of Representatives a subsidy of 39 cents per liter of biodiesel, nearly three times a previous proposal, while the ethanol proposal is 50% […]
In Brazil, the government will put into force the 27% ethanol blend on Feb. 15, down from the 27.5% blend approved by Congress in September. Mills have been holding back stocks in anticipation of the blending level, with analysts suggesting 7 billion liters of stocks are currently on hand, up 13% over last year at […]
By Matt Carr, Executive Director, Algae Biomass Organization They say that politics makes for strange bedfellows, but what about global petro-economics? As the global price for a barrel of oil creeps lower and lower, the US algae industry ironically finds itself in the same position as Big Oil: We’d both prefer crude oil prices to […]
In Washington, Tim Searchinger is yet again hitting out at biofuels, calling for policies supporting them to be phased out. His new report from the World Resources Institute says that biofuels would require all of the crops grown today to provide the biofuels needed for 2050. He says solar is a better energy source because […]
In Washington, the National Biodiesel Board has sharply criticized a decision by the EPA to allow streamlined Argentinian biodiesel imports to the U.S. under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “This decision poses a tremendous threat to U.S. industry and jobs, not to mention the overriding goal of the RFS of developing clean, homegrown renewable fuels,” […]
In Vietnam, the prime minister has promised to set E5 prices at slightly below 92 octane unleaded prices in order to boost demand. He also wants ministries to explore export taxes on both ethanol and cassava to ensure enough supply for E5 demand.
In India, the country’s transport minister is so serious about promoting biofuels and eliminating fossil fuels for vehicles that his ministry is exploring tax breaks for biofuel production as well as for vehicles that run on biofuels. The government is preparing to issue fuel standards for E85 and ED95. He has made an open call […]
In Iowa, Governor Terry Branstad and Growth Energy has formed America’s Renewable Future aimed to bring biofuels policy back into the spotlight on the 2016 campaign trail amidst low oil prices and numerous setbacks. The need to lobby in the biggest biofuels producing state in the country demonstrates a new landscape in the renewables industry, […]
